CRESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT #9
REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
8 JUNE 2023
MINUTES
I. Call to order. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen called the Board of Trustees meeting to order at 7:01 a.m. The meeting was held in the gym. Present were Board Trustees Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Twila Brenneman, Barry Farrell, and Nevada Hafer. Absent: Megan Derrington. Also in attendance were Rachel Stevens, Principal, Tammy Bartos, District Clerk, and Cindi Conley, Special Education Teacher.
II. Minutes of 11 May 2023. Barry Farrell moved to approve the minutes as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
III. Public Participation / Correspondence. Flathead County Planning & Zoning office sent us a copy of a resubdivision request at 964& 1020 Riverside Road.
IV. Information
A. Acknowledgement from Flathead County Commissioners Re. Speed Study. Received an acknowledgment from Randy Brodehl, Flathead County Commissioner regarding the public comment we sent on the recent speed study report for Highway 35.
V. Reports:
A. Clerk. The monthly budget expenditure report was provided through 31 May 2023. General Fund is 71% committed and the Total of all Funds is 59% committed. Accounts are reconciled to the County Treasurer through April 2023.
B. Principal. Student Enrollment is 114. Monthly building inspections have been completed with no recommendations for repairs; the facilities inventory report was provided with updates. Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Davidson and Mrs. Stevens attended professional development on May 17 and 18 for Indian Education for All; Miss Johnson also attended on the 17th. Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Davidson will share the IEFA Coordinator role next year. Mrs. Stevens will attend the Summer Institute in Polson provided by the Western Montana-Comprehensive System of Professional Development – two full-day sessions: Understanding Trauma and Behavior in Students and Legal Updates and Best Practices in Section 504 and Special Education Law. The students and staff participated in an Indian Education for All collaborative learning day on May 12. This week the students and staff have/will participate in spirit days: crazy hat day, superhero day, crazy hair day, Creston pride day, and color day. The Learning Fair was set up in the gym on May 25; many family members attended. Third through sixth grade students have completed Smarter Balanced Assessments; individual student reports will be sent home with report cards. Fountas & Pinnell reading and easyCBM math benchmark assessments have been completed. A report on Creston School Goals for 2022/2023 was provided.
C. Staff. Cindi Conley, Special Education Teacher was present to share the staff report via a Google Slide presentation.
VI. Policies – Consideration of Action:
A. Policy 8131 – Indoor Air Quality – 2nd Read.
B. Policy 8303 – Cleaning and Disinfecting – 2nd Read
Twila Brenneman moved to approve the addition of Policies 8131 & 8303 to our policy manual as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
VII. Consideration of Action Items:
A. New Teacher Hire & Contract for 2023/2024. Twila Brenneman moved to hire Barbara Visnovske as a Teacher for the 2023/2024 school year and approve her teaching contract as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
B. Letter of Reasonable Assurance for Substitutes. A letter to current substitute employees giving them reasonable assurance of employment for the 2023/2024 school year on the same substitute basis that existed during the past school year. Nevada Hafer moved to approve issuing the Letter of Reasonable Assurance for Substitute Employees as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
C. Flathead Special Education – Preschool Interlocal Agreement 2023/2024. The FSEC Preschool provides a comprehensive developmental approach to meeting the needs of children with disabilities. Services are provided to children ages 3 through 5 who are residents of the participating school district and meet eligibility criteria. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the FSEC Preschool Program Interlocal Agreement for fiscal year 2023/2024 as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously,
D. Flathead Special Education – STAR (Communication) Program Agreement 2023/2024. The FSEC STAR Program meets the needs of students who have Autism or related characteristics and behaviors that impede their ability to communicate and be successful within their neighborhood school. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the FSEC STAR Communication Program Interlocal Agreement for fiscal year 2023/2024 as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
E. Flathead Crossroads Interlocal Agreement 2023/2024. The Crossroads Program is an extension of special education services at Evergreen Schools and provides a positive environment to meet the unique educational needs of students of participating districts who have chronic emotional and behavioral needs with the specific intent of building skills necessary to facilitate reentry into the regular public-school setting. Barry Farrell moved to approve the Flathead Crossroads Interlocal Agreement for fiscal year 2023/2024 as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
F. New Social Studies Curriculum Adoption and Quote. Two social studies curriculum programs were made available to families and teachers to review: Social Studies Alive! And myWorld Interactive. There is 100% teacher approval of the Social Studies Alive! program; only one public comment was received, and it was in favor of the myWorld Interactive. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the adoption of and the purchase of the Social Studies Alive! program as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
G. Coaching Extra-Duty Contracts 2023/2024. Janessa Williams has agreed to coach boys’ and girls’ basketball and Teresa Mumm has agreed to coach cross country. Barry Farrell moved to approve the extra-duty coaching contracts for 2023/2024 as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
H. Classified Contract Renewal or Non-Renewal 2023/2024 & Compensation. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the compensation and employment agreements for the 2023/2024 school year as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
I. Hourly Paid Classified Employees Stipend for 2023-2024. In order to maintain the operation and continuity of services at our school and in consideration of statewide and national employee shortages, a stipend of up to $3,060 per annum for 1.0 FTE hourly paid classified employees was proposed – prorated by FTE. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the stipend to the listed classified employees for 2023/2024 as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
J. Principal Salary Negotiation & Contract 2023/2024. Barry Farrell moved to approve the compensation and employment agreement as presented for the 2023/2024 school year. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
K. Business/Office Manager & District Clerk Salary Negotiation & Contract 2023/2024. Barry Farrell moved to approve the compensation and employment agreement as presented for the 2023/2024 school year. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
L. MontanaSky Networks Tower Agreement. Section 5 of the agreement we have with MontanaSky Networks which deals with compensation was reviewed – per the contract this may occur after the 5th anniversary and on each 5th anniversary thereafter. MontanaSky was contacted by Mrs. Stevens to discuss possible revisions and a draft of changes was presented to the trustees. Creston School will continue to receive $1,000 per month for rent from MontanaSky and the school will pay MontanaSky $1,000 per month for internet services. Also, the dedicated bandwidth will increase from 100 Mb x 100 Mb to 500 Mb x 500 Mb; and once fiber-optics are installed to the tower, the connection will be upgraded to 1 Gb x 1 Gb. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the changes as presented to take effect on September 28, 2023. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
M. Safe Return to School and Continuity of Services Plan. Information only.
N. District Clerk Authority to Process Claims Summer Months. Twila Brenneman moved to authorize the District Clerk to process claims from June through the end of August 2023 without convening a board meeting. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
O. Bus Route 2023/2024. Barry Farrell moved to approve the bus route and stops with student crossings for 2023/2024 as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
P. Cayuse Prairie – Creston Transportation Interlocal 2023/2024. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the transportation interlocal agreement with Cayuse Prairie as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
Q. Transfer to East Side Flathead Valley Multidistrict Interlocal. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the resolution to transfer up to a maximum of $40,000 from the 2022/2023 General Fund to the East Side Flathead Valley Multidistrict Interlocal Fund as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
R. Gym & School Grounds Use Requests. The Mountain View Christian Church is requesting use of the playground and field on Saturday, July 28 & Sunday, July 29 as extra space for a carnival hosted at the Eastside Grange. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the grounds use request as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
S. Personnel Evaluation – T Bartos – Executive Session – rescheduled for a special meeting on June 29th at 7:30am.
VIII. Claims Approval. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the claims list as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
IX. Next Meeting Dates:
A. 10 August 2023, 7:00 am, Budget & Regular Meeting
X. Board Work Session – Training and Discussion for Board Professional Development. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen led a discussion covering the following two topics:
A. Contract overviews continued…
B. Funding & Budgets (see April 2022 – this will be a review of that work session)
XI. Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:45 a.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
/s/Tammy Bartos, District Clerk
/s/Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Board Chair