Board Minutes

CRESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT #9
REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
8 DECEMBER 2022

MINUTES
I. Call to order. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen called the Board of Trustees meeting to order at 7:04 a.m. The meeting was held in the gym. Present were Board Trustees Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Twila Brenneman, Barry Farrell and Nevada Hafer. Also in attendance were Rachel Stevens, Principal, Tammy Bartos, District Clerk, Cindi Conley, Special Education Teacher and one community member.
II. Minutes of 10 November 2022. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the minutes as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
III. Public Participation / Correspondence. A notice regarding a community and legislative event held by Superintendent Arntzen at Sykes Diner in Kalispell on December 12, 2022 was shared. An email from a community member regarding board meeting times was also shared.
IV. Information
A. Intercom/Phone Committee. The committee held a meeting on November 10 and met with Systems Northwest. Once that quote is received another meeting will be scheduled.
B. Flathead County – Statistical Report of Schools 2022. The report was shared with the trustees it contains a variety of pupil enrollment and school financial data for schools in Flathead County.
C. Flathead County Planning & Zoning – FSR-22-08 Flathead River Retreat. A copy of a request for a preliminary plat approval of a 4 lot subdivision on Riverside Road was shared.
D. ARP Plan Review – Call for Stakeholder Input. Due to the last submission date of November 23, 2022, the next review and submission will be scheduled for May 2023 – a call for stakeholder input will be sent out prior to that.
E. MSPLIP Cyber Risk Mitigation Campaign. An update from our business liability company was shared regarding the services they have engaged from Paladin Cyber, a cybersecurity company that specializes in helping entities without large IT teams and budgets to deploy effective security controls. One of the benefits of this is the help they may provide to lower our cyber insurance retentions (deductibles) and increase insurance coverage by deploying controls to meet the insurance carrier’s requirements.
V. Reports:
A. Clerk. The monthly budget expenditure report was provided through 30 November 2022. General Fund is 26% committed and the Total of all Funds is 21% committed. Accounts are reconciled to the County Treasurer through November 2022. On November 16th employees who are part of PERS participated in an information session with the Montana State Social Security Administrator regarding the Referendum to be held December 21, 2022.
B. Principal. Student Enrollment is 120. The November service project of the Bobcats/Grizzlies food drive brought in 448 items – they were delivered to the Bigfork Food Bank. The formal evaluations for tenured teachers are complete. The non-tenured teachers will receive a second evaluation in either January or February. An awards assembly was held on November 18. The position of District Clerk & Business/Office Manager has been posted. Monthly building maintenance inspections were completed with no recommendations for repairs. The School Facility Conditions Report was provided. Mrs. Stevens attended and completed Title IX and Gifted & Talented Education training; she serves as the coordinator for our district in these two roles. Mrs. Stevens and Mrs. Sandven-Sorensen attended the Education and Legislative Summit on November 30, which was hosted by NWMASS; topics included funding, school safety, student wellness and mental health, and recruitment and retention of staff – “an informative and worthwhile event”.
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 2335- Health Enhancement – Update per MTSBA – 1st read. An update to this policy is under consideration due to new legislation requiring all districts to adopt a policy on the issue if the district offers any instruction on the topic of human sexuality; currently the school offers puberty instruction to 5th and 6th grade students every other year. No action taken on this first read of the policy.
VII. Consideration of Action Items:
A. Trustee Resignation & Declare Vacant Trustee Position. Nevada Hafer moved to declare a vacant trustee position due to the resignation of Walter Graves and to fill the vacancy by appointment. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
B. Substitute Contracts. A recommendation to use the provided template when employing substitute personnel. Barry Farrell moved to approve the substitute employment agreement template as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
C. Substitute List 2022/2023. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the addition to the substitute list as presented for 2022/2023 school year. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
D. Substitute Bus Driver 2022/2023. Barry Farrell moved to approve the addition of Robert Tracy as a substitute bus driver at an hourly rate of $22.00 per hour as presented for the 2022/2023 school year. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
E. Safe Return to School and Continuity of Services Plan Review. The plan was provided for review. Dates will be updated. No other revisions were submitted. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the Safe Return to School and Continuity of Services Plan as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
F. Review Collective Bargaining Agreement with Creston Education Association. Three provisions were recommended for the trustees to reopen with the CEA: 1) Change the sick leave bank total maximum cap in section 10.2.3 from $2,500 to $3,000 per school year; 2) Change the total cash value of sick leave in section 10.2.4 from $800 to $1,000; and 3) add wording to section 10.5 to clarify the practice that a teacher may apply to use the sick leave bank when on maternity leave. Barry Farrell moved to approve presenting the changes to the CEA as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
G. Transportation Contracts – nil.
H. Before School Care Contracts – nil.
I. Out-of-District Requests. Attendance agreement requests for seventeen students that reside in our district, attending another district. Twila Brenneman moved to acknowledge receipt of these attendance agreements. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Attendance agreement for one student that resides outside of our district, requesting Creston School as their school of choice. Barry Farrell moved to approve this attendance agreement. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
J. Gym & School Grounds Use Requests. One request by Jerimy & Sara Edmondson to use the gym on Friday’s and Sundays from December 9, 2022, through the end of February 2023 to have basketball practice with family and friends. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the gym use request. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
K. Board Work Session – Training and Discussion for Board Professional Development
1. Nepotism Policy and Procedures. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen led a discussion covering this topic.
VIII. Claims Approval. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the claims list as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
IX. Next Meeting Dates:
A. 12 January 2023, 7:00 am
B. 9 February 2023, 7:00 am
X. Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:14 a.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

/s/Tammy Bartos, District Clerk
/s/Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Board Chair

CRESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT #9
REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
10 November 2022

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. Also in attendance were Tammy Bartos, District Clerk, Rachel Stevens, Principal, Jennifer Johnson, Teacher and CEA President, Cindi Conley, Special Education Teacher and Deborah Christiansen, Title Teacher.
II. Minutes of 13 October 2022. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the minutes as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
III. Public Participation / Correspondence. The resignation of trustee Walter Graves was received, effective November 9, 2022.
IV. Information
A. Intercom/Phone Committee. The committee held a meeting on October 27, reviewed a quote from Access Montana and discussed options and ideas regarding the needs of the school. A meeting is scheduled for later today with another vendor. Due to a vacancy Nevada Hafer volunteered to join the committee.
V. Reports:
A. Clerk. The monthly budget expenditure report was provided through 31 October 2022. General Fund is 19% committed and the Total of all Funds is 15% committed. Accounts are reconciled to the County Treasurer through September 2022. Fall Student Enrollment Count for ANB was submitted to the State – reported enrollment was 121. The total out-of-district student count on Fall Count Day was 39 and a report was submitted to the Flathead County Superintendent of Schools. The Worker’s Compensation Audit Results for the policy period 7/1/2021 – 7/1/2022 were received and there are no audit adjustments to record.
B. Principal. Student enrollment is 121. Two assemblies were held in October: 1) Fire Prevention with the Creston Fire Department for kindergarten through third grade and 2) an all school awards assembly. The general education classroom teachers and title intervention teacher participated in a mathematics professional development day led by Mrs. Stevens on November 4th. Teacher formal evaluations are in progress with tenured teacher evaluations scheduled to be completed in December and non-tenured teachers in February. Due to the resignation of a school board trustee Mrs. Stevens will be reaching out to the community in an effort to help fill the vacancy. Northwest Montana Association of School Superintendents (NWMASS) will be hosting an Education and Legislative Summit November 30th. Monthly building inspections have been completed and the facility conditions report was updated. The safety committee met on November 2nd and discussed some of the needs that were highlighted in the report received from Secure Education Consultants. The November service project is a food drive for the Bigfork Food Bank. Training: Indian Education for All (IEFA) training is completed, Title IX training is underway, and a Gifted and Talented training is scheduled. A “Thank You” to the Creston Boosters for fully funding the new mats in the gymnasium, and for scheduling volunteers to help with the pizza lunches and basketball games.
C. Staff. Jen Johnson shared the staff report via a Google Slide presentation and also commented that the Math Professional Development hosted by Mrs. Stevens was time well spent and the teachers walked away with useful and practical tools.
VI. Consideration of Action Items:
A. MTSBA FY24 Dues Revenue Estimate. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the MTSBA FY24 dues formula as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Mrs. Bartos will cast the vote on behalf of the trustees.
B. Creston Scholarship Offered to Graduating Seniors. Creston School has been offering scholarships for several years to high school seniors who are Creston School Alumni and that are college or technical school-bound. A copy of last year’s information was provided. Monies from the Miscellaneous Fund are used to pay for this. Currently one $500 scholarship is offered per year. Barry Farrell moved to continue to offer this scholarship. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
C. Post Job Opening for Clerk/Business Manager & Form Hiring Committee
1. Job Description. A) Revise Clerk description and B) Add Business & Office Manager. Nevada Hafer moved to approve both the revised Clerk job description and the new Business/Office Manager job description as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
2. Job posting notice. The notice will be posted in December with an initial close date of January 5. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the job notice for District Clerk & Business/Office Manager as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
3. Hiring committee. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen and Barry Farrell volunteered to serve on the hiring committee.
D. Safe Return to School and Continuity of Services Plan. No changes or updates. Information only.
E. Substitute List 2022-2023. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the additions to the substitute teacher list as presented for the 2022/2023 school year. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
F. Transportation Contracts – nil.
G. Before School Care Contracts. Barry Farrell moved to approve the contract as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
H. Out-of-District Requests. Attendance agreement requests for twenty-six students that reside in our district, attending another district. Barry Farrell moved to acknowledge receipt of these attendance agreements. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Attendance agreements for sixteen 7th and 8th grade students that reside in our district and are attending Kalispell Middle School under a District to District placement. Twila Brenneman moved to approve these attendance agreements. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Attendance agreement for one student that resides outside of our district, requesting Creston School as their school of choice. Twila Brenneman moved to approve this attendance agreement. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
I. Gym & School Grounds Use Requests. One request by Stan Uskoski to use the gym on Monday evenings for his family to play basketball and exercise. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the gym use request. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
J. Board Work Session – Training and Discussion for Board Professional Development
1. Ethics & Conflicts of Interest. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen led a discussion covering this topic.
VII. Claims Approval. Barry Farrell moved to approve the claims list as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
VIII. Next Meeting Dates:
A. 8 December 2022, 7:00 am
B. 12 January 2023, 7:00 am
IX. Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:22 a.m.

Respectfully Submitted,
/s/Tammy Bartos, District Clerk
/s/Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Board Chair

CRESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT #9
REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
13 October 2022

MINUTES

I. Call to order. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen called the Board of Trustees meeting to order at 7:07 a.m. The meeting was held in the gym. Present were Board Trustees Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Twila Brenneman, Barry Farrell, Nevada Hafer and Walter Graves. Also in attendance were Tammy Bartos, District Clerk, Jennifer Johnson, Teacher and CEA President, Cindi Conley, Special Education Teacher, and one community member.
II. Minutes of 8 September 2022. Barry Farrell motioned to approve the minutes as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
III. Public Participation / Correspondence – nil.
IV. Information
A. Intercom/Phone Committee. The committee met on September 22, 2022 and discussed a plan for exploring options regarding a new phone/intercom system. On October 6th the committee met with representatives from Access Montana, and they presented options for a new system. A meeting is scheduled with Systems Northwest on October 27th and Mrs. Stevens is in communication with MontanaSky regarding setting up a meeting.
B. MSPLIP Inspection Report. The report in full was presented. There were a few minor recommendations, and they have each been taken care of.
V. Reports:
A. Clerk. The monthly budget expenditure report was provided through 30 September 2022. General Fund is 18% committed and the Total of all Funds is 14% committed. Fund 115 Project Report was also provided. Accounts are reconciled to the County Treasurer through August 2022. Worker’s Compensation Audit of policy period 7/1/2021 through 7/1/2022 was submitted 9/20/2022.
B. Principal. Mrs. Stevens was absent and Mrs. Sandven-Sorensen presented the report. Student Enrollment is 120. A planned professional development is scheduled in November for teachers to work together to focus on integrating math games in math instruction. Benchmark assessments/Interventions for Learning Loss for the 2022/2023 school year are completed for math and reading; data was analyzed and students needing additional services/interventions were identified and services have begun. A representative from Secure Education Consultants toured our facilities on September 28, 2022 and a report of his findings will be sent when it is completed. The first meeting of the Safety Committee is scheduled for November 2, 2022. We’ve had two safety drills to date and have a fire drill scheduled for October 14 in conjunction with the Creston Fire Department. Teacher evaluations are scheduled and in process. Homeless Liaison training is completed. Program Director of Indian Education for All training is in process. Gifted and Talented Program Director training is being sought out. Title IX training through MTSBA is scheduled in November.
C. Staff. Jen Johnson shared the staff report via a Google Slide presentation.
VI. Consideration of Action Items:
A. Bartos Employment Contract Amendment. An amended contract was presented with an end date of June 30, 2023, or sooner; this is to allow for a better transition in office administration. Twila Brenneman motioned to approve the revised employment contract of Mrs. Bartos as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
B. 2022/2023 Extra Duty Contracts – Custodian Duties. A list of current employees willing to fill in as substitute custodian was presented. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the 2022/2023 Custodian Extra Duty contracts as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
C. Safe Return to School and Continuity of Services Plan. No updates presented. No action taken.

D. MTSUIP Annual Meeting. Information regarding the annual meeting was presented. No action taken.
E. Transportation Contracts. Two (2) contracts were presented. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the transportation contracts as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
F. Before School Care Contracts – nil.
G. Out-of-District Requests. Attendance agreement request for 1 student that resides in our district, attending another district. Twila Brenneman moved to acknowledge the receipt of this attendance agreement. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Attendance agreements for forty-one (41) students that reside outside of our district, requesting Creston School District as their school of choice. Nevada Hafer moved to approve these attendance agreements. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
H. Gym & School Grounds Use Requests. One request was presented for Mountain View Christian Church to use the gym on Sunday, October 16th and 23rd from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to plug in two bounce houses for children as an extension of an open house event they are hosting at the Eastside Grange. Barry Farrell moved to approve the gym use request as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
I. Board Work Session – Training and Discussion for Board Professional Development
1. Trustee Responsibilities and Meeting Protocols. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen led a discussion covering this topic.
VII. Claims Approval. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the claims list as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
VIII. Next Meeting Dates:
A. 10 November 2022, 7:00 am
B. 8 December 2022, 7:00 am
IX. Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 7:47 a.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

/s/Tammy Bartos, District Clerk
/s/Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Board Chair

CRESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT #9
REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
8 September 2022

MINUTES

I. Call to order. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen called the Board of Trustees meeting to order at 7:03 a.m. The meeting was held in the gym. Present were Board Trustees Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Twila Brenneman, Barry Farrell, and Walter Graves. Absent: Nevada Hafer. Also in attendance were Rachel Stevens, Principal, Tammy Bartos, District Clerk, Jennifer Johnson, Teacher and CEA President, Deb Christiansen, Title Teacher, Cindi Conley, SPED Teacher, Nicole Noonan, CPA, PC, and one community member
II. Minutes of 11 August 2022 and 15 August 2022. Twila Brenneman motioned to approve the minutes as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
III. Public Participation / Correspondence – nil.
IV. Information
A. Audit Report 2020/2021. Nicole Noonan, CPA, PC presented the Audit Report.
V. Reports:
A. Clerk. The monthly budget expenditure report was provided through 31 August 2022. General Fund is 4% committed and the Total of all Funds is 3% committed.
B. Principal. Student Enrollment is 120 (second grade is at 100% capacity). Teachers attended professional development in August and a plan is being developed for other opportunities during the school year. The 2022/2023 ESEA Consolidated Application for title funds has been completed and submitted. All teachers and staff are in the process of completing their safety training. We had a great turn out for Open House with overall attendance of 85%. Benchmark assessments for the 2022/2023 school year are in progress for math and reading. The monthly building inspection has been completed with no recommendation for repairs; prior to the start of the school year a new balance beam and swing set were installed; we contacted Weyerhaeuser and were granted 2 CAD loads of wood chips through the Montana Giving Committee – the wood chips were added to the playground in August. Mrs. Stevens is registered for Title IX training in November. The Special Education Cooperative (FSEC) is staffed and providing support to our school through the provision of a speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, and school psychologist. Smarter Balanced (SBAC) Spring 2022 testing data show that 53% of our students are advanced or proficient in English Language Arts and 62% of our students are advanced or proficient in math; we will continue providing interventions where needed in the classroom and through our Title 1 program.
C. Staff. Jen Johnson shared the staff report via a Google Slide presentation.
VI. Policies – Consideration of Action:
A. Update All References to Reflect Name of New Principal. Barry Farrell moved to approve the policy updates as presented. Walter Graves seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
1. 3210 – Equal Educational Opportunity, Nondiscrimination, and Sex Equity
2. 3225 – Sexual Harassment of Students
3. 5010 – Equal Employment Opportunity, Non-Discrimination, and Sex Equity
4. 5012 – Sexual Harassment of Employees
5. 5120F – Determination of Eligibility for Hire
VII. Consideration of Action Items:
A. District Goals for 2022/2023 (Policy 1610). The goals included the school philosophy, mission statement, motto, educational goals and continuous school improvement goals. Twila Brenneman moved to adopt the Creston School District Goals for 2022/2023 as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
B. Intercom & Phone System Committee. Mrs. Stevens is assembling a committee to assist in gathering information to upgrade our current intercom and phone system. The committee will consist of Mrs. Stevens as chair, trustees and staff. Barry Farrell moved to appoint Twila Brenneman and Walter Graves to serve on the committee. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
C. Extra-Duty Coaching Contracts for Boys & Girls Basketball and 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 extra-duty coaching contracts as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
D. Extra-Duty Contract for J Shanks to Manage Google Classroom. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the extra-duty contract for Jamie Shanks to manage Google Classroom as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
E. Safe Return to School and Continuity of Services Plan Review. The plan was provided for review. Dates will be updated. No other revisions were submitted. Barry Farrell moved to approve the Safe Return to School and Continuity of Services Plan as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
F. ARP ESSER Plan Review. The plan was provided for review. No revisions to the plan were submitted. Barry Farrell moved to approve the ARP ESSER Plan as presented. Walter Graves seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
G. MTSUIP Annual Meeting – nil.
H. MSGIA Annual Meeting. This is our Worker’s Compensation Program. An RSVP to the meeting or the option to represented by proxy to the annual meeting was presented. Twila Brenneman moved to accept the nominees as presented and to approve Creston School be represented by proxy. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
I. Extra-Duty Bus Driver Substitute Contract – KM. Katy Miller has met the requirements to be a school bus driver. Barry Farrell moved to approve the substitute bus driver contract for Katy Miller at a rate of $21.00 per hour as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
J. Extra-Duty Teacher Contracts for Guided Remote Students. Teachers may be providing support for students attending school through guided remote learning situations. This is time spent beyond the regular teaching contract. Barry Farrell moved to approve the extra-duty contracts for teachers providing guided remote learning support to students for the 2022/2023 school year as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
K. Extra-Duty Covid Related Contracts for Principal and Clerk. Extra-duty contracts for time spent beyond the regular workday to prevent, prepare and respond to the COVID-19 virus. Tasks vary and include but are not limited to the Reopening Plan, Safe Return to School and Continuity of Services Plan, ARP Plan, ESSER grant applications, etc. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the 2022/2023 extra-duty contracts for R. Stevens and T. Bartos as presented. Motion passed unanimously.
L. Hold Harmless Agreements with Creston Fire Dept & Eastside Grange. These are annual agreements in consideration of the use of their respective buildings for a temporary shelter during a school emergency. Barry Farrell moved to approve the Hold Harmless agreements for 2022/2023 with the Creston Fire Department and the Eastside Grange as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
M. Transportation Contracts. Twenty-one (21) contracts were presented. Barry Farrell moved to approve the transportation contracts as presented. Walter Graves seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
N. Before School Care Contracts. Nine (9) contracts were presented. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the contracts as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
O. Out-of-District Requests. Attendance agreement for 1 student that resides in our district, attending another district. Twila Brenneman moved to acknowledge the receipt of the attendance agreement. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
P. Gym & School Grounds Use Requests. One request was presented for the Many Lakes Homeowner’s Association to use the gym on Saturday, September 17th from 8:30 am to 2:00 p.m. for the annual HOA meeting. Barry Farrell moved to approve the gym use request as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
Q. Principal Evaluation (Goals) – Executive Session. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen closed the meeting at 8:07 a.m. for executive session to conduct a personnel evaluation for Rachel Stevens. The meeting was re-opened at 8:22 a.m. Barry Farrell moved to approve the principal evaluation of goals and to approve the executive session minutes. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
VIII. Claims Approval. Barry Farrell moved to approve the claims list as presented. Walter Graves seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
IX. Next Meeting Dates:
A. 13 October 2022, 7:00 am
B. 10 November 2022, 7:00 am
X. Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 8:26 a.m.

Respectfully Submitted,
/s/Tammy Bartos, District Clerk
/s/Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Board Chair

CRESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT #9
SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
15 August 2022

MINUTES

I. Call to order. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen called the Board of Trustees meeting to order at 7:04 a.m. The meeting was held remotely via a Zoom meeting platform. Present were Board Trustees Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Twila Brenneman, and Barry Farrell; absent were Walter Graves and Nevada Hafer. Also in attendance were Rachel Stevens, Principal and Tammy Bartos, District Clerk
II. Public Participation / Correspondence – nil.
III. Consideration of Action Items:
A. Harvest Hay Agreement at 131 Creston Road with S. Wagoner. Barry Farrell moved to approve the agreement as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
B. Safe Return to School and Continuity of Services Plan. Information only.
IV. Adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 7:07 a.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

/s/Tammy Bartos, District Clerk
/s/Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Board Chair

CRESTON SCHOOL DISTRICT #9
FINAL BUDGET & REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
11 August 2022

MINUTES

I. Call to order. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen called the Board of Trustees meeting to order at 7:02 a.m. The meeting was held in the gym. Present were Board Trustees Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Twila Brenneman, Barry Farrell, Walter Graves and Nevada Hafer. Also in attendance were Rachel Stevens, Principal, Tammy Bartos, District Clerk, Jennifer Johnson, Teacher and CEA President, Shanta Milne, Kindergarten Teacher and one community member.
II. Minutes of 9 June 2022 & 22 June 2022. Barry Farrell motioned to approve the minutes as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
III. Public Participation / Correspondence – nil.
IV. Information
A. Speed Study of Highway 35. Data collection for the study is scheduled for September; when the report is finalized, it will be presented to the Flathead County Commissioners and there will be a minimum 60 day comment period; after the comment period the report and comments will be presented to the Montana Transportation Commission and voted on.
B. List of P-Card Users. A list of current P-Card users was provided.
V. Reports:
A. Clerk. The monthly budget expenditure report will be reflected in the Trustees Financial Statement. Accounts are reconciled to the County Treasurer through June 2022. The onsite portion of the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 audit was completed the middle of June.
B. Principal. Predicted Student Enrollment for 2022/2023 is 121 (second grade is at 100% capacity). The quarterly review of the Safe Return to School and Continuity of Services Plan is due September 8th and information is being prepared to send out to stakeholders. Some teachers attended the Missoula August Institute virtually; they also have an opportunity to attend the NW Reading Council Literacy Conference later this month. The staff will receive a review of CPR and AED training along with First Aid Scenario Training on August 26th. Plans for teacher professional development for the school year are being worked on. All teachers and staff will complete annual safety training by the beginning of September – the training is job specific and assigned accordingly. A tentative date for a full Run, Lock, Fight training is scheduled for the fall of 2023. The site visit from SEC is scheduled for September 28th to evaluate vulnerabilities associated with physical security and emergency preparedness. Mrs. Stevens participated in Egrants training in July and will attend library and counselor training later this month. Our annual Open House is August 29th and families will have the opportunity to meet teachers, bring school supplies, sign up to volunteer and socialize with other families on the playground. The Speed Sign project, initiated by the Bigfork Rotary Club, had been delayed with an encroachment permit and finding an electrician; as a district we moved forward with the speed study, which impacts the speed signs, so at this time the grant with FEC has been withdrawn and after the speed study is completed it may be possible to apply for the grant again. Summer building and maintenance projects are nearing completion, and the Facilities Conditions Inventory Report is provided. Mrs. Stevens attended the August 10th Flathead Valley Administrators meeting – Northwest Montana Education Service Agency, Northwest Montana Educational Cooperative, Flathead Special Education Cooperative, and Evergreen Crossroads Program presented information about their respective services.
C. Staff – Mrs. Johnson was present and noted that several teachers attended the Missoula Tech Conference virtually and that there is also a Math in the Mountains training coming up that will be attended by some teachers.
VI. Consideration of Action Items:
A. TFS. The Trustees Financial Summary (TFS) was not ready for presentation and this portion of the meeting was continued to 12 August 2022 at 9:00 a.m. via an electronic remote meeting on a Zoom meeting platform. 12 August 2022 Jessica Sandven-Sorensen continued the meeting at 9:07 a.m. with Tammy Bartos, District Clerk present. Mrs. Bartos gave an update that the reports were still in progress and at 9:09 a.m. the meeting was continued to 13 August 2022 at 9:00 a.m. via a Zoom meeting platform. 13 August 2022 Nevada Hafer continued the meeting at 9:02 a.m. with Tammy Bartos present. The reports were still in progress and at 9:04 a.m. the meeting was continued to 14 August at 4:00 p.m. via a Zoom meeting platform. 14 August 2022 Twila Brenneman continued the meeting at 4:02 p.m. with Tammy Bartos present. The reports were still in progress and at 4:04 p.m. the meeting was continued to 15 August 2022 at 7:05 a.m. via a Zoom meeting platform. 15 August 2022 Jessica Sandven-Sorensen continued the meeting at 7:10 a.m. Other trustees present were Twila Brenneman and Barry Farrell. Also in attendance were Rachel Stevens, Principal, and Tammy Bartos, District Clerk. The TFS is the school district official submission of annual financial information to the County Superintendent and State Superintendent. The 2021-2022 TFS was presented in its entirety. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the TFS for Fiscal Year 2021-2022 as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Item B was addressed, and the meeting was adjourned at 7:53 a.m.
B. Budget. The Budget was not ready for presentation and this portion of the meeting was continued. See Item A for information on the continuation of this portion of the meeting from 11 August through 15 August 2022. On 15 August 2022 at the 7:05 a.m. continuation meeting the 2022-2023 Budget report was presented in its entirety. Barry Farrell moved to approve the 2022-2023 Budget as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:53 a.m.
C. Resolution Requesting Referendum for PERS. The District is required to have a Section 218 agreement in place with the State when employees are participating in both a retirement system and Social Security. We need to address this for our PERS employees. This is the first step in the process. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the resolution requesting a referendum for PERS as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
D. Amendment to Teacher Contract – CN for 2022/2023. There was an error regarding the salary on the employment contract for C. Nutt dated 9 June 2022. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the 2022-2023 Amended Employment Agreement for C. Nutt as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
E. Audit Proposals Fiscal Year 2021/2022. Two proposals were presented. Barry Farrell moved to approve the audit proposal of Nicole Noonan, CPA, PC for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2022, 2023, and 2024 as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
F. Substitute Pay Rates 2022/2023. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the 2022/2023 pay rates of $14.00 per hour for a substitute teacher/aide and $17.00 per hour for a substitute custodian. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
G. Substitute List 2022-2023. Barry Farrell moved to approve the substitute re-hire lists and approve hiring substitutes from the County Superintendent of Schools list as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
H. Safe Return to School and Continuity of Services Plan. No updates or new information. No action taken.
I. Designation of Representative to the FSEC Management Board. Nevada Hafer moved to appoint Rachel Stevens, Principal, to represent Creston School District on the Flathead Special Education Cooperative Management Board. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
J. Flathead Crossroad Interlocal Agreement 2022/2023. This is a renewal agreement. The Crossroad 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. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the Flathead Crossroads Interlocal Agreement for fiscal year 2022/2023 as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
K. Appointment of Representative to Crossroads Advisory Board. Barry Farrell moved to appoint Rachel Stevens, Principal, to represent Creston School District on the Evergreen Flathead Crossroads Program Advisory Board. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
L. Extra-Duty Bus Driver Training Contract – KM. Bus Driver Training for K. Miller to continue this fiscal year – training provided by Jeff Hagen. Twila Brenneman moved to approve the paid substitute bus driver training contract for Katy Miller at a rate of $15.00 per hour as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
M. Extra-Duty Guided Remote Teacher Contracts – nil.
N. Hold Harmless Agreements with Creston Fire Dept & Eastside Grange – nil.

O. Staff Handbook 2022/2023. Revisions to the handbook were presented. Nevada Hafer moved to approve the Staff Handbook 2022/2023 as presented. Barry Farrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
P. Transportation Contracts – nil.
Q. Before School Care Contracts – nil.
R. Out-of-District Requests – nil.
S. Gym & School Grounds Use Requests. One request by the Creston Fire Fighter’s Association to use the gym, teacher’s lounge and outdoor school grounds, Thursday, March 30, 2023 – Sunday, April 2, 2023, for the Creston Fire Association’s Annual Auction and Community Fair. Barry Farrell moved to approve the school facilities and grounds use request from Creston Fire Fighter’s Association with armed and unarmed security services as presented. Twila Brenneman seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
VII. Claims Approval – July & August. Barry Farrell moved to approve the claims approval list as presented. Nevada Hafer seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
VIII. Next Meeting Dates:
A. 8 September 2022, 7:00 am
B. 13 October 2022, 7:00 am
IX. Adjourn. At 7:53 a.m. Jessica Sandven-Sorensen continued the budget portion of this meeting to 12 August 2022 at 9:00 a.m. via an electronic remote meeting on a Zoom meeting platform. Please see items VI. A and B.

Respectfully Submitted,

/s/Tammy Bartos, District Clerk
/s/Jessica Sandven-Sorensen, Board Chair