Archive for 2016

Sanborn Central School Board proceedings

Unapproved Minutes - April 11, 2016

The School Board of Sanborn Central School District 55-5 met in regular session on Monday, April 11, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. in the Sanborn Central Conference Room with the following present: Dean, Enfield, Olson and Schmit. Others present were Superintendent Whitney, High School Principal Siemsen, Elementary/Middle School Principal Vermeulen and Business Manager Bechen. Absent: Adams.
Pledge of Allegiance.
Motion by Dean, seconded by Enfield, all aye, to approve the agenda as amended. Add Commercial Asphalt with possible action to follow and Brenda Schmit – Parent Advisory Council.
Motion by Schmit, seconded by Dean, all aye, to approve the minutes of the regular board meeting March 14, 2016 as corrected. Imprest fund: T. Kingsbury, hd jh ref 60.00, should read T. Kingsbury, dh jh ref 60.00.
Visitors to board meeting: none.
Motion by Enfield, seconded by Schmit, all aye, to approve the Financial Statement and bills.
General Fund balance, March 1, 2016: $170,180.92. Receipts: taxes $23,813.08, penalties/interest $5.18, interest $3.56, other pupil income $33.83, other local income $370.45, state fines $1,319.05, state aid $33,115.00, admission $105.26, bank franchise $6,387.46, Perkins money $318.00. Expenditures: $144,832.05. Balance, March 31, 2016: $90,819.74. Invested $25,000.00 CorTrust Savings balance, March 1, 2016: $209,584.91. Receipts: interest $78.27. Expenditures: $0.00. Balance, March 31, 2016: $209,663.18.
Capital Outlay Fund balance, March 1, 2016: $944,806.92. Receipts: taxes $12,104.84, penalties/interest $0.76, interest $39.20.  Expenditures: $12,714.33. Balance, March 31, 2016: $944,237.39.
Special Education Fund balance: March 1, 2016 ($17,268.54). Receipts: taxes $483.43, penalties/interest $0.02, interest $7.13, cashed CD $8497.00 principle $200,000.00, CD interest $2,949.93. Expenditures: $20,606.34. Balance, March 31, 2016: $165,565.63. CorTrust Savings balance, March 1, 2016: $1,821.76. Receipts: interest $0.79. Balance, March 31, 2016: $1,822.55.
Pension Fund balance, March 1, 2016: $18,677.05. Receipts: taxes $1,783.62, penalties/interest $0.05, interest $1.02. Expenditures: $0.00. Balance, March 31, 2016: $20,461.74.
Food Service Fund balance, March 1, 2016: ($16.39). Receipts: interest $0.00, student lunches $5,669.69, adult lunches $506.62, lunch certification January/February $274.98, federal lunch reimbursement January/February $8,786.68. Expenditures: $11,061.49. Balance, March 31, 2016: $4,160.09.
Enterprise Fund balance, March 1, 2016: $50.15. Receipts: $600.00. Expenditures: $0.00. Balance, March 31, 2016: $650.15.
Scholarship Fund balance, March 1, 2016: $14,671.03. Receipts: interest $0.68, Nelson contribution $500.00. Expenditures: 0.00. Balance, March 31, 2016: $15,171.71. Peters Scholarship balance: $14,671.71; Nelson Scholarship balance: $500.00.
Trust and Agency Funds balance, March 1, 2016: $46,089.41. Receipts: $5,287.03. Expenditures: $5,769.60. Balance, March 31, 2016: $45,606.84.
Salaries and benefits for the month of April, 2016 were as follows:
General Fund: $133,622.68;
Special Education: $18,225.32;
Food Service: $7,511.00.
Claims approved:
GENERAL FUND – A & B Business, copies $91.31; A&M Products Co., extra girls basketball trophy $229.00; A-Ox Welding, cylinder rent $28.86; Asociated School Boards of SD, bargaining workshop registration $100.00; Brooklyn Publishers, high school play scripts $110.00, royalty fee $130.00; Builders Supply Company, janitor supply $4,487.80; Burnison Plumbing, Heating, & Cooling, boiler repair $2,367.87; Card Services, testing snacks $50.01; CarQuest, bus supplies $593.46; Clayton’s Repair, bus repairs $1,120.28; Crossroads Hotel, girls basketball State B rooms $2,368.57; Dakota Recognition, honor cords $80.55; Eternal Security Products, labor $66.33; Heartland, Paper, janitor supply $159.81; Honda of Mitchell, ATV supply $51.52;
[IMPREST FUND: Gayle Bechen, half girls basketball state meal money $982.50; Sam’s Club, awards banquet Supply $34.02, bus supply $11.48, office supply $8.98; Austin Schroeder, senior project judge $75.00; SDASSP, conference registration Vermeulen & Siemsen $200.00; Lydia Ymker, senior project judge $75.00];
Josten’s, medals $52.04; Tim McCain, conference meals $52.00; Menards, high school supply $13.99, janitor supply $21.95, bus supply $24.99; Premier Implement, bus supply $445.10; Prostrollo Motor Sales, car service $644.63; Quill, ink cartridges/paper $720.82; Ramkota Hotel, AD conference room $189.98; Ramkota Inn, high school principal room $111.99; Sanborn Weekly Journal, audit/board proceedings $184.48, library renewal $40.00; SASD, leadership conference registration $160.00; SD Department of Health, nurse services $506.00; SDHSAA, extra girls basketball medals $23.25, 2015-16 rule books $36.00; Sturdevant’s Auto Parts, bus supply $28.32; Sun Gold Sports, girls basketball engrave plates $112.00; Visa, air cards $120.03, middle school English workbook $16.00, middle school English textbook $40.94; Wheelco, bus auto transmission/core return $2,497.17, park brakes $88.88.
CAPITAL OUTLAY Fund — A&B Business, copier rent one month $782.62; Brooks Oil, diesel $1,663.80, unleaded gas $2,575.70; Eternal Security Product, security equipment $2,040.15; Farmers Alliance, propane $787.58; Puetz Corporation, conference room chairs $2,016.00; Santel Communications, telephone/internet service $237.89; VISA, middle school social studies textbooks $446.18.
SPECIAL EDUCATION Fund – Huron School District, February tuition $557.40; Kelly McClane, overnight conference meal $8.49; Paula Sanderson, overnight conference meal $15.00.
FOOD SERVICE Fund – Card Services, food $124.13; Darrington Water Conditioning, social studies tank $24.00; Dean Foods, milk $554.75; Earthgrains, bread $85.44; Reinhart Foodservice, food $3,390.74, supply $109.16; School Nutrition Association, national/state dues – Luthi $38.50; Tessiers, oven repair $789.23.
Mrs. Whitney reported on the following:
•    Graduation, spring concert, and Award’s Night dates;
•    Rooms are booked for this summer’s ASBSD/SASD Convention August 3-5 in Sioux Falls; and
•    The old south side bleachers will be taken out, new ones installed, and new decking put on the existing bleachers beginning the week of April 18.
Mrs. Vermeulen reported on the following:
•    Children’s Theatre will be held the first week of May;
•    The entire Middle School will be taking a field trip to Lake Sharpe to tour the powerhouse and then travel to Wessington Springs to tour a wind farm paid for by a grant that Mrs. Farmer received;
•    Dakota STEP science testing has been completed;
•    Smarter Balanced testing should be done by the end of April;
•    Extra help day on April 29; and
•    Ms. Larson received a Donor’s Choose grant for $500.00, which was spent on balls and games for playing outside on the playground.
Mr. Siemsen reported on the following:
•    Track and golf have begun;
•    Prom was held on April 2;
•    Freshmen attended the Freshman Impact Program in Wessington Springs on April 7;
•    Attended the ASBSD Collective Bargaining workshop in Chamberlain;
•    Attended Principal’s Conference in Huron; and
•    upcoming May events.
The board discussed putting asphalt on more area in the Common’s parking area to help with the sand that comes into the building, especially the gym, when we have activities. With oil prices at an all-time, low the board felt now is the time to begin the process of paving more of the area. Commercial Asphalt provided a quote for the area the board is looking at finishing. This will make a parking lot in the area east of the Commons/new addition and south of the high school wing of the school. It is in future plans to continue to pave areas as money is available to help with the sand problem.
Brenda Schmit gave the board an update on her recent SD Department of Education Parent Advisory Council meeting.
Old Business: None.
New Business:
Motion by Schmit, seconded by Dean, all aye, to approve entering into the Paragon Ridge Perkins Grant Consortium. Member schools include Armour, Corsica/Stickney, Platte/Geddes, Kimball, Plankinton, Sanborn Central, Wessington Springs, White Lake, and Woonsocket.
Motion by Enfield, seconded by Schmit, all aye, to approve extended school year SPED contract for Jeannette Knigge for this summer for the specified number of hours according to student’s Individual Education Plan at the rate of $20.00 per hour.
Motion by Dean, seconded by Enfield, all aye, to approve the resolution to join the South Dakota High School Activities Association.
Motion by Schmit, seconded by Enfield, all aye, to approve the resignation of Tracy Moody as Co-Prom advisor and Corey Flatten as seventh/eighth grade boys basketball coach, effective at the end of this school year.
Motion by Dean, seconded by Schmit, all aye, to approve entering into a cooperative agreement with Woonsocket for the sport of Cross Country effective the 2016-17 school year.
Motion by Dean, seconded by Enfield, all aye, to approve the quote from Commercial Asphalt to pave more of the commons parking lot with a four inch mat 1,285 square yards for $29,426.50.
Motion by Enfield, seconded by Schmit, all aye, to go into executive sessions SDCL 1-25-2(4) for negotiations at 5:53 p.m. Regular session resumed at 6:43 p.m.
The next regular Board meeting will be held on Monday, May 9, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. in the Sanborn Central School Conference Room.
Motion by Schmit, seconded by Enfield, all aye, to adjourn the meeting at 6:44 p.m.
Gayle Bechen
Business Manager
Troy Olson
Board Chair

Woonsocket School Board proceedings

UNAPPROVED MINUTES – REGULAR MEETING APRIL 12, 2016

The Woonsocket Board of Education met in regular session on April 12th, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the library/media center of the Woonsocket School.  The meeting was rescheduled to Tuesday, April 12th due to a Board member conflict.  Members attending were:  Todd Olinger, Jason White, Gary Steichen, Lisa Snedeker, and Darrin Uttecht. Others attending were Superintendent Rod Weber, Paula Lynch,  Chris Selland, Dayna Rodriguez, Evan Hendershot from the Daily Republic, and Drae Styles-Blew, McKenzy Peterson and Mason Dise, who were in attendance as a government class assignment. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited and the meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.
On a motion by Todd Olinger, seconded by Gary Steichen, the Board approved the meeting agenda as presented. Motion carried.
The minutes of the regular board meeting held on March 14th, 2016 were approved as presented on a motion by Lisa Snedeker, seconded by Darrin Uttecht.  Motion carried.
Government student McKenzy Peterson addressed the Board inquiring how long each member had served.
On a motion by Gary Steichen, seconded by Todd Olinger, the Board approved the claims presented and the March 2016 financial report as follows. Motion carried.
GENERAL FUND Beginning balance: $1,059,807.65; Add receipts: Taxes $25,112.29; Interest $432.17; Other local: $273.65;  State $68,515.33; Federal $0.00; Total to be accounted for:  $1,154,141.09;  less disbursements, $154,414.09; Cash Balance: $999,727.00.
CAPITAL OUTLAY Beginning balance: $627,615.97; Add receipts: Taxes $17,079.54; Other local: 0.00; Federal $0.00. Total to be accounted for:  $644,695.51;  less disbursements, $926.09;   Cash balance: $643,769.42.
SPECIAL EDUCATION  Beginning balance: $355,444.49; Add receipts: Taxes $8,588.93; Other Local:  $0.00;  State $0.00; Federal $0.00; Total to be accounted for: $364,033.42; less disbursements, $14,006.43; Cash balance: $350,026.99.
PENSION Beginning balance:  $205,721.42; Add receipts:  Taxes $2,555.80; Other Local: $0.00; Total to be accounted for: $208,277.22; less disbursements, $0.00; Cash balance: $208,277.22.
FOOD SERVICE Beginning balance: $27,222.68; Add receipts:  Pupil receipts $7,472.55; Adult receipts $317.00; Interest $1.25; Other local: $202.90; State $0.00; Federal reimbursement $5,719.40; Total to be accounted for: $40,935.78; less disbursements, $10,094.74; Cash  balance: $30,841.04.
ENTERPRISE FUND #53  Beginning balance: $26,703.85;  Add receipts: Other local: $1,214.00;   Total to be accounted for: $27,917.85; less disbursements, $3,929.72; Cash balance:  $23,988.13.
TRUST AND AGENCY  Beginning balance: $35,597.05; Add receipts: Interest $1.50; Pupil activities $6,235.60; Total to be accounted for: $41,834.15; less disbursements, $3,757.55; Cash balance: $38,076.60.
Salaries and benefits for the month of March 2016 were as follows:
General Fund:   $127,375.78
Special Education:  $10,680.67
Enterprise #53:   $3,929.72
Food Service:  $5,171.74
GENERAL FUND
AT&T, Cellphone $58.13
Brown & Saenger    Printer, Cartridges-Library $38.98
Burnison Plumbing & Heating, Plumbing – Parts/Service Call $2,579.87
Dakota Recognition/Jostens, NHS Medallions $107.40
Davis, Bernie, Reimburse – Microphones/Drama $317.97
Express 2, Gas – Vehicles/Mini-Bus $255.78
Express Stop, Gas – Vehicles/Mini-Bus $90.59
Gross, Shane, Reimburse – Gas – Meat Contest $30.75
Hauff Mid-America Sports Inc., Chenille Letters $410.20
Healy Awards, Weight Room Record Board $200.00
Heil Electric, Ballasts $119.84
Hillyard    Custodian, Supplies/Floor Machine Repairs $1,088.16
[Imprest Fund:
US Post Office, Postage Expense $147.00
Total March Imprest Claims: $147.00]
Juffer Inc., Taurus Endorsement $340.00
K & D Busing Inc.,  Bus-Reg/Co-Curr. Routes $12,830.63
KO’s Pro Service, Tires – Mini Bus/Yukon $1,074.60
Menards, Shop Supplies $42.41
Northwestern Public Service, Electric Service $3,676.83
Petty Cash, Postage Expense $16.60
Quill Corporation, High School Supplies $89.02
Readers Den, Library/English Books $34.38
Rew’s TV & Appliance, Filter $44.99
Sanborn Weekly Journal, Publications $371.03
Santel Communications, Phone/Cable/Internet $283.46
Schmiedt, Darin, Reimburse – Background Check $43.25
SD Department of Health, State Nurse Contract $440.00
SD High School Activities Association, Rulebooks $52.00
Tech Solutions, Service Call $80.00
Upstart, Summer Reading Prizes $69.19
VanDenHemel, James, Reimburse Batteries $105.99
Waste Management of WI-MN, Garbage Service $554.41
Woony Foods, Supplies $160.76
Fund Total: $25,754.22
CAPITAL OUTLAY
A&B Business Equipment, Copier Lease $926.09
Pearson Education, Drivers Ed Texts/Materials – Split with Sanborn Central $2,531.18
Wordware, Annual Maintenance Fee – Food Service $1,065.00
Fund Total: $4,522.27
SPECIAL EDUCATION
Avera St. Lukes, Client Services $634.32
Career Connections, Job Development Skills Training $128.87
Parent/Guardian, Parent/Guardian Mileage $318.20
Palace Transit, Student Transportation $104.00
Fund Total: $1,185.39
ENTERPRISE FUND #53
South Dakota Early Childhood Education, Pre-K Conference $180.00
Fund Total: $180.00
FOOD SERVICE
Buhls Dry Cleaning, Laundry Service $7.70
Earthgrains Company, Food $188.02
Variety Food, Food, Supplies and Dishwasher Rent $5,346.99
Woony Foods, Supplies $17.86
Fund Total: $5,560.57
Chris Selland gave the financial report and advised that group health insurance rates went up for our district five percent, with the range being from five percent to 19 percent within the pool. The consensus among the staff was to stay in the fully-funded pool for the next year and increase the deductible to $1,500.00 to help offset the increase. The district will contribute the same amount next year as this year as per the negotiated agreement.
The new state funding model was discussed with some verification received from the state as per the many questions regarding the formula. The SEC filing requirement information for the Capital Outlay certificates has been sent to Dougherty and Co. and will be submitted shortly via the EMMA federal system.
Superintendent Weber updated the Board on the plans to change the shared contract for Ag next year with Mr. Gross, as he will be at Sanborn Central. We will renegotiate the split in his contract, and plans are being made to adjust the schedule accordingly.
Superintendent Weber also advised that Prom plans are underway, and that track and golf are underway and going well with 30 Woonsocket students out for track and 17 total from both schools for golf.
The theatre project is being planned with approximately $86,000.00 raised/committed at this time. The community is thanked for this great fundraising effort. Thanks go out also to the Boosters for their contribution of $412.00, which was most of the cost of the new weight room records whiteboard with Blackhawk logo that has been installed in the weight room.
Plans are also being developed to move the Pre-K classroom into the elementary building and relocate the industrial arts classroom so that it is combined with the shop into one area. The shot clock and football were also discussed.
Principal Lynch advised that the field trips for the elementary students have been planned, with some having been completed already and that testing is going well.
On a motion by Lisa Snedeker, seconded by Todd Olinger, the Board approved the resolution for authorization of the Woonsocket School’s membership to the SDHSAA for the 2016-2017 year.  Motion carried.
Motion was made by Darrin Uttecht, seconded by Gary Steichen, to approve extra-instruction stipends of  $500.00 for second semester as per the negotiated agreement for the following teachers:  Craig Lieber, Dayna Rodriguez, Lynn Klaas and Mitch Korbel.  Motion carried.
Motion was made by Gary Steichen, with a second by Lisa Snedeker, to approve a Cross-Country Co-op program with Sanborn Central and submit an application for such to the SDHSAA. Currently, only the Woonsocket School has a Cross-Country program.  It is hoped that co-oping the program will involve more students and allow the program to field a cross-country team, as opposed to just individual competitors.  Motion carried.
Motion was made by Darrin Uttecht and seconded by Lisa Snedeker, to approve the WEA negotiated agreement for 2016-2017.  The package will increase average teacher salaries in the district by close to $5,000.00, and most extra-duty assignments will see an increase of $300.00 across the board.  Motion carried.
Motion was made by Todd Olinger to move the May regular board meeting from May 9th to May 10th (7:00 p.m.) due to the awards banquet being scheduled for May 9th.  The motion was seconded by Gary Steichen, and the motion was carried.
Motion was made by Gary Steichen, with a second by Darrin Uttecht, to approve Mitch Korbel as fifth/sixth Boy’s Basketball Coach for 2016-2017.  This extra-duty assignment was inadvertently left off of the list approved at the March  meeting.  Motion carried.
There being no further business to come before the Board, the April 12th, 2016 regular board meeting of the Woonsocket Board of Education was adjourned at 7:35 p.m. on a motion by Gary Steichen, with a second by Todd Olinger. Motion carried.
JASON WHITE
Chair
CRYSTAL A. SELLAND
Business Manager

The Way We Were – 1967-70

Part Thirty-seven by Warren Thomas

While it was true that the Forestburg School Board supported my upholding their dress code policy, (discussed earlier) and while officially the issue was closed, for me it really wasn’t. The real conclusion came about quite a bit later and over time.
I seldom saw “Ralph,” father of the two high school girls highlighting my two previous stories. I seldom, if ever, saw him to visit with him, that is. However, in a day or two after the board meeting, I was suddenly aware that I actually did see him every week, if only as we met regularly on 408 Avenue. On a weekly basis, he drove the Sanborn County road maintainer past our house; he, out early in the morning, and I, just heading down the road to school. No big deal, one might say, with Ralph in his road grader and I in my car. After all, vehicles meet a thousand times a day on a thousand roads, the drivers paying no attention to each other as they meet or pass.
There was one small detail, however, around which my mind revolved. In typical friendly, rural South Dakota fashion, Ralph and I for years had shared a customary bit of commaradarie – a mutual wave of the hand, signaling friendly recognition by two men working in the public sector for the common good. What should, would or could happen to that easy hand waving, now that I had a significant part in bringing an angry Ralph to a school board meeting?
Pondering what for many would be a non-issue, I realized two or three things. First, in any situation a human being has a choice of acting or reacting. Second, actions have consequences. Third, my life-long choices had been predicated by the philosophy that a Christian often marches to the beat of a different drummer. Jesus Christ did (and it got Him killed), and His followers do, too, (all the while hoping not to get killed!) I really had no axe to grind with Ralph. I had had no previous negative interactions during our several years living within 10 or 12 miles. In the school board meeting he had not personally attacked me, only the board dress code which I was enforcing. But we had been hand-waving acquaintances whose relatively distant friendship might now be in danger.
From my way of looking at life, it was not a big decision – I would continue to wave to Ralph the next Monday morning as he came from the south on his weekly run. Turning from my driveway one morning onto 408 Ave., I saw the yellow top of his road grader approaching. As we met, and with my resolve still in place, I lifted my hand in customary greeting in the few seconds of our passing. What happened was what I expected might happen – nothing. I glimpsed both hands resolutely fixed on the steering wheel. In his mind, we were no longer friends. He was hearing the beat of a different drummer.
During the second post-board-meeting week, we met again. The roar of the grader engine did not obscure his two hands fixed on the steering wheel as I offered my morning greeting. I was not surprised. Anger does not die quickly. But it was during our third-week meeting (we seemed to have the same schedule!) I saw a brief crack in the armor of his rejection. In the smallest of ways, Ralph removed one hand from the steering wheel and weakly raised it in a small gesture. The next week his response was more noticeable, and after that our momentary social courtesies were back to normal. By refusing to act like an adversary, I had regained a friend, if only through my car windshield. An old proverb says, “A soft answer turns away wrath,” a timeless truth which benefited both Ralph and me.
Time passed, several months of it. I called “Ray,” Ralph’s son-in-law, for some help with a water well problem. Ray did a lot of capable, experienced work in the water, electrical and digging business in the area. When he emerged from his truck, another person exited from the passenger side. In my surprise, I recognized that never before in my memory had Ralph set foot on my property. But there he was, the former angry dad of the almost-forgotten Forestburg dress code scenario. But it was not difficult to greet him in person, and we had our first-man-to-man conversation since the night of the board meeting as Ray took care of my well problem. I didn’t know what Ralph was thinking but judging by his voluntary presence and his casual attitude, by-gones were in fact gone by.
Naturally, neither of us brought up the board meeting situation and before the men left, Ray commented that he had seen an old Chevy parked back in the trees. “How much do you want for it?” he asked. “Nothing,” I replied, “It’s just junk to me. In fact, when it’s handy for you to pick it up, just take it away. I may be in school but go back there and haul it off.” I soon forgot about their visit, the old Chevy, and the school dress code. Weeks passed, maybe months. One day I was back in those trees and saw the bare spot where the car had stood for many years. My friend had done what I said he could do.
That incident set me to thinking. Difficult situations often arise with no warning. We choose our responses, it’s quite easy to be poised and pious on Sunday morning. It seemed to me that for what I believe to appear believable, then on Monday what I do and say ought to reflect the spirit of the One I say I follow. I hope that came through to Ralph, the man they laid to rest before I could see him again.
“Ruby,” “Rachel,” “Roseann,” “Ralph” and “Ray –  a Forestburg family forever etched in my memory bank of educational experiences. I could mention that Rachel is still around. She sends me a bill every time Ray does work for me!

 

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