CRESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT #9
REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
10 June 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 remotely via a Zoom meeting platform. Present were Board Trustees Matt Hartle, Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Barry Farrell and Nevada Hafer; Absent was Twila Brenneman – planned absence. Also in attendance were Tami Ward, Principal, Tammy Bartos, District Clerk, Jennifer Johnson, 2nd Grade Teacher and CEA President, Shanta Milne, Kindergarten Teacher, Janessa Williams, 6th Grade Teacher, Emily Russell, 5th Grade Teacher, Robyn Hall, Parent of Student.
II. Minutes of 13 May 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:
1. 5th and 6th grade Classroom Configuration. To provide equitable educational and social experiences, we will offer two 5th/6th grade homeroom classes of 14-17 students, with instruction provided by both Ms. Russell and Ms. Williams for 2021/2022.
2. Audit Engagement Letter FY 2020– Nicole M. Noonan, CPA, P.C. Letter confirming services to be provided; a copy was given to each trustee prior to today’s meeting.
3. Montana Digital Academy Course Offerings. The Academy estimates they will have a course list available later this summer. The course list will be presented at a future meeting when it is available.
4. OPI Preliminary Budget Data Sheet FY2021-2022 Post-Session. A copy of the data sheet was provided. Changes in the Legislature this year did impact our numbers and increased our estimated Highest Budget Without a Vote by less than $1,000.
V. Reports:
A. Clerk. Statement of Expenditure includes payroll and claims through 10 June. General Fund is at 84% committed and Total of all funds is at 79%. Audit for 2019/2020 is in process. A bus fuel comparison of 2019/2020 with the diesel bus vs. 2020/2021 with the new propane bus showed a 25% fuel savings.
B. Principal. Predicted Student Enrollment for 2021/2022 is 114. Spring benchmark results for reading show all students made progress with the help of classroom interventions and Title I support. Currently 92% of students are at or near benchmark in reading. Spring benchmark results for math show 79% of K-6th grade students are at benchmark, 13% approaching grade level, and 8% in need of further intervention. SBAC Assessment results show 67% of our students are advanced or proficient in math and 62% of our students are advanced or proficient in English Language Arts. Our results are slightly lower that two years ago which is to be expected due to remote learning the final trimester of 2020 and ongoing remote learning throughout the 2020/2021 school year. We will continue providing interventions where needed in the classroom and through our Title I program. At the time of the report there were no new cases of COVID in our learning environment. Monthly building inspections have been completed with no recommendations. Summer building and maintenance projects are in progress and summer cleaning projects will begin in late June. Our asbestos inspection is scheduled for tomorrow. Teachers will attend the Western Montana Technology Conference and the NW Reading Council Literacy Conference in August. First aid and safety training is scheduled for all staff in August. Virtual Events – Ms. Russell hosted a virtual Authors’ Party, Ms. Mumm provided a virtual art fair, and Mrs. Davidson hosted virtual fieldtrips with National Parks. The Special Education Cooperative hired a new business manager and two speech and language pathologists for the 2021/2022 school year. Crossroads is planning for the summer program which provides experiences for students to practice social skills. They had one resignation this year, so they are in the process of hiring for that position.
C. Staff. Jen Johnson shared a verbal end of year recap using the word “rollercoaster” to describe the year, which overall went well considering the pandemic, the remote learning, isolating from other classes, etc.

VI. Policies:
A. MTSBA Policy Maintenance Program from 5/21/2021 Notice – 1st Read: 3416, 3417, 5230, 5325, 8130, 8301, 8410, 8421, 8411. Updates to ensure compliance with the new expectations from recent regulatory changes affecting school districts from the Department of Public Health and Human Services and Department of Environmental Quality. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the required changes to policies 3416, 5230, 5325, 8130, 8301, 8410 & 8421 and adopt new required policies 3417 & 8411 as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
VII. Consideration of Action Items:
A. Flathead Special Education Cooperative Agreement – Revised 5/15/2021. This is a standard agreement renewal for special education services to students, between the ages of three and twenty-one, attending and residing in the local school district. The FSEC will assist in the development and maintenance of special education programs in participating school districts. One significant change in this agreement is that FSEC will now serve as the fiscal host (previously Kila School District). The agreement begins July 1st, 2021 and the duration of the membership is for three years. A representative to serve on the Management Board is also required. Barry Farrell moved to approve the Flathead Special Education Cooperative Agreement as presented and to designate Tami Ward, Principal, to serve as the representative to the FSEC Management Board. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
B. Flathead Special Education Cooperative FY22 Interlocal Agreement Preschool Program. A renewal agreement, the FSEC Preschool Program is a center-based program that provides preschool services to children ages 3 through 5 who are residents of the participating school districts and meet eligibility criteria. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the Flathead Special Education Cooperative Preschool Program Interlocal Agreement for fiscal year 2021-2022 as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
C. Flathead Special Education Cooperative FY22 Interlocal Agreement Severe Communication Disorders Program. A renewal agreement, the FSEC Severe Communication Disorders Program is a collaborative effort by the member school districts to provide and implement a program to meet the needs of students who have severe communication disabilities with accompanying behavior and learning difficulties. Barry Farrell moved to approve the 2021-2022 school year Interlocal Agreement with the Flathead Special Education Cooperative Program for Students with Severe Communication Disorders as presented. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
D. Classified Contracts Renewal or Non-Renewal 2021-2022 & Compensation – nil.
E. Extra-Duty Contract Summer Program Teaching Contract. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the Extra-Duty Contract for Deborah Christiansen to teach the summer program as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
F. New Teacher Hire & Contract 2021-2022 – nil.
G. Revision of 2021-2022 Teaching Contract for T. Mumm. Mrs. Mumm will be the 1st grade teacher next school year which will change her FTE from .8 to 1.0; her contract will need to change accordingly to revise her wage and benefits. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the revision of the 2021-2022 teaching contract for Mrs. Mumm as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
H. Principal with Superintendent Duties Salary Negotiation & Contract 2021-2022 – nil.
I. Clerk Salary Negotiation & Contract 2021-2022 – nil.
J. Extra-Duty Contract for Principal and Clerk June 2021 & July – Aug 2021 – nil.
K. Appointment of a Representative to the County Transportation Committee. Recent Legislation passed in SB74 requires that every school district is given the opportunity to appoint a representative to sit on and be a voting member of the County Transportation Committee. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to appoint Tami Ward, Principal, as the representative to the County Transportation Committee. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
L. Property Disposal Resolution. A list of property was provided. Barry Farrell moved to approve the Property Disposal Resolution as presented and to approve the sale of the MacBook Air Laptop to M. Potts following the required two-week notice. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
M. Bus Route(s) 2021-2022 & Interlocal Transportation Agreements – nil.
N. Individual Transportation Contract Approval (OPI Form TR-4). Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the Individual Transportation Contract #49961. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
O. Remote Learning 2021/2022. During the 2020/2021 school year synchronous remote learning was offered to families selecting remote learning for the school year, students who had extended absences or quarantined, and students who were absent due to extended travel. While teachers were able to provide this type of learning experience, the staff and administration agree this type of instruction is not best practice for elementary students, both those attending school in-person or remotely. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the plan to provide in-person learning for all students, remote learning for whole class quarantines, and independent remote learning with Principal approval for extended absences during the 2021-2022 school year. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
P. Safety Transfer – nil.
Q. Letter of Reasonable Assurance for Substitutes and Classroom/SPED Aides – nil.
R. District Clerk Authority to Process Claims Summer Months. Barry Farrell moved to authorize the District Clerk to process claims from June through August without convening a board meeting. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
S. Substitute List 2021-2022. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the substitute list and hourly wage as presented for the 2021-2022 school year. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
VIII. Claims – June 2021. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the claims list as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
IX. Next Meeting Dates:
A. Special Meeting possibly needed later in June. Date and time to be determined.
B. 12 August 2021, 7:00 am Regular Meeting. This will be a Budget & Regular meeting.
X. Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:26 a.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

__________________________
Tammy Bartos, District Clerk

__________________________
Matt Hartle, Board Chair

CRESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT #9
REORGANIZATION & REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
13 May 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 in the Creston School Library. Present were Board Trustees Matt Hartle, Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Twila Brenneman, Barry Farrell, and Nevada Hafer. Also in attendance were Jack Eggensperger, Flathead County Superintendent of Schools, Tami Ward, Principal, Tammy Bartos, District Clerk, Jennifer Johnson, 2nd Grade Teacher and CEA President, Melissa Potts, 1st Grade Teacher, and Shanta Milne, Kindergarten Teacher.
II. Minutes of 8 April 2021 & 6 May 2021. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the minutes as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
III. Oath of Office for Trustees Elected by Acclamation. At the 8 April 2021 meeting the Board approved the election by acclamation. Jack Eggensperger, Flathead County Superintendent of Schools administered the oath of office to Twila Brenneman (2-year term) and Jessica Sandven-Sorensen (3-year term).
IV. Reorganization of the Board of Trustees
1. Nomination and Election of Board Chair. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen nominated, and Nevada Hafer motioned to elect Matt Hartle as Board Chair. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
2. Nomination and Election of Board Vice-Chair. Matt Hartle nominated, and Barry Farrell motioned to elect Jessica Sandven-Sorensen as Board Vice-Chair. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
3. Appointment and Oath of Office of District Clerk. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen motioned to appoint Tammy Bartos as District Clerk. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
V. Board Meeting Time / Policy 1400 – Board Meetings. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen motioned to continue to meet on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 a.m. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
VI. Public Participation / Correspondence. Ms. Potts presented the Board with her resignation letter. Thanks were given for her years of service.
VII. Information Items:
1. FY2021 Accreditation Status Report. Final Accreditation Status for 2020-2021 is Regular. A copy of the report was provided.
2. MTSBA Annual Meeting – June 10, 2021 – Virtual Meeting. A copy of the notice was provided.
VIII. Reports:
A. Clerk. Statement of Expenditure includes payroll and claims through 12 May. General Fund is at 64% committed and the Total of all Funds is at 64% committed. Accounts are reconciled to County Treasurer for March 2021. The 2019-2020 Audit is in process.
B. Principal. Student Enrollment is at 108. Kindergarten Roundup was successful with 16 students completing registration, 4 more students are on the list, and 2 students are on a waiting list. Our annual school performance survey and a separate Title 1 survey were completed by parents/guardians – results were provided. At the time of the report there were no new cases of COVID in our learning environment; our goal is to keep our school open for in-person learning throughout the remainder of the school year. Several teachers plan to attend the Western Montana Technology Conference this summer; also, there are plans to attend the NW Reading Council Literacy Conference. Mrs. Davidson, 3rd grade, hosted a virtual field trip with a park ranger from Glacier National Park; Smarter Balanced Assessments for 3rd – 6th graders in ELA and Math began May 3rd. Students in 5th grade will also take a science assessment. The Safety Committee met May 12th; no major concerns were noted. Updates on the Educational and Special Education Cooperatives were given.
C. Staff. Jen Johnson shared the staff report via a Google Slides presentation.

IX. Policies:
A. 3310F – Discipline Citation – Repeal – 2nd Read. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to repeal Policy 3310F. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
B. 5140 – Personnel – Classified Employment and Assignment – 2nd Read. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the revision to Policy 5140 as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
C. MTSBA Policy Maintenance Program from 3/19/21 Notice – 2nd Read: 1700, 3225P, 5012P, 3310, 3130, 5120P, 5120F- Notice, 5120F – Determination, 5120F – Privacy, 5120F – Dissemination, 5122F, 5232, 5228P, 5228F, 5228F2, 5328P, 7220, 7220P. Updates from the MTSBA Policy Services to ensure compliance with the law and best practices including Title IX compliance, background checks and fingerprinting, Federal Motor Carrier Clearing House Rules, and the use of Title 1 Funds. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the policies as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
D. MTSBA Policy Maintenance Program from 4/20/21 Notice – 1st Read: 3110, 1310, 2100, 2050, 2221. Over the past months the Montana Legislature passed, and the Governor has approved several pieces of legislation; some of those bills were effective immediately upon passage and approval. These policies were adjusted or created to ensure full compliance with the new laws implemented in HB 68, HB 246, SB 18, and SB 75. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the revisions and new policies as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
X. Consideration of Action Items:
A. Flathead Special Education Cooperative FY22 Interlocal Agreement Severe Communication Disorders Program – nil.
B. Flathead Special Education Cooperative FY22 Interlocal Agreement Preschool Program – nil.
C. Extra-Duty Substitute Contract 2021-2022 – AH. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the extra-duty substitute contract for Ariann Hess-Headlee for the 2021-2022 school year. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
D. East Side Flathead Valley Multidistrict Agreement 7/1/2021 – 6/30/2023. This is an interlocal agreement which allows for increased flexibility and efficiency of school districts to transfer funds into a sub fund and then use them when needed – without an increase in local taxes. A fund transfer would require board approval. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen moved to approve the agreement as presented. Motion passed unanimously.
E. Substitute List. Barry Farrell moved to approve the substitute list and hourly wage as presented for the 2020-2021 school year. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
F. Transportation Contract(s) – nil.
G. Before School Care Contract(s) – nil.
H. Out of District Request(s) – nil.
I. Gym & School Grounds Use request(s) – nil.
XI. Claims – May 2021. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the claims list as presented. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
XII. Executive Session for Principal Personnel Evaluation and Consideration of Closed Session Minutes. At 7:35 am Board Chair Matt Hartle closed the meeting to protect the individual rights of Tami Ward, Principal, during a personnel evaluation. The meeting was reopened at 8:08 a.m. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the Principal evaluation and the executive session minutes. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
XIII. Next Meeting Dates:
A. 10 June 2021, 7:00 am Regular Meeting
XIV. Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:09 a.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

__________________________
Tammy Bartos, District Clerk

__________________________
Matt Hartle, Board Chair