Fillmore Central Practices Accommodate Extreme Heat

At the August 22 Fillmore Central School Board meeting, Superintendent Heath Olstad updated the board on the fall sports season. It is well underway with practices and scrimmages. Games and meets will start soon for football, volleyball, cheerleading and cross country. With the heat this week, coaches have been carefully following a chart that gives strict guidelines to ensure students’ safety. Football practices have also been condensed and temporarily moved to an earlier time.

The claims were reviewed, and a sizeable charge for Really Great Reading Curriculum was noted. Heath commented that the teachers had used it last year in addition to the Action 100 curriculum and had really liked it. They feel that continuing to use both programs will further support students’ reading abilities. The claims were approved.

Several of the open teacher positions at the high school have been filled, and Superintendent Olstad is continuing to conduct interviews for all open positions at both buildings while gearing up for the school year to start. “It’s hard to believe we’re already walking through that door again,” he commented.

Resignations were accepted from SAC employee Alyssa Britton and paraprofessional Tatum Whalen. Brady Ristau was hired as the high school ag/vocational teacher, Tracy Knutson as the high school English teacher and junior high Knowledge Bowl coach, and Connie Lindstrom as an elementary teacher and long-term sub. Jolene Cannon, Ava Christopherson and Naomi Colsch were all hired as SPED paraprofessionals. Samantha Stevens and Felicity Lewandowski were approved as volunteer cheerleading coaches. The non-certified staff assignments for 2023-24 were approved.

Two contracts with Hiawatha Valley Education District or HVED, were approved for an audiologist and  for physically impaired and traumatic brain injury services.

The second reading of the board policies was approved with no changes. The board reviewed the first reading of the mentoring handbook. The handbook will be used be used for guidance in mentoring situations where an experienced teacher is mentoring a new teacher at Fillmore Central. Board member Sue Sikkink noted that the salary is listed in the handbook, but as that is part of negotiations, it should be replaced with a reference to the teachers’ master agreement instead. The first reading was approved with the changed noted.

A resolution establishing the location for absentee voting during a special election was approved, with the special election referring to when the vote is taken for revoking the current district referendum and replacing it with the new one.

A donation from Krage Insurance for a scoreboard and control panel for the high school stage gym was discussed. The donation is contingent on the school agreeing to place an advertising banner in the gyms for five years. It was noted that the school does not currently have a policy in place for that type of advertising. Olstad will check with the policy committee to see about adding one. The donation was approved with a banner to be placed in the stage gym and a slide to be added to the slideshow in the big gym. “Thanks to Krage Insurance for donating that,” Craig Britton said.

A PSEO contract with RCTC was approved. It was noted that a number of students are taking advantage of the option to earn PSEO college credits.

The school has a maintenance contract that requires the company to come out once a year and walk the roofs at both the elementary and high school buildings. During this year’s inspection, areas of priority were identified in categories A, B, and C. The priority A areas on both buildings need to be addressed. Quotes for $12,396 at the elementary building and $26,687 at the high school building were both approved. Several board members asked if it would be more efficient to take care of the priority B areas at the same time. Olstad will look into that and obtain quotes for the board to review.

A quote to install new partitions in some of the boys and girls bathrooms at the high school was approved.

Several open enrollment requests were approved.

The December board meeting will fall on December 26 this year. The board agreed to move it to December 19. The Truth in Taxation meeting will take place at 6:01 p.m., before the December meeting. The next Fillmore Central School Board meeting will be on September 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the Harmony meeting room.