The first order of business for the Cook County I.S.D. 166 school board on November 3 was to welcome head volleyball coach Pam Taylor and her highly successful volleyball squad to the meeting.
“You’ve had a great season,” Superintendent Dr. William Crandall said to Taylor and her team of players. “I wish you the best to continue your season. Thank you for bringing [positive] recognition to our school.”
School board member Sissy Lunde commented on the team’s great sportsmanship, adding, “My fingers are crossed, and I wish you the best of luck,” as the team left the room to head back to their last hard practice before playing in the big Section 7A championship game on Saturday, November 5.
The board completed the first reading of Policy 520 that dealt with the Minnesota Student Survey. School districts are required by statute to have a policy addressing student surveys, said Dr. Crandall. Occasionally, the school district utilizes surveys to obtain student opinions and get information about students. The purpose of the policy was to review and establish parameters of information that the district may seek from a student survey.
Students who fill out these surveys are anonymous, and no student is required to complete a questionnaire. Last year two students decided they didn’t want to take part in the Minnesota Student Survey. Under current guidelines, all student surveys “shall be available for inspection by the parents or guardians of the students.”
Next, the board conducted a first reading of Policy 529 (staff notification of violent behavior by students).
“This has always been in there,” said Dr. Crandall, “If a (violent) student came to the building, we need to notify staff. Some changes (in the policy) include any documented physical attack of a school district employee,” said Dr. Crandall.
As stated in the school’s manual, “To provide a safe school environment, the assigned classroom teacher, and certain staff members should know whether a student to be placed in the classroom has a history of violent behavior. Additionally, decisions should be made regarding how to manage such a student.”
The second reading of Policy 529 will be held at the school board’s next meeting.
Up next, the Board discussed a staff member request for the district to establish a Sick [Day] Bank.
“When this first came up, it was thought that the staff member might be many days out, beyond what sick days they had,” said Dr. Crandall. “But at this point, it doesn’t look like the staff member will need any additional days.”
School board member Deb White asked if the board should set parameters for this possible policy, and asked further, “Should we allow it, or not allow it?”
This policy, if established, would allow teachers (who all receive sick days in their union contracts) to donate days to a sick bank and then let teachers who were out of sick days to borrow from that bank.
Dr. Crandall discussed several types of models used to establish sick banks with the board. Jeanne Anderson, board chair, asked if this would be an appropriate item to have in a contract negotiation.
“Yes,” said Dr. Crandall.
“If these items keep coming to us individually, it just seems that this would be the appropriate thing to have within contract language,” Anderson said, and Dr. Crandall agreed with her.
School board member Terry Collins cautioned the board to treat all three of the I.S.D. 166 unions equitably if a vote is held at some time to establish a bank for sick days.
After some discussion, the board voted against creating a Sick Bank at this time, but the matter will be brought up during contract negotiations.
I.S.D. 166 Finance Specialist Lori Backlund, working in conjunction with an auditing firm that works with school districts, carved the school district’s Accounting and Financial Procedures Manual down from more than 80 pages to 37 pages. The primary purpose of the manual is to formalize accounting guidance and selected procedures for all of the staff that have a role in the accounting process and to document internal controls. The board thanked Backlund for her work and voted to accept the manual.
The board approved posting signs at all three of the school’s entrances, which included the YMCA. The Safe School signs will notify the public that no alcohol, drugs, or weapons are allowed on school grounds, and vehicles can be subject to a random search.
“Do we have tobacco signs out?” asked Lunde, adding, “and what is the ruling for vapor cigarettes?”
While signs for tobacco use are posted in the school and on the outside of the school building, there are no signs warning about vapor cigarettes, but Dr. Crandall said that could soon change.
“Something is coming down. It’s in the works right now. Something will be coming out about vapor cigarette use,” he said.
“When you say coming soon do you mean months or years?” asked White.
“I’m not sure, but that’s what I have heard,” said Dr. Crandall.
On November 17 the school board will evaluate the superintendent.
The board accepted the resignation of paraprofessional Hope Laakkonen and approved the hiring of Charles Viren to direct the One Act Play.
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