On August 6, Kingsland School Board held a monthly work session meeting in the elementary conference room. Board members present included Doug Plaehn, Leah Stier, Jackie Horsman, Tiffany Mundfrom, and Superintendent James Hecimovich, Business Manager Amber Herbrand and Principal Scott Klavetter. Heather Betts and Ann Oeltjen were absent.
Much of the meeting was spent discussing the operating levy amount that the board will need to decide upon. Superintendent Hecimovich called Michael Hoheisel (of Robert W. Baird & Company) to get clarification of some of the numbers he presented regarding various levy amounts, and the taxpayer impact. The board discussed trying to find the right balance of setting the levy low enough so that taxpayers are not overly burdened, but high enough to fund what is needed. Horsman stated that she was surprised to see that, “We’re actually in the lower 25% of the state, with what our tax contribution (levy) is… I agree when Doug said we can do what’s comfortable, but is that really going to ensure our future?”
Amber Herbrand pointed out that, depending on the upcoming election, a new governor could drastically change the amount of funds for education. She was asked to bring financial data on several options for the board to compare at the next board meeting. No action was taken at this time.
Superintendent Hecimovich shared that the district test results are in. He said since they are still embargoed, he cannot publicly share the data, but summarized that it’s “some very good news,” with test scores outperforming Kingsland’s expectations.
Regarding the Longterm Facility Maintenance Indoor Air Quality (LTFM IAQ) planned upgrades, Hecimovich informed the board, “John (Dols) took our Halberg engineers around on the roof. They looked at all the units. So they’re going to start putting the design plans together… and we’d like to start the bidding process somewhere around January… They may end up running pipes on the rooftop, so they don’t have to tear hallways up… so it might be less invasive.” Tiffany Mundfrom brought up that sometimes, engineers can design things that don’t make complete sense to the construction crews, so she suggested being sure the designs are also shared with those who might be doing the work in the “real world.” Hecimovich agreed with this, and added that external piping (for heating and cooling) is becoming much more common.
Hecimovich brought up a proposal for Kingsland to develop a policy on expense reimbursement to cover damages to staff property. He gave a hypothetical example of an angry student grabbing and damaging a teacher’s eyeglasses. He said he’s asked other school districts about this, and the consensus from superintendents is that such reimbursement is simply “the right thing to do.” He suggested possibly setting a yearly max for each employee, such as $400, and reassured the board that this type of reimbursement would likely only happen once or twice per year. Hecimovich will bring some options for the board to consider at the next work session.
Business Manager Amber Herbrand gave a financial update, and it was pointed out that the annual audit will begin Tuesday, August 14. The board discussed the bids that came in for milk and fuel suppliers. Bodean’s was the low bidder on fuel, and Dean Foods was lowest on milk.
The board discussed some delays in the proceedings for selling the Wykoff buildings. It was pointed out that some parcels of land have not ever been updated regarding ownership, so there will be several “loose ends” to tie up before Kingsland can finalize any property sales. One major part of this will be the abatement of asbestos and mercury. Hecimovich said these abatements will be bidded out separately. The next regular board meeting will be Monday, August 20, at 6:30 p.m in the Choir Room. As always, the public is welcome.