The Perry School Board came to a decision at last night’s meeting to discuss closing the funds pertaining to the January 4th shooting in order to move onto the next step.

During last night’s meeting, the school board talked with School District Attorney Miriam Van Heukelem about moving forward to find a financial administrator to manage the funds. Heukelem told the board that the funds account should be closed soon, so that they can be distributed after Vice President Travis Landgrebe posed the question. She said two different accounts were set up. One is for the sixth grader, Ahmir Jollif, who died from the shooting, as well as a general account. Following discussion, Board Secretary Kent Bultman agreed to talk to Raccoon Valley Bank about wanting to close the funds account.

There was a Dungeons & Dragons Club proposal from School Librarian Mari Butler who wanted to provide a safe space for students to play the game with no district costs. She explained that she was approached by many students about the idea. The item was approved but Board Director Eddy Diaz cautioned that the school’s budget is tight and he’s dealt with other ideas in the past that have started off free, but ultimately money had to be spent.

Other items on the agenda that were approved include a school nutrition service handbook, and revisions of board policies for substitute teachers, summer school licensed employees, a truancy officer, a education associate, classified employee qualifications, recruitment to remove Teach Iowa and replace it with another program, classified employee contracts, classified employee licensing and certification, classified employee assignment, classified transfers, and classified employee evaluation.

Additional items was the mention from Elementary Principal Laura Skeel that a new third grade teacher has been hired and hinted at a few other opening positions to hopefully be filled soon, summer school is set to kick off in June for the elementary, middle, and high schools, plus Superintendent Clark Wicks commented that the school is looking into the retention bonus of up to $700,000 that Governor Kim Reynolds recently passed into law as Senate File 2653.