March 8, 2021 at 7:30 PM - REGULAR BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING

Discussion:  President Morrill called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

Discussion:  Morrill announced that the Open Meetings Laws Act Poster was displayed on the wall at the entrance.

Discussion:  The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Discussion:  Amber Fritz - daughter receives  from ESU, others don't find those kids worthy of services, accurate legal records, regardless of anything else.  cost shouldn't matter, goal and data driven parents, want those working with her to think she is worthyto do what is right for Abby.
 

Discussion:  handout from Sharon Endorf from NASB on what they do for us and what they can provide us.  Vaccines -   lots get on Thursday.  Discussion on mask, lunchroom etc, - meet with planning and development committee on what we do.  Don't want to loose all the stuff we lost last spring.  History opening - half PE/half history with coaching.
Board orientation - met with Toni for over an hour to review things.
Powers/responsibilitites of board
Hearing on bills - full floor debates
523 - special building fund
132 - school finance committee
651 - eliminate option enrollment
364 and 210

 

Discussion:  Duane - retreat March 14 and 15
Building and grounds - review summer projects
policy - review handbooks
p and d - strategic plan for future
 

Discussion:  B & G - Met March 3 - Duane, Greg, Matt, and Robby
recommend buying 2011 International from Jim for $15,000
Transportation Director? possibly custodians
look into buying another small bus
Rent bus barn for another year
 

Discussion:  Rob Hanger - note on transition meeting early July.

Discussion:  Two options for Ryon.  We had wanted 2.5% raise.  Today came in and would like theh 3.9% raise.

Discussion:  List of teachers recommend for contracts for next year.  Have one opening for next year at this time.

Discussion:  Classified staff raises.  Committee recommends 3.5% - Dixie.  Custodians would like to go to hourly instead of salary - Ron and Rick.  

Discussion:  School calendar.  

Discussion:  ESU 1 contract - 
Robby asked Bill Heinmann to come to answer any questions we have about the contract.  
Contract that we are questioning - is it just SPED or everything?  Contract is all inclusive.
Does survey go to school or to parents - Bill - how get feedback from schools
 - send it out to all employees of school districts - majority is classroom teachers and SPED teachers, If any questions about school then school typically relays those questions on to service unit
23 contracts with 23 schools for SPED - all different based on what each school needs, 
ESU also provides tech support, John Baylor tech prep,  Staff training.
SPED contract is anticipated amount based on what think we will need.  Bill per quarter on actual cost.  Costs is based on pooling resources and dividing the costs over all schools receiving services in order to get the cost as reasonable as possible.  
Matt - parent survey of our individual parents of kids receiving the services.  Legally we don't have to go with ESU 1.  We can go with whoever we want.  If put survey out and it is unfavorable then we have to tell ESU 1 that if it doesn't improve after surveying again we may have to go with services somewhere else.  Dissappointed we didn't get survey to do.  He visited with Bill last month and he knew what Matt wanted from the survey.  Dixie- who was suppose to make survey? 
Robby - talked to consultant - we can make the survey give us whatever we want.  What is considered good or bad?  
Matt - we tabled so could get more info.  Greg and Duane should know cause with buses we got backs against wall cause never did anything.  
If Robby is confident they do a good job then why wouldn't he want to do a survey showing that they do a good job.  Matt put there to represent people and students.  
Dixie - has Bill helped any schools done surveys of particular services etc.  Bill has people who can help with survey processes.  But they have not surveyed parent before.  Don't always have great return rates on surveys but do get good response on their services on the surveys.  
Dixie - been happy with services from ESU 1 before but never had to deal with SPED services.  
Duane - do you have a SPED parent survey on the shelf - Bill - don't have one as of right now.    Matt - can use survey monkey according to his research.  Has to be distributed by SPED staff.  
Survey ESU does - it is done annually.  
Other category - secretaries, custodians, paras, etc.  
 Do all ESUs provide the same services - across that state.  same core items required by the state.  ESU's are not required to provide SPED services.   ESU 1 has way more SPED employees than most ESUS. 
Duane - can esu make a parent survey 
Bill - describes what an IEP is.  created by a team, identifies the services needed, 
What happens if kid isn't making progress -  concern brought back to team ifo progress, etc.  Team will assess.  Does ESU bring in a new person then or what.  Can bring someone new in if needed.  Person who is here can consult with all the other SPLS to get ideas etc to help that student.  
ESU has contract deadlines.  Have to offer contracts by April 15 as well.  If let them know in June/July that we do want your services then they may not be able to fill our needs since we didn't know.  
DH- if pass contract, do parent survey and find need a new school psych, could switch to a different psych if that is they issue?  Yes we could.
Process on if problem -supt works with ESU to solve problems, they have worked with schools on things like that.
Typically don't sub out with other ESU's.  Typically hard to do but have done a few times in the past.  Most ESU's don't have another additional staff to work in the other ESUs.  
ESU answers to board of directors, Under Rule 84 in NDE.  
Greg - does a public school have to provide these services to students - yes.  Can do it through ESU 1, teletherapy, hire your own, contract through hospital.ESU - high retentation rate and satisfaction from their schools.  All sizes of schools in district.  
Turnover rate at ESU - about 10% a year.  Paras at Tower - turn over alot, SPL and psych tomorrow.
Amber - who student receives services from - doesn't like Stuart at meetings cause he doesn't know Abby.  Would rather have SPED teacher.  Has come since 

Having to pay for Stuart to come to meetings and they haven’t asked for us to spend money doing that.  

Greg - perfect world - what would resolve problem Matt - sit at table with therapists that want to sit with me.  

Amy - Sped parents - do whatever you can for your kid.  Every extra service kids get is paid for extra.  Fight for every extra you can get.  Understands admin wanting to be cost/time effective.  Doesn’t think district doesn’t want to pay for services just sometimes thats all the time providers have, etc.  Doesn’t think admin says yes/no.  Have to understand both sides.

DH - therapists kind of suggest how much time they need from what she has seen.  

TT - in perfect world therapists says what they all need but so many outside factors that have to play in to it.  Time, number of providers, etc.

DH - how do you decide how much to ask for.  

Amy - had been OT for service unit - feels usually therapists are just kind of stuck on how they usually serve - number of minutes, etc.  

Matt - once heard comment difference between medical speech therapy and educational speech therapy.  Amy - goals are different.  

 

Toni - would ESU be interested in doing survey for us.

Bill - just here to talk about contract with our school.  Not contracting with the parents.  

Do parents get feedback from the ESU - yes

If problem hopefully provider/parent talk, then to principal, then to ESU

Greg - need to make a motion to approve the contract but needs to know from other parents before he votes to change.  What if everyone else likes them. 

Matt - where are the check and balances - ultimately your school district.  Its as good as who is in charge.  

Greg - Robby what are your options in this situation - IEP team makes the recommendations to him.  They are professionals in the area.  He isnt the pro in OT, speech, etc.  

Duane - seems reasonable to get a parent survey.

Amy - we just need to survey for our own informational needs.  

 

Have a committee make a survey to bring back to the board for April meeting.

Discussion:  Jim is willing to send us a 2011 Interernational bus for 15000.  Motor has possibly been known to give problems.  If motor blows then we trash it.  MCotor will probably be about 17000.  Big enough for activities but small enough we could take it on routes.  
Check on getting another 14 passenger.  Low profile.  safer than van.  
 

Discussion:  Watch the video from NASB.  Have to follow Rule 10 for everything in school.  They will go with a different process for Rule 10.