Daily Reporter Staff

Spencer school board members ratified 2008-09 settlements and contracts, approved adding a handful of positions, authorized the purchase of a new student information system and approved several infrastructure measures Friday.

The total support staff package approved includes a 3.82 percent, or $102,233, increase, which compares to a 4.06 percent settlement reached last year. The settlement includes a $250 insurance and a 30 cent per-hour increase. Bus drivers will receive a $1 per-hour increase, and bus drivers who drive activity routes will receive a 50 cent per-hour increase. The district's food service workers will receive an extra 10 cents per-hour for certification, as well as time-and-a-half pay for non-school activity work. In addition, all employees will be offered lifetime disability insurance at their expense and union members will be allowed to use district e-mail in order to set up union meetings.

Regarding the 2008-09 teacher contract, Superintendent Greg Ebeling told board members he did not have anything to ratify yet. While he said he'd had a "good meeting" with Spencer Education Association representatives prior to yesterday's board meeting, he also indicated a proposal is expected to be placed in front of teachers for their approval by Tuesday.

"It is lower than the teachers would like," Ebeling intimated. "But, we're not going to put out the details yet because we want the teachers to ratify that and not read the details in the paper. The state average right now is about 4.55 (percent), and that is with an average of no, actually negative, new money. So, the average of new money across the state is actually in a negative position. Our new money is 2.7 percent, so we are above the state average in new money. And, with this settlement, we're anticipating it is less than the teachers would like because it would be less than the state average."

The superintendent continued, "The teachers really want to see the district heal back. They don't want to see us go to arbitration and they don't want to have anymore divisiveness than we have to have. So, I think they see it as they are trying to be reasonable and trying to say, 'OK, we need to settle,' and not create anymore conflict. I really appreciate that. And, I appreciate that we've continued to be able to keep on negotiating; because we went through mediation, and the next step after mediation is arbitration -- but we continued to bargain after mediation. So, I think we'll get there. And, hopefully the teachers will ratify the proposal and we can move forward as a district."

Board members are scheduled to meet again at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, May 8 to ratify the teachers' 2008-09 contract.

In other personnel-related action Friday, the board set wages for the district's administrators and supervisors. Administrators (Kathy Elliott, Lucas DeWitt, Bob Kirschbaum, Steve Barber, Joe Mueting, Jade Beehler and Roger Johnson) received a 3.92 percent total package, or $29,069, increase for 2008-09. Supervisors and non-union salaried employees in the central office, food service and maintenance/transportation/grounds areas of the school district will receive a 3.99 percent, or $28,092,

total package increase. Of this total amount, supervisors will get a 3.3 percent salary increase and hourly staff will receive a 50 cent per-hour increase.

In reaction to Elementary Assistant Principal Bob Kirschbaums's approved retirement at the end of first semester next year, board members approved a recommendation to hire Stephanie Anderson, who currently teaches first grade in Storm Lake, as an assistant elementary principal/reading teacher at the beginning of the 2008-09 school year and the transfer of Cindy DeVlaeminck, who currently serves as a guidance counselor at Johnson Elementary, to fill the role of an assistant elementary principal/reading teacher after first semester next year. Both would be paid an annual salary of $60,000, plus $12,000 for insurance.

In additional staffing considerations for next school year, board members approved adding a kindergarten teacher and temporarily continuing the German program through the ICN.

"As you look at the elementary numbers, I would have no problem adding back in an elementary teacher for kindergarten and kindergarten only. I think with that, we could say we'd use Instructional Support Levy dollars to support that bigger class. ... Kindergarten is a higher priority for us (than sixth grade) in terms of low, low class sizes," Ebeling advocated.

"I would not add German back in," he continued. "I would do ICN German to finish out our German program for people who are in 1, 2 and 3 this year. We finish it out and German would be done with in three years. That would be my recommendation."

In a 3-1 vote, with Dean Mechler voting no, the board also chose to separate out Operations Director Mark Bauermeister's position next year, instead of replacing it as currently staffed or dividing duties between a Director of Transportation and a Director of Maintenance.

As approved, Julie Nemmers, the current transportation administrative assistant, will assume bus driver supervision; Activities Director Roger Johnson will supervise the district's outside grounds. Custodians will be evaluated by building principals; the superintendent will supervise maintenance workers. In addition, the board approved hiring four shuttle bus drivers and possibly hiring "temporary help" to oversee large projects, which came with the construction of the new middle school. According to Ebeling, this could save an estimated $24,925.

"In a year where we've made some significant cuts, where we're asking lots of employees to do additional things, this is not a bad thing. ... Worst-case scenario," Ebeling said, "we look at this one year, six months from now and say, 'Geez, this is crazy. We really made a big mistake.'"

In other action, Jayson McNaughton of Energy Services Group (ESG) explained that the second phase of their $3.36 million districtwide facility improvement measures project encompasses the implementation of energy management and temperature controls for all buildings, replacement of boilers at Lincoln and Fairview elementaries, the installation of a dry cooler for the Spencer High School (SHS) science wing, fixing the existing classroom univents and addressing the electrical distribution system at SHS, among other projects. As board members approved awarding a $424,978 base bid from Christians Sheet Metal for mechanical work, a $177,371 base bid from Toft Electric for electrical work, and a $307,400 base bid submitted by Woodman Controls Company for temperature control work on this phase of the ESG project, Naughton also recommended negotiating four alternate packages offered by contractors.

It was also mentioned that the third phase of the ESG project will include additional roof work, tunnel work at Lincoln Elementary, other miscellaneous repairs, air conditioning the three elementary buildings' media centers and the replacement of a SHS boiler. Naughton indicated the SHS boiler needs to be addressed and should be let out for bids before Memorial Day.

The board also approved replacing the district's SASI and Meal Tracker systems next fall with a JMC student information system. The five-year estimated cost to continue with the SASI and Meal Tracker systems is $70,700. While representatives from three student information systems -- JMC, Power School (which makes the SASI system) and Infinite Campus -- have presented their software to district representatives, the estimated five-year costs for each was relayed to board members by Technology Director Eric Johnson: JMC -- $38,150; Power School -- $101,110; Infinite Campus -- $188,242.

As Johnson demonstrated the JMC student information system -- which includes an attendance report, a report card, standards reporting, progress reports and lesson plans, parent contact, and lunch tracking information for each student -- he outlined three perceived advantages to purchasing the Lake City, Minn.-based system:

* It would replace the current two softwares used with one, and at a lower price.

* While SASI currently represents five distinct databases throughout the district, it doesn't allow for the sharing of student information districtwide, like this student information system would.

* This system is accessible on-line and would give parents access to their students' personal information.