North Nodaway BOE

The North Nodaway R-VI Board of Education met in open and closed sessions on March 21 to handle the following school district business:

In closed session, the board accepted the resignations of English teacher Nina Dewhirst and Librarian James Richmond. New hires, English teachers Elena Bellamy and Gretchen Wehmeyer, were approved for the 2018-19 school year.

The board voted to reemploy the following for the 2018-19 school year: Roger Johnson, Sarah Emery, Emily Frueh, Leah Koger, Cody Marriott, Owen Miller, Kit Meiners, Ashley Proffitt, Sam Riley, Cassie Runde, Jacob Shipman, Heather Townsend, Tana Wymer, Amanda Wonderly and Susan Law.

NN increased the board paid health insurance to $389 per month, the teacher base salary, $400 per year, and the non-certified base by 12¢ an hour.

In open session, Penny Farrell was approved as a substitute teacher.

Jeff Lyle’s mowing bid of $85 for the Pickering building and $155 for the Hopkins building per cutting was accepted.

Three bids were received for the purchase of a new school bus. Most of the bids were below the 2017 bids NN received. Midwest Transit’s bid of $82,998, with $7,000 for the trade-in to total $75,998, was accepted.

The board accepted plans for employee health insurance. Four plans were approved: HSA 4000 and 6550 and PPO 2500 and 3500. The district has moved from Tier 5, the most expensive, to Tier 4, causing a four percent increase in premiums instead of eight.

High School Principal Tim Conn informed the board of the third annual Spring Fever Reliever for the students on Thursday, April 12. MAP and EOC testing will begin on Tuesday, April 17.

Elementary Principal Ashley Marriott discussed the elementary after-school program, which currently runs from 3:15 to 5:30 pm on school days. The program was started with a 21st Century Grant, which the district no longer receives.

Marriott shared the following information about the program: tutoring is not offered; the charge is $2 per hour/per child; not as many parents are taking advantage of the program, and currently, 37 of the 110 students take part. Marriott estimates the district is spending $2,000 a year more than it’s taking in.

Discussion was held on raising the rate for the program and/or cutting back the time, as 82 percent of the children are gone by 4:30 pm. This will be on the April agenda.

The next board meeting will be at 5:30 pm, Friday, April 13.