West Nodaway BOE

The West Nodaway R-I Board of Education met in open and closed sessions on July 10 to handle the following school district business.

Discussion was held on setting the tax rate at the August 14 board meeting. Nodaway County will send the assessed valuations to the district by the end of July. Depending on those valuations, Superintendent Shannon Nolte said the tax rate may go up.

The first reading was held on several board policies, including numbers 2871 and 4870 concerning medical marijuana which were recommended by legal counsel to review and approve for individual school boards.

“Our administration will be going to upcoming legal workshops and discussing the recommendations that we will bring to the board in August,” Nolte said.

Nolte and principals Holly Brady and Mitch Barnes will attend a workshop sponsored by Mickes O’Toole Law Firm.

“We will plan to follow legal guidance on the administration of these policies which protect the drug-free environment that our policies promote and dictate here at West Nodaway,” Nolte said. “At the same time, we will consider the medical needs of any student or staff member and work together to have a plan on how, when and if medication is dispensed on school property.”

The closing of four bridges on Highway 46 will not cause the district problems. The bus routes should only be altered a small amount.

West Nodaway will undergo a Missouri State Highway Patrol Fingerprinting Portal Audit on Wednesday, July 24. The district uses the system for all background checks on employees.

Bids were approved for the 2019-20 school year.

Two bids were received for trash services from Porter Trash Service and American Recycling and Sanitation. The board awarded the bid to the low bidder, Porter. There will be no raise in rates from 2018-19 by Porter.

Two bids were received for bakery products, Hy-Vee, Maryville, and Bimbo Bakeries, St. Joseph. Hy-Vee, which had the bid last school year, charges a $15 per trip delivery fee. With the amount of baked goods the district orders each week, Nolte determined the lower rates on products were not offset by the fee. Hy-Vee was approved.

The only bid for milk and dairy products from Anderson-Erickson was approved. The only bid for fuel including clear diesel and unleaded gas was awarded to MFA.

Two bids for propane were received from MFA and Ferrelgas. MFA will again provide propane at a fixed price of 88.9¢ per gallon. The company owns the current tanks at the school.

West Nodaway saw a negative balance of $6,175.99 for the school’s food service program. Nolte said the school needs to generate revenue and suggested the non-program items, such as snacks and additional entrees, be better promoted. The board approved the report. Board Member Sarah Thompson said she was not happy with the quality and quantity of the food and those needed to be fixed.

Nolte has applied for a PLE exemption which, if approved, will allow the prices to remain the same in the upcoming school year as last year. If the exemption is not approved, elementary and high school breakfast will be $1.65. Lunches will be $2.56 for elementary and $2.81 for high school. Adult breakfast will be $2.10 and lunch will be $3.25.

Nolte informed the board of a Sunshine Law training workshop to be held July 30 at Hughes Fieldhouse on the Northwest Missouri State University campus.