Minutes - 2021.11.29

November 29, 2021 

The Board of Directors of the Webster City Community School District in the counties of Hamilton, Webster and Wright, State of Iowa, met in regular session, November 29, 2021, in the School Administration Office Board Room, Webster City, Iowa.

Open Comment to the Board – There was none.

ITEM 1. – Call to Order – The Board President called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m.

ITEM 2. – Roll Call – Members answering roll call were Ms. Williams, Mr. Pruismann, Mr. Stroner, Mr. Patterson and Ms. Van Diest.  Also present were members of the media and other interested parties.

ITEM 3. – Approval of Agenda – It was moved by Mr. Pruismann, seconded by Mr. Stroner, to approve the agenda with the addition of Item 11 – Swearing in of newly elected board members.  Motion carried. 

ITEM 4. – Approval of Minutes of Last Regular Meeting – Motion by Mr. Patterson, seconded by Mr. Pruismann, to approve the minutes of the November 8, 2021 board meeting.   Motion carried. 

ITEM 5. – Appointment of Board Secretary – Motion by Mr. Stroner, seconded by Mr. Pruismann, to appoint Kathy Biere as the Board Secretary.  Motion carried. 

ITEM 6. – Administration of Oath of Office to Board Secretary – Ms. Van Diest, Board President, administered the Oath of Office to Board Secretary, Kathy Biere.   

ITEM 7. – Review Official Results of School Board Election – Dr. Ross reviewed the Official Results of the School Board Election.  Dave Stoakes received 732 votes for Director At Large; Kelsey Clarken received 680 votes for Director District 1; and Eric Patterson received 778 votes for Director District 3.   

ITEM 8. – Action Items

  1. Hall of Fame Selection Process – Motion by Ms. Williams, seconded by Mr. Stroner, to approve the Hall of Fame Selection Process with the addition of language regarding both walls of fame.  Motion carried. 
  2. Teacher Sub Pay Plans – Motion by Mr. Stoner, seconded by Mr. Patterson, to approve the plan to move pay for all substitutes to $130/day, add $10 on top of the current wage for paras who are certified to sub for a teacher, and pay $10 per class period for coverage of study hall or other non-instructional teaching duty.  Motion carried.  

ITEM 9. – Adjournment of Retiring Board – Motion by Mr. Stroner, seconded by Ms. Williams, to adjourn the retiring Board at 6:20 p.m.  Motion carried. 

ITEM 10. - Call to Order and Roll Call (New Board) – Board Secretary, Kathy Biere, called the meeting to order at 6:25 p.m.  Members answering roll call were Ms. Clarken, Mr. Pruismann, Mr. Stoakes, Mr. Patterson, and Ms. Van Diest. 

ITEM 11. – Swearing in of newly elected board members – Kathy Biere, Board Secretary, administered the Oath of Office to newly elected Board Members Kelsey Clarken, Dave Stoakes, and Eric Patterson. 

ITEM 12. - Election of President and Vice President –

  1. Motion by Mr. Pruismann, seconded by Mr. Patterson, to nominate Beth Van Deist as Board President.  Motion carried. 
  2. Motion by Ms. Van Diest, seconded by Mr. Stoakes, to nominate Eric Patterson as Board Vice President.  Motion carried. 

ITEM 13. - Administration of Oath of Office to Newly Elected President and Vice President – Kathy Biere, Board Secretary, administered the Oath of Office to newly elected President Van Diest, and Vice President Mr. Patterson. 

ITEM 14. - Annual Meeting -

  1. Establish Meeting Dates, Time and Location – Motion by Mr. Patterson, seconded by Ms. Clarken, to establish the meeting dates to be the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. in the School Administration Office Board Room.  Motion carried. 
  2. Name Official Publication – Motion by Mr. Pruismann, seconded by Mr. Stoakes, to approve the Daily Freeman Journal as the official publication of the Webster City Community School District.  Motion carried. 
  3. Designation of Legal Counsel – Motion by Ms. Clarken, seconded by Mr. Patterson, to approve Ahlers and Cooney as the District’s legal counsel.  Motion carried. 
  4. Designation of Financial Depositories – Motion by Mr. Stoakes, seconded by Mr. Pruismann, to approve the financial institutions and their limits to be:  ISJIT - $10,000,000; First State Bank - $8,000,000; Availa Bank - $8,000,000; and WC Financial Bank - $8,000,000.  Motion carried. 

ITEM 15. – Discussion Items –

  1. Informal Board Meeting with Stratford –The Stratford Board of Directors wishes to continue informal board meetings with Webster City.  The Webster City Board of Directors agreed to continue the practice and Ms. Van Diest, Mr. Patterson and Ms. Clarken all volunteered to serve as a representative for the meeting. 

ITEM 16. – Action Items –

  1. School Budget Review Committee Request for Increased Enrollment – Motion by Mr. Patterson, seconded by Ms. Clarken, to approve the School Budget Review Committee request for the modified supplemental amount for increased enrollment in the amount of $169,111.80.  Motion carried. 
  2. School Budget Review Committee Request for Modified Allowable Growth for LEP Instruction Beyond Five Years – Motion by Mr. Pruismann, seconded by Mr. Patterson, to approve the School Budget Review Committee request for modified supplemental amount for LEP instruction beyond five years in the amount of $111,151.26.  Motion carried. 
  3. Debt Service Obligation Bond Interest Payment – Motion by Mr. Patterson, seconded by Mr. Stoakes, to approve the debt service obligation bond interest payments in the amount of $113,969.66.  Motion carried. 
  4. Iowa Local Government Risk Pool Commission Refund – Motion by Mr. Stoakes, seconded by Mr. Patterson, to approve the Iowa Local Government Risk Pool Commission refund in the amount of $9,593.00.  Motion carried.   
  5. Special Education Contracts – Motion by Mr. Pruismann, seconded by Mr. Patterson, to approve the Special Education contracts for student services with Dubuque Community School District.  Motion carried. 
  6. Gifts to District – Motion by Ms. Clarken, seconded by Mr. Stoakes, to approve the $500 donation on behalf of the Carl Day family and the $400 donation to Sunset Heights Elementary from the Kiwanis Club of Main Street.  Motion carried. 
  7. Fundraising Requests – Motion by Mr. Stoakes, seconded by Ms. Clarken, to approve the fundraising requests of High School Softball to offer a pitching clinic and sell Pampered Chef.  Motion carried. 

ITEM 17. - Personnel – Motion by Mr. Stoakes, seconded by Mr. Pruismann, to approve the contract resignation of Jordan Moen, Assistant Varsity Baseball.  Motion carried. 

ITEM 18. – Other

  1. Items from Dr. Ross
    1. Congratulations to the new board members and thanks to those who ran. 
    2. Congratulations to Ms. Van Diest on the birth of her newest grandchild.
    3. A superintendent’s meeting was held at Iowa Central and there were discussions regarding:  sharing a high school counselor to help with the FAFSA and the Career Academy; an increase in the course credit rate; and seats being offered to students for Iowa Central classes in Fort Dodge. 
    4. Recommendations for early retirement will be brought to the December board meeting, 
    5. A work session with IASB will be held on Thursday, December 16.
  2. Items from the Board
    1. Mr. Pruismann may not be in attendance at the December board meeting. 

ITEM 19.  – Adjournment - A motion was made by Mr. Patterson, seconded by Ms. Clarken, to adjourn the meeting at 6:49 p.m.  Motion carried unanimously. 

The next Regular Board Meeting will be Monday, December 13, at 6:00 p.m. at the School Administration Office Board Room.  Board Meetings are subject to change dependent upon need.

An IASB New Board Work Session will be held on Thursday, December 16, 2021.

Attest:                                                               Attest:

Kathy Biere, Secretary                                     Beth Van Diest, President