The Kingsland School Board held a monthly “work session” meeting on February 4, with all members present (Board Chair Jackie Horsman, Kyle Rader, Maranda Emig, Natasha Howard, Tiffany Mundfrom, Leah Stier, student board member Zachary Queensland, and Superintendent James Hecimovich). As usual, no formal action is taken on most items during a work session meeting. Items will be brought forward at the regular board meeting for action.
A large portion of the meeting was spent discussing the Operating Levy that Kingsland will put to voters in November. Mike Hoheisel (Baird financial group) participated via phone to share his financial recommendations. He and Superintendent Hecimovich showed the board various levy options, and the resulting impacts on taxpayers, as well as the resulting revenues for Kingsland. Hecimovich shared that if nothing changes, Kingsland would soon go into Statutory Operating Debt, a status in which the state steps in to control many of the financial decisions.
The board discussed the pros and cons of a multiple question ballot measure, versus a single question. Horsman said she believes a single question is best, to avoid any miscommunication or confusion. Hoheisel summarized that if Kingsland goes for a total per-student amount of $1,042, it would place Kingsland as the 57th highest per-student revenue in the state. He added that currently, Kingsland ranks 157th on that list.
Regarding the long struggle to get funding to cover costs, Horsman summarized, “This is it. This is the last ditch effort.” No decisions were reached on this issue, but the board will bring it up at the next meeting.
Hecimovich brought up the ongoing plans to donate property to the city of Wykoff, and said there was perhaps a misunderstanding about who would pay the surveying cost. He stated his opinion that if Kingsland is donating any property, the recipient should pay the surveying cost. But he said it’s up to the board to decide. He said the Wykoff council will meet next week, and he suggested waiting to see what they decide about paying the surveying bill. Kingsland could then decide whether to donate, or to consider selling the property.
The board heard from two senior students, Rachel Hanson and Ben, discussing their preliminary plans for a senior trip to Chicago. They gave a cost estimate, and described the behavioral expectations that would apply to all participants. The trip is tentatively planned for the first weekend in April, and fundraising has been ongoing. Hanson said the seniors are applying for a grant to help defray the cost of some activities and attractions. She estimated that 11 hotel rooms will be needed. An informational meeting is planned for late February, to inform students and parents of details about the trip. Board members thanked them for presenting, and praised their thorough preparations.
The board heard from Superintendent Hecimovich regarding the calendar for Kingsland’s 2019-2020 school year. Hecimovich summarized that it will most likely look a great deal like the current calendar. He added that as Kingsland becomes more involved in the SMEC consortium, it will become more efficient to have a school calendar that closely matches what the other schools in the consortium have. He stated the preliminary calendar has 175 student days, 183 teacher days, and five flex days. He also stressed, “And again, this is just a draft.”
Hecimovich informed the board that the list of courses for 2019-2020 shows no changes from the current year. He did mention that some CIS classes may be in jeopardy if not enough students qualify to take the courses, based on assessments.
Near the end of the meeting, the board switched into a “closed meeting” format for a Negotiating Strategy Discussion. The next regular board meeting will be Wednesday, February 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Choir Room. As always, the public is welcome at all open meetings.
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