WELLMAN

The Mid-Prairie school board covered a range of issues Monday night at their regular meeting, a work session/business meeting combination format that may be on its way out. Although a first reading of their regular meeting policy was on the agenda for Jan. 22, only discussion took place; the revised policy will likely face a first reading at the board’s next meeting on Feb. 12.

On the table is a separation of the work session and business meeting sessions. The proposed change would have the first meeting of the month serve as the business meeting, where formal action is taken, and the second meeting of the month would be designated as a work session used primarily for information sharing and discussion. This format would allow the board more time for careful thought before making final decisions on agenda items.

A consent agenda would be a part of both monthly meetings, and public hearings may need to be held on work session nights as the board moves through the budget process this spring, Business Manager Jeff Swartzentruber noted.

Work Session

During the work session portion of the meeting, the board continued discussion from the previous meeting about how interest earnings and savings on construction projects might be spent. Funds ranging from $375,000 to $450,000 may be available in the coming months, and the board is most interested in using those to satisfy fine arts needs until building a new auditorium becomes possible.

Vocal music teacher Collette McClellen and speech and drama coach Christine Meader described for the board nonfunctioning and unsafe parts of the cafetorium that could use replacement. The list ranged from theatre curtains and lighting to stage floors and rigging. The board asked that the pair prioritize these needs and provide pricing.

The board considered making changes to East and West Elementary attendance centers in future years. The grades attending each site and how classrooms are allocated are all under review. Plans for changes here are in their “infancy stage,” and would not be enacted until the 2025-2026 school year at the earliest.

The board also considered how new school board members might be best orientated to their positions on the board. “I feel like we could vastly improve our onboarding for board members,” board president Jake Snider said, and the board considered what types of resources are desired and how they might be assembled. It is important to the board that the information reflect Mid-Prairie’s processes and identity specifically.

Board Action

In the business meeting portion of the evening, the board approved the second reading of the district’s Licensed Employee Resignation policy. The revised policy moves up the deadlines teachers must submit their resignations by in order to receive financial incentives.

The board also approved the second reading of the Licensed Employee Qualifications, Recruitment, Selection policy, which has been updated with Iowa Works replacing Teach Iowa as the job board for posting open positions.

Finally, a public hearing was set for Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. for the Flexibility Transfer of Home School Assistance Funds. The district would like to move $215,000 from the Home School Assistance Program into the general fund so that they can be spent “in a good way.”

The Mid-Prairie school board will next meet on Monday, Feb. 12 at 6:15 p.m. in the Central Office Community Room.