Regular Board Meeting
The July 22, 2024 packet includes personnel recommendations, enrollment information, a proposed facilities master-planning and bond-support agreement, and a three-year driver's education contract. These materials describe items presented for board consideration or information; they do not establish that the board ultimately approved or acted on them.
Key Items on the Agenda
Facilities Master Planning and Bond Referendum Support
The packet includes a July 18 proposal from OPN Architects for Master Planning and Pre-Bond Support. The proposal describes work intended to help Northeast Community School District assess facilities, establish priorities with community input, develop a recommended facilities plan, and prepare for a potential bond referendum.
The proposed scope includes:
- Facility-condition assessments of the district's two attendance centers by OPN, Design Engineers, and Hall & Hall Engineers. ICAT, under a separate district contract, is also expected to provide assessment information.
- Formation of a Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC).
- A community open house and stakeholder input from students and staff.
- Four on-site FAC meetings to identify facility priorities, develop concepts, consider costs provided by ICAT, and work toward a recommended plan.
- Presentation of the FAC's recommendation to the school board.
- Communications support throughout the planning process.
- If the process advances toward a bond vote, graphics, mailers, handouts, voting information, plan highlights, tax-impact information, FAQs, press releases, social-media and website content, and support for up to two additional community open houses.
OPN proposes a $59,000 lump-sum fee for the master-planning and pre-bond support services, including five on-site meetings; other meetings would be virtual. Reimbursable expenses such as printing, shipping, document reproduction and mileage would be additional.
The proposal lays out a preliminary schedule extending into 2025:
- August 2024: Steering Committee kickoff and facility assessments.
- September 2024–January 2025: Facilities Advisory Committee meetings.
- March 2025: FAC presentation to the board.
- April/May 2025: Board call for an election contemplated in the proposal.
- May–November 2025: Bond support associated with a potential November vote.
The timeline represents the consultant's proposed planning sequence rather than a completed district decision to hold a bond election.
Driver's Education Contract
The packet contains a proposed independent-contractor agreement between the district and Reuter Way Driving School LLC for driver's education. The agreement is dated July 22, 2024 and covers the 2024-2025, 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years, including summers.
Under the proposed agreement:
- Reuter Way would provide properly certified classroom and in-car instructors and maintain the vehicles used for driving instruction.
- Instructors would undergo background checks, and Reuter Way would maintain specified liability and automobile insurance.
- The district would provide classroom space and basic facilities when classes are conducted in person.
- The agreement contains a non-compete provision under which the district would not hire another driver's education instructor or independent contractor for the same purpose while the contract is in effect.
- Reuter Way would collect tuition and coordinate with the district regarding students eligible for free or reduced tuition.
For 2024-2025, tuition is set at $350. Students eligible for reduced tuition would be charged 40% of that amount, or $140, with the district responsible for the remaining amount. For students qualifying for free tuition, the district would be responsible for the full $350 fee.
The contract allows tuition to be adjusted in later years based on factors including vehicle expenses, fuel, insurance and instructor wages, while stating that any annual increase would remain below $10.
Personnel Recommendations
The July 22 personnel report contains multiple recommendations for board consideration for the 2024-2025 school year:
- Jered Birt: Move from MA Step 20 at $61,885.15 to MA+8 Step 20 at $62,958.30.
- Brittany Belles: Elementary Behavior Interventionist at $17.59 per hour, Step 2 of the Associate–Behavior Interventionist salary schedule.
- Ann Green: Transition Alliance Program (TAP) Specialist at $50,000 annually, with an August 14, 2024 start date.
- Nicole Soesbe: High School Student Council Advisor at $868.67, equal to 3% of the $28,955.58 Schedule B base.
- Craig Anderson: Middle School Football Coach at $2,026.89, equal to 7% of the $28,955.58 Schedule B base.
- Marianne Langrehr: MSHS Special Education Associate at $14.34 per hour, Step 2 of the associate salary schedule.
- Samantha Farrell: 1st Grade Teacher at $47,500, BA Step 5 on the 2024-2025 salary schedule.
- Cindy Ploog: MSHS Special Education Associate at $15.34 per hour, reflecting Step 2 of the associate salary schedule plus $1.00 for para certification.
- Courtney McNeil: Resignation as 1st Grade Teacher, with the recommendation stating it is pending finding a suitable replacement.
- Eric Jennings: Resignation as 7th & 8th Grade Science Teacher, also pending finding a suitable replacement.
These are presented in the packet as recommendations to approve, not as completed personnel actions.
The packet's 2024-2025 Open Enrollment Report identifies students entering Northeast from neighboring districts:
- 6 students open enrolled in from Clinton, spanning kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 6th and 11th grades.
- 2 students open enrolled in from Delwood, in 1st and 5th grades.
- 4 additional students from Clinton, identified as previously being from Easton Valley before the family moved, in 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 10th grades.
The report is informational and describes incoming enrollment reflected in the packet.
Major Financial Items
Several agenda materials carry direct or potential financial implications:
- The OPN Architects facilities planning and pre-bond proposal carries a $59,000 lump-sum professional-services fee, plus reimbursable expenses.
- The driver's education agreement establishes $350 tuition for 2024-2025, with district financial responsibility for qualifying free- and reduced-tuition students.
- Personnel recommendations include new or revised salaries, hourly rates and supplemental-contract payments for the 2024-2025 school year.
- The facilities-planning proposal could lead to development of a larger capital plan and potential bond referendum, but the packet does not establish a final project scope, construction cost or referendum amount.
What to Watch at the Meeting
The packet places several consequential questions before the board or within the district's upcoming planning process:
- Whether to proceed with OPN Architects' $59,000 master-planning and pre-bond support proposal and the proposed facilities-planning timeline.
- How the district will structure community participation through the Facilities Advisory Committee, open houses and student/staff input.
- Whether to enter the proposed three-year driver's education agreement with Reuter Way Driving School LLC and its tuition and district-payment provisions.
- Board consideration of the personnel recommendations, including new hires, salary placement changes and two resignations contingent on suitable replacements.
- How the facilities process develops before any potential decision to call a bond election; the consultant's schedule anticipates substantial assessment and community-planning work before that point.
