West Nodaway BOE

The West Nodaway R-I Board of Education met in open and closed meetings on September 13 to handle the following school district business:

Parents from the Burlington Jct. Blazers summer baseball program talked to the board about the cook shack project being undertaken for the BJ City Park ball field. WN uses the field for the school’s baseball program.

Clint Snodderly detailed the project which has a projected cost of $47,000 for the two-story, 22 x 26-foot structure. The current structure is going to be removed and the new one is projected to be ready for the 2018 season.

The group is considering different fundraisers and has a bank account with $345.75 in donations. The American Legion is planning to make a donation.

BJ Mayor Justin Plymell said there was a fund earmarked for the city’s parks which could contribute to this project with city council approval.

Other renovations to the ball field were discussed as well as the fact that the new bathrooms will be ADA compliant. Board members maintained that they were interested in contributing to the project and it will make BJ a more attractive place to hold the district baseball tournament.

“We feel we have the group who have the ambition to tackle this project,” Snodderly said about why it’s being undertaken at this time, since the building has been in poor repair for some time.

A bid for $5,995 from Clarinda Heating and Cooling was approved for the installation of a new air conditioning unit for the high school and central offices.

WN will have its board policies on the school web page through the services of Missouri Consultants for Education (MCE). A $1,500 initial charge with a $400 yearly update contract was approved.

MCE will also provide legal consultation on the board policies, which will save the district money in legal fees. MCE is affiliated with the Missouri Association for Rural Education to which the district belongs.

The district’s membership to the Area Cooperative for Educational Services (ACES) was approved for the 2017-18 school year. Superintendent Shannon Nolte said that ACES had provided the district with $61,000 worth of special education resources, including a consultant to help with individual education plans for students. The district had paid $27,000.

The final version of the annual secretary of the board report for 2016-17 was authorized. The report showed a 68.34 percent unrestricted ending fund balance. Nolte said that concern would be needed if that balance dropped below 30 percent.

The district will pay half of the employee wellness screening costs which will take place in September as it has in the past.

The DESE special education plan was approved.

The school district will seek bids to sell surplus items to the highest bidder.

The scores of the MSIP 5 evaluation were shared and explained. WN has been scoring in the 80th percentile and Nolte wants to see the school move into the 90th percentile range. These scores are used for the classification and accreditation of the school district.

“Northwest Missouri usually has the highest percentage of districts that are accredited with distinction, which is 90 percent or greater on the APR,” Nolte explained.