The Greene County School Board of Directors met last night in regular session.
The Board approved the second readings for revised board policies on adding nicotine to its tobacco free environment and a couple more classifications to its equal employment opportunity and multicultural and gender fair education. The first readings for revised board policies that were also approved included adding nicotine to its list of causes for students to lose activity eligibility, adding a basic four-step approach to its grievance procedure and reinstating its employee voluntary retirement policy.
The Board also approved to utilize money from its $414,091 allowable growth funds for dropout prevention programs and positions in its application to the state along with $12,580 for administration costs for a consortium with Grandwood.
Other agenda items that the Board approved included adding more money to its account at People’s Trust and Savings Bank and adding Banker’s Trust to its list of depositories and a revised list of winter sports officials.
The Board appointed several members to a smaller facilities study committee for its discussions with Shive-Hattery about condensing the district into two buildings in a ten-year plan. Members of the committee include Jenny Wessling who represents Rippey and Grand Junction, Tanne Stauffler who represents Jefferson, Cara Reedy who represents Scranton, Dean Lansman, Wayne Hougham, Tim Buenz, Sam Harding, Jeff Lamoureux and Susan Burkett.
The Board discussed selling part of the Rippey School property. Superintendent Tim Christensen said he went to the Rippey City Council and talked with them about leasing the west side of the property back to the City with the City being responsible for mowing the property and the school district being responsible for snow removal. The one area that is currently unsettled is insurance for liability and property. No decision was made by the Board until insurance is figured out.
Chuck Wenthold gave an update on the student construction house program. He said the students have been helping rehab a house for Habitat for Humanity. He believes students are getting some good hands-on experience with that project because it will make them a more responsible homeowners to know how to make home repairs.
Christensen noted that the district received over $600,000 in scholarships for them to use and that school bus bids were sent out to purchase a new school bus by next school year. He also showed a sample school calendar for the 2015-16 school year. Due to the Department of Education no longer allowing automatic early start waivers, the proposed calendar has the school year starting on August 31st with the last day of school on June 7th. No decision was made by the Board on the topic.