CRESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT #9
REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
14 October 2021

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. Matt Hartle had a planned absence. Also in attendance were Tami Ward, Principal, Tammy Bartos, District Clerk, and Jennifer Johnson, Teacher and CEA President.
II. Minutes of 9 September 2021. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the minutes as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
III. Public Participation / Correspondence
IV. Reports:
A. Clerk. The monthly budget expenditure report was provided through 30 September 2021. General Fund is 12% committed and the Total of all Funds is at 12% committed. Fund 115 Project Report was provided through 30 September 2021. Accounts are reconciled to the County Treasurer through July 2021.
B. Principal. Enrollment is at 109. Building maintenance – an air quality inspection is being added to the monthly checklist. We had two positive cases in our learning environment during the month of September. Mrs. Ward completed several trainings for various roles she fills for our school – Gifted and Talented Program Director, Homeless Liaison, Indian Education for All Program Director. We were given notice that Intermountain is no longer able to serve students in the Flathead Valley due to staffing shortages. Interventions for Learning Loss: Title I Reading and Math services are underway for the 2021/2022 school year. These intervention sessions provide support to students experiencing learning loss. Additionally, teachers are implementing classroom interventions to support all students. Parents/guardians were given first notice of the potential cancellation of transportation services and classroom instruction due to a lack of substitute bus drivers and substitute teachers. Cancellation and remote learning will be our last resort after all other solutions have been exhausted. The safety committee met on October 13th and will meet a total of three times this school year. Teacher evaluations are scheduled and in process. Kelly Boswell worked with students and staff October 4th – 6th on Literacy Instruction Training with demonstration lessons. The TEAMS report has been submitted for the 2021/2022 school year; the successful completion of this report and requirements provide state accreditation for our school.
C. Staff. Jen Johnson shared the staff report via a Google Slides presentation.
V. Policies
A. Policy Updates – 2050, 2168, 3222, 3231, 3235, 4330F, 5223, 5314, 7251. In the September 2021 edition of MTSBA Policy Notes, updates to the MTSBA Model Policy Manual needed to ensure compliance with the law and best practice were provided. Twenty-four polices were forwarded, some policies do not apply to our school, some of the changes have already been addressed, of those remaining updates we are only reviewing a portion of them this month. These policies require a second read. No action required at this time.
VI. Consideration of Action Items:
A. Substitute Bus Driver Training. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the paid substitute bus driver training for K. Miller at a rate of $15.00 per hour. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
B. Safe Return to School and Continuity of Services Plan. No updates presented. Information only. No motion needed at this time.
C. Kelly Boswell Personal Services Contract Amendment. An amendment for needed lodging accommodations. Barry Farrell moved to approve the amendment to the contract as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
D. Property Disposal. A list of abandoned, obsolete, and undesirable property was presented as well as the required resolution. The resolution will be posted in the newspaper for the required two-week period. Barry Farrell moved to approve the Property Disposal Resolution as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
E. MTSUIP Annual Meeting. Information regarding the annual meeting was presented. No action taken.
F. MSGIA Annual Meeting. Information regarding the annual meeting was presented. No action taken.
G. Principal & Clerk 2021/2022 Extra Duty Contract – COVID hours. Extra-duty contracts for time spent beyond the regular workday to prevent, prepare and respond to the COVID-19 virus for the term of 1 September 2021 – 30 June 2022. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the 2021/2022 COVID Extra Duty Contracts and compensation for T. Ward and T. Bartos as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
H. 2021/2022 Extra Duty Contracts – Custodian. A list of current employees willing to fill in as substitute custodian should the need arise was presented. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the 2021/2022 Custodian Extra Duty Contracts as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
I. Substitute List – nil.
J. Transportation Contracts. Eighteen (18) contracts were presented. Barry Farrell moved to approve the transportation contracts as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
K. Before School Care Contracts. Nine (9) contracts were presented. Barry Farrell moved to approve the contracts as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
L. Out of District Requests. Attendance agreement requests for 8 students that reside in our district, attending another district. Twila Brenneman moved to acknowledge the receipt of these attendance agreements. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Attendance agreement requests for forty-one (41) students requesting Creston School District as their school of choice. Barry Farrell moved to approve these attendance agreements. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
M. Gym & School Grounds Use Requests – nil.
VII. Claims – October 2021. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the claim lists as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
VIII. Next Meeting Dates:
A. 11 November 2021, 7:00 am Regular Meeting
B. 9 December 2021, 7:00 am Regular Meeting
IX. Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 7:32 a.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

__________________________
Tammy Bartos, District Clerk

____________________________________
Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Board Chair

CRESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT #9
REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
9 September 2021

MINUTES

I. Call to order. Matt Hartle called the Board of Trustees meeting to order at 7:04 a.m. The meeting was held in the gym. Present were Board Trustees Matt Hartle, Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Twila Brenneman, Barry Farrell and Nevada Hafer. Also in attendance were Tami Ward, Principal, Tammy Bartos, District Clerk, Deb Christiansen, Teacher and Jennifer Johnson, Teacher and CEA President.
II. Minutes of 12 August 2021 and 24 August 2021. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the minutes as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
III. Public Participation / Correspondence – nil.
IV. Information Items:
A. Special Education LEA Determinations – School Year 2019-2020. Based on a review of our 2019-2020 data, the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) has determined that our district meets the federal requirements of those established by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA). The full report was shared.
B. Crosswalk Creston Road. The Flathead County Transportation Department is pursuing putting in a permanent crosswalk on Creston Road just north of our parking lot entrance across to the Grange. A copy of the proposed project was provided.
C. MSPLIP Inspection Report. Our building insurer conducted their annual inspection. Each recommendation has either been completed or is process of being completed. The full report was provided.
D. ESSER III Plan. A survey was sent out and made available to families, staff and the community. The responses were used when Mrs. Ward wrote the plan. A full copy of the plan was provided.
V. Reports:
A. Clerk – The monthly budget expenditure report was provided through 31 August 2021. General Fund is 4% committed and the Total of all Funds is at 2% committed. Accounts are reconciled to the County Treasurer through June 2021.
B. Principal – Enrollment is at 109. Benchmark assessments for the 2021/2022 school year are underway. Classroom teachers attended a math training session offered by consultant, Eliza Sorte-Thomas. All teachers and staff completed annual safety training through Safe Schools. A new gaga ball mat has been installed. We have continually advertised for a substitute bus driver for the last 18 months with no response. Unfortunately, we will have to cancel bus services in the event our driver is not available to transport students. New social studies standards have been released by MT OPI and a link to them was provided; these standards remain relatively close to the previous standards for grades K-5 and we are working with District 5 to determine the scope and sequence for grades 6-8. Close contact with area administration, OPI and FCCHD regarding the ongoing coronavirus policies and procedures continues. Special Education Cooperative update given. The full principal report was provided.
C. Staff. Jen Johnson shared the staff report via a Google Slides presentation.
VI. Policies
A. Policy Updates – nil.
VII. Consideration of Action Items:
A. District Goals for 2021/2022 – Strategic Plan of Education (policy 1610). The goals included the school philosophy, mission statement, motto, educational goals and continuous school improvement goals. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to adopt the Creston School Goals 2021/2022 as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
B. Coaching Contracts Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Cross Country. 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 coaching contracts for boys basketball, girls basketball and cross country as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
C. Stipend J. Shanks – Managing Google Classroom. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the extra-duty contract for Jamie Shanks to manage Google classroom as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
D. Safe Return to School and Continuity of Services Plan. The ARP ESSER Plan was posted to our website on 8/24/2021. The stakeholder survey results were used when writing the plan. Information only. No motion needed.
E. Furnace Replacement Bids. The furnace in the second-grade room is malfunctioning. Bids were provided. Barry Farrell moved to approve the purchase of a furnace from Great Northern Heating to replace the unit in the second-grade room. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
F. Extra-Duty Teacher Contracts 2021/2022 for Independent Study Students. Teachers are and will be providing support for students attending school through guided remote learning situations. This is time spent beyond the regular teaching contract. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the extra-duty contracts for teachers providing guided remote learning support to students 2021/2022 as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
G. Add Bus Stop to Existing Route. A request to add a stop along our existing route that may have students cross the street. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the bus stop at 70 Ranchetts Lane for the 2021/2022 school year. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
H. Substitute List – nil.
I. Transportation Contracts – nil.
J. Before School Care Contracts – nil.
K. Out of District Requests – nil.
L. Gym & School Grounds Use Requests. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the request from the Stan Uskoski family to use the gym on Monday evenings as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
M. Principal Goals – Executive Session. Matt Hartle closed the meeting at 7:41 a.m. for an executive session to conduct a personnel evaluation. The meeting was re-opened at 8:12 a.m. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the principal evaluation of Mrs. Ward and to approve the executive session minutes. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
VIII. Claims – September 2021. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the claims list as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
IX. Next Meeting Dates:
A. 14 October 2021, 7:00 am Regular Meeting
B. 11 November 2021, 7:00 am Regular Meeting
X. Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:14 a.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

__________________________
Tammy Bartos, District Clerk

____________________________________
Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Board Vice-Chair

CRESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT #9
SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
24 August 2021
MINUTES

I. Call to order. Matt Hartle called the Board of Trustees meeting to order at 7:01 a.m. The meeting was held via a Zoom meeting platform. Present were Board Trustees Matt Hartle, Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Twila Brenneman and Nevada Hafer. Absent: Barry Farrell due to prior commitments. Also in attendance were Tami Ward, Principal, Tammy Bartos, District Clerk, and Jennifer Johnson, Teacher and CEA President.
II. Public Participation / Correspondence – nil.
III. Consideration of Action Items:
A. Classified Employee Notice of Hire – Aide for 2021-2022. A correction for the aide position approved on August 12th: there has been at least a one-year break in service and a Notice of Hire is required instead of an employment contract. Jessica Sandven-Sorenson moved to approve the Classified Employee Notice of Hire for Pamela Choco with a probationary period as per Policy 5140. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
B. Hourly Paid Classified Employees Stipend for 2021-2022. To maintain the operation of and continuity of services at our school and in light of statewide and national employee shortages, up to a $2,025 per annum stipend for a 1.0 FTE hourly paid classified employee was proposed. The stipend will be paid for each month of employment during which job duties have been performed and an approved timecard submitted. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the proposed one-time stipend to the listed classified employees as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
C. Safe Return to School and Continuity of Services Plan. No new information shared. No action taken.
IV. Claims – August 2021 – nil.
V. Next Meeting Dates:
A. 9 September 2021, 7:00 am Regular Meeting
B. 14 October 2021, 7:00 am Regular Meeting
VI. Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 7:24 a.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

__________________________
Tammy Bartos, District Clerk

__________________________
Matt Hartle, Board Chair