July 8, 2024 at 6:30 PM - AMENDED_Regular Board Meeting (New Board) Executive Session to follow

Background:  Business Manager, Brett Burditt will administer the oath of office to Scottie Bruch and Brian Voight.

Background:  Business Manager, Brett Burditt, will conduct the election for the School Board President per School Board Policy BCA. The Board President will assume office and will conduct the election for the Vice President. Superintendent Wormstadt will preside during the election of the school board president and vice president.  
2024-25 School Board Committee Interest Survey

Background:  There are many routine items that are required or suggestions from ASBSD at the annual meeting each year. For each one, either the present status of the item will be given or there will be a comment or recommended action. 

Background:  Regular meeting time is 5:30 p.m. the second Monday of each month in the board room of the Williams Administrative Building. We suggest the following board meetings be moved:

• October 14 board meeting be moved to October 15 as there is no school for students and staff in order to observe Native American Day
• December 30 study session & work retreat be rescheduled or canceled as there is no school for students and staff due to Christmas Break.

 

Background:  Black Hills Pioneer has been the district’s local newspaper and is recommended to be approved to be the district’s legal newspaper. Legal publications will also be published in the Faith Independent newspaper.

Background:  The present distribution of our accounts: Payroll/Checking, Trust and Agency/Brown High School, and Trust and Agency/Williams Middle School at First Interstate Bank; Trust and Agency/Central Administration and Advanced Payments at First Interstate Bank; Trust and Agency/Central Administration (Scholarships) at First Interstate Bank; QZAB Bonds and CDs at Pioneer Bank and Trust. The recommendation would be to keep the accounts the same for the 2024-25 school year.

Background:  Brett Burditt is business manager and custodian of General Fund, Capital Outlay Fund, Special Education Fund, Food Service Fund, Trust and Agency Fund/Sturgis Brown High School, Trust and Agency Fund/Sturgis Williams Middle School, and Trust and Agency Fund/Central Administration. He also should be authorized to invest district funds pursuant to Board Policy DI, electronically transfer funds for specifically authorized purposes, and to borrow funds with Board approval.

Background:  Brett Burditt is business manager and authorized to file all state and federal grant claims: Comprehensive School Reform, Title I, Title II Part A, IDEA 611/619, Title IV, Perkins Grant, and all other approved grant claims.

Background:  State statute change dictates we must list and approve the prepaid vendors list.  In the list we have authorized emergency services for critical functions to be approved (example: waterline, sewerline, HVAC, etc.). 

Background:  State law entitles Board members to receive up to the same salary as that received by the State Board of Education Standards.  The amount has been raised to $166.00 per day.

Currently, the salary for board members is $75.00 per meeting.  The Board has been paid mileage for committee meetings not held on regular Board meeting nights and $75.00 per committee meeting for meetings scheduled by the superintendent and/or board president that are not held on board meeting nights.

Note:  Mileage rates are set by the state and we will adjust as changes are made at the state level.  We will be adopting the ASBSD policy to reflect the change in state law.
 

Background:  School boards have the right to designate which school board member or members, in addition to the school board president, have the authority to countersign checks drawn by the business manager.

Moving forward, the school board needs to designate which board member or members have the authority to countersign checks in the absence of the school board president.

Background:  It is recommended that the new Board adopt the policies of the old Board as a formality so that there can be no question that existing Board policies are still in effect.  This does not prevent the new Board from changing policies during the year.  Board Policy BBAA establishes that a majority of the Board constitutes a quorum to transact business.  The Board should also establish a minimum number of votes for passage of board action.  The standard number for a nine (9) member board is five (5) and five (5) should be established as the minimum number of votes necessary for Board action.

Background:  Rhonda Ramsdell is recommended to be the authorized representative for School Food Service

Background:  Authorize all building principals as truancy officers for the district.

Background:  The federal compliance coordinators should be appointed:  ADA Compliance and Asbestos-Brett Burditt; Section 504-Melisssa Pankratz; Titles VI and IX-Maranda McGillivray.

Background:  Rates for athletic events will remain the same for the 2024-25 school year. 

Background:  The district normally uses state rates for lodging, meals, and mileage, except when staff members cannot obtain lodging at state rates, the actual room cost will be reimbursed. Meal and mileage rates should be aligned to the state rates and adjust when the state adjusts, there will be another rate adjustment on October 1st. 

Out-of-State Travel	Rate	In-State Travel	Rate
Breakfast	$10.00	Breakfast	$6.00
Lunch	$18.00	Lunch	$14.00
Dinner	$28.00	Dinner	$20.00
Rooms	$175.00	Rooms	$75.00 to $107.00
Mileage	$.51 to $.655	Mileage	$.51 to $.655

There were no changes in meal rates.

Background:  Authorize membership for the 2024-25 school year in Associated School Boards of South Dakota.

Background:  Approve Stipend Schedule for 2024-25.  The stipend schedule for teachers who provide additional services is included. The rates for substitute teaching are also included in this schedule.  

Background:  The district has used Eric Nies, Nies & Karras, P.C. as legal counsel for the 2023-24 school year. Recommendation would be to continue to use Eric Nies, Nies & Karras, P.C. as legal counsel for the 2024-25 school year.

The district has used Christian Shafer, Ratwik, Roszak & Moloney, P.A. as legal counsel for special education items. Recommendation would be to continue to use Christian Shafer, Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. as legal counsel for special education items for the 2024-25 school year.

Background:  The following personnel are presented for the board’s consideration:
 

Background:  State law requires that the Board publish the salaries of all school district employees on an annual basis. 

Background:  Community members who have volunteered to work in schools throughout the district: None have been presented.

Background:  Extracurricular coaches and volunteer coaches will be updated monthly. Any changes will be highlighted in yellow.

Background:  Board members and school administrators/officials need to request a conflict of interest waiver before participating in or voting upon a decision concerning an application in which that member has a direct personal or financial interest.  

Background:  Open Forum is an opportunity for patrons to share their thoughts and concerns.  The school board will listen, but no discussion takes place and there will not be board action.  Board members may ask clarifying questions. The protocol established for open forum is to provide a time limit of three minutes to share concerns.  If a patron would like to have a two-way discussion, they are encouraged to schedule a meeting with the superintendent. 

Background:  The monthly financial reports for the board’s review.  Brett Burditt will answer any questions you might have regarding financials. 

Background:  The district has kept lunch prices artificially low to allow families to benefit from funds accrued during the COVID era. However, food and labor costs continue to rise. The proposed recommendations are in line with or below other school districts in the area. 

Food Service Director, Rhonda Ramsdell, is requesting the Board approve the proposed food service meal prices for the 2024-25 school year. 

	Current	Recommended for 2024-25
KG - 8th Grade	$3.15	$3.30
9th - 12th Grade	$3.40	$3.60

Student breakfast price will remain at $2.00 for all students. 
Adult lunch prices will remain at $4.85 and $2.75 for breakfast.

Background:  A study session for Monday, July 29 at 5:30 pm will need to be scheduled per School Board Policy BDB: School Board Study Sessions and Work Retreats.

Background:  The Board will need to select a BHSSC representative and alternate. Terry Koontz served as representative for Black Hills Special Services Co-op and Charlie Wheeler served as alternate. 

Background:  Meade School District has worked in collaboration with West River Mental Health to provide services. The WRMH Family Pathways program is a fee-for-service program which is paid by families utilizing the services. The MOU outlines the terms of the agreements for services provided at all district building locations.

Background:  The Memorandum of Understanding or MOUs for the Sturgis Police Department, Meade County Sheriff’s Department and the Summerset Police Department have been updated and are ready for approval for the 2024-25 school year. 

Background:  For the 2024-25 school year, ABC’s Project SUCCESS coordinator will be placed part-time at Sturgis Williams Middle School and/or Sturgis Brown High School.  Project SUCCESS will provide prevention, intervention services and outpatient services for students.  The MOU is effective from September 1, 2024 to May 30, 2025.  

Background:  The South Dakota Legislature requires school boards in both the receiving school district and the resident school district to approve pick-up/drop-off locations for students within any incorporated municipality.  The Spearfish School District is requesting to continue the current bus stop location on Sherman Street in Whitewood. Meade School District is requesting to continue with five stops within the Rapid City Area School District and to continue with the one stop at Plainview Hall with the Faith School District. 

Background:  The Meade School District Food Service participates in a buying group, RCLDM (Rapid City Lead-Deadwood Meade). RCLDM was able to renew the contract with Cashwa Distributing as the prime food vendor for the 2024-25 school year. Food Service Director, Rhonda Ramsdell recommends approving this contract award.

Background:  This is the First Reading of School Board Policy JFCD: Bullying/Cyber Bullying. District administrators and Policy Committee members recommend rolling current Policy JFCE: Anti-Bullying/Harassment into Policy JFCD as outlined. Policy JFCE will be eliminated.

Background:  The elected Board President will be responsible for making committee assignments. Attached are the standing committees for 2023-24, along with the committee preferences of the 2024-25 board members.

Recommendation to keep committees as currently appointed until new Board Chair has time to align new committees for the August board meeting.

Background:  Board reports are included in your packet. Business Manager, Brett Burditt provided a printout for the Board members of the approved 2024-25 Expenditure Report and Revenue Sources for the district.

Background:  Self evaluation is due to be done annually and will send out form with approval of board 

Background:  ASBSD & SASD Joint Convention will be held Thursday, August 8 and Friday, August 9 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. Registration cost is $205/person with fees increasing to $250/person after Friday, July 12. 

Background:  Open Enrollment and online learning

Evaluations due
1) board self evaluation 
2) superintendent evaluation

Background:  July 22: B&G Committee Meeting (tentative)
July 22: Policy Committee Meeting
TBD: Special Board Meeting (Executive Session)
July 29: Study Session & Work Retreat (tentative)
August 8-9: ASBSD & SASD Convention