10 Highland students to attend National FFA Convention Oct. 26-29

By Paul D. Bowker
Posted 10/14/21

Ten Highland Community School students will head to Indianapolis later this month for the 94th National FFA Convention & Expo.

The trip, which was proposed by Gina Trower, a middle and high …

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10 Highland students to attend National FFA Convention Oct. 26-29

Posted

Ten Highland Community School students will head to Indianapolis later this month for the 94th National FFA Convention & Expo.

The trip, which was proposed by Gina Trower, a middle and high school teacher and the FFA advisor, was approved by the School Board at its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Oct. 11.

In her request to the board, Trower said students will have the “opportunity to gain leadership skills, network with other agricultural students, businesses and colleges.”

Trower and the students will depart on October 26 and return three days later. She said students have worked for local and outside sponsorships to cover the $350 for the trip.

“It’s still a great, great trip for the students to go on,” Schools Superintendent Ken Crawford told the board.

The request was approved unanimously.

The board chose to contract with Schnoebelen Inc. of Riverside and Edwards Remodeling of Iowa City for snow removal this winter.

The parking lots and areas around the high school and district offices will be handled by Edwards Remodeling. The contract bid calls for an hourly rate of $85 per truck/equipment with a $250 ice melt application charge for each storm.

The elementary school will be cleared by Schnoebelen at a rate of $95 per hour per truck, and $95 for an ice melt application.

The board also awarded Colbert Lawn Care of Riverside for an annual mowing and trimming contract at a total cost of $14,850. The contract covers both school properties, and the softball and baseball athletic fields. District workers take care of the high school football field.

The board approved moving ahead with a sale of a Gravely zero-turn mower for no less than $10,500. Crawford said bids for the mower will be accepted until October 29. The minimum bid is $10,500 although district officials are hoping for bids higher than that. The mower has only 75 hours of use, and was purchased at a 22% government discount for $11,000. The district has another mower available to be used.

“I don’t need two mowers sitting there,” Crawford said.

The board approved the district’s 2020-21 certified annual report, transportation report, special education supplement and modified allowable growth and supplemental aid for a negative special education balance.

The district’s incoming funds included $5.3 million in property taxes, $4.5 million in state aid and $890,688 in federal grants. The district had $11.4 million in total revenue.

Total expenditures of $11.8 million included $4.3 million in salaries, $1.5 million in employee benefits and $3.6 million in instructional services. Special education funds were short by more than $415,000, resulting in the request for supplemental aid.

The board also approved, on second reading, a number of changes on district policies.

A work session was set up for the board at 5 p.m. October 25.

The next regularly scheduled monthly meeting will be held November 8 at 6 p.m.