The Camanche School District’s Board of Education met on Monday, March 20th. Please note that these are not the official minutes. The official Agendas and Minutes from the Camanche Community School District school board are available and posted on our school district website (camanche.k12.ia.us).
Items to highlight from this school board meeting would include:
- The Board approved the upcoming retirements of Kelly Everhart, Dave Grim, Gail Grim, Laura Johnson, Trina Mink, Julie Reed, Stacey Reppert, and Denise Vandendooren effective at the end of the current school year. The Board thanked these teachers for their years spent teaching Camanche students and for their many years of service to the school district. We wish them all of the best in their retirement.
- Superintendent Parker presented the staffing plan for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year to the school board. The Board will review this information and look to act on it during the special meeting on April 12th.
- Business Director Aude presented the Board with the 2023-2024 Budget Estimate. The proposed tax rate would be $16.82 per $1000 of taxable valuation. The Board set April 12, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. as the date and time for the public hearing for the proposed budget and for Board action approving the proposed budget.
- The Board passed a resolution to participate in the Budget Guarantee for the 2023-2024 school year, if needed. At this time, it is not projected that this will be necessary, but the Board had to act upon this at this time to meet state guidelines.
- The Board approve entering into an agreement with Municipal Collections of America (MCOA) to address receiving unpaid fees/fines by using the Iowa Offset Program.
- Principals Dohse and Shaffer provided the Board with updates regarding topics of interest that included many of the positive achievements of the school district’s students and staff.
- A representative from Estes Construction, the district’s construction manager, provided the school board with an update about the ongoing Facilities Enhancement Project. The panels for both the auditorium/theatre and gym/wellness area have been installed the past few weeks and the project’s contractors will soon be able to focus on indoor work in these areas.
- Superintendent Parker informed the Board that the four-year graduation rate for 2021-2022 was 96.6%. This follows a multi-year trend of improving graduation rates and is the highest level Camanche has achieved since this data has been collected. This percentage is higher than the Iowa state average. Mr. Parker thanked the school staff whose efforts have made this possible and the school board that, through the years, has provided the necessary resources to make this possible.
- The Board approved renewing the sharing agreement with the Clinton School District to provide the Gateway Learning Center as an alternative school program for students needing the support of a nontraditional school setting. Superintendent Parker pointed out that this school has had a positive impact upon the district’s graduation rate.
- Drama/Speech Sponsor, Bill Myatt presented a proposed trip for Camanche students to New York City. This trip would take place next spring. Mr. Myatt presented a sample itinerary and presented ideas that would help students in raising the funds to make this trip possible. The Board plans to act on this proposal at next month’s meeting.
- Family Resource Center Coordinator, Janeen Reuter, presented the Board with information regarding initiatives used to promote student attendance. Mrs. Reuter was joined by County Attorney Mike Wolf and the county’s Truancy Coordinator, Kristin Samuelson, who presented information regarding how their office supports and works with the school district in addressing student attendance. The Board thanked County Attorney Wolf and his office for all of their general support of the school district and specifically with student attendance.
- The Board approved renewing the contract with CAS to provide before and after school child care at the elementary school. This partnership has been in place for decades and provides this needed service to the children and families in Camanche.
- The Board approved renewing the agreement with Clinton County Emergency Management for using school facilities if the community was dealing with a significant community disaster situation.
- The Board approved renewing the district’s agreement with the Natural Gas Program Participation Pool which locks in the price of natural gas used by the school district during the upcoming year. Superintendent Parker noted that this is of direct benefit when heating the high school. Both the elementary school and the middle school use geothermal climate control which is a very efficient method of controlling building temperatures without using natural gas.
- The Board approved renewing the agreement with Clinton Community College and the Northeast School District to provide our students with a Career and College Counselor. This counselor works with students who are in the process of deciding their career or educational path following high school.
As is usually the case, the school board completed the meeting by approving administrative recommendations regarding personnel