NS Graduation Tentatively Set, Football Coach Retained
The North Shelby School Board met in regular and executive session on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 in the high school library. The meeting was called to order by Board President Scot Shively. All members were present.
Consent Agenda:
The board approved the month’s bills and the minutes from the March regular/executive and April special meetings.
Superintendent’s Report:
Mrs. Gaines shared information from a recent DESE webinar about COVID-19 and School Finance and how this could affect the fiscal year 2021 budget. First, at this point, there are so many unknown factors that can affect the school budgeting process: Prop C (sales tax revenue), foundation and transportation formulas, property taxes, stimulus funds to districts, etc.
“At this time, there have been no withholdings for PreK-12 education. Typically, when withholds occur, transportation funds are the first on the chopping block,” Gaines stated.
Gaines shared that Missouri is slated to receive $208 million from the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act: Education Stabilization Fund, and those funds will be distributed to school districts using the Title I distribution formula. It is estimated schools will receive approximately 82 percent of their 2019-20 Title I allocation. For NS, this would account for approximately $58,500. The purpose of this money is to provide states/school districts with funding to prevent, prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The timing of the allocation is yet to be determined. Mrs. Gaines also shared a preliminary summer maintenance list with the board.
High School Principal Report:
North Shelby High School Principal Kerri Greenwell provided the following information to the board:
Congratulations to Lauren Keller for being invited to a special distance Scholar Bowl invitational for high school seniors through KRES. Keller made it to the next round, which will be aired on April 29 around 3:15 p.m.
Congratulations to Caroline Linberger and Presley Stoneburner for Quincy Herald Whig Honorable Mention Team honors.
Congratulations to Linberger for a second team selection on Chris Duerr’s KHQA All Do-or-Die Team.
Congratulations to Hannah Wahl for being selected as the Youth Tour delegate to Washington D.C. sponsored by Missouri Rural Election Cooperative in Palmyra.
Distance Learning Update:
– Grading will continue as usual. Students will continue to receive instruction and to get assignments in Google Classroom (or other means as communicated by the teacher.) Teachers will be available during set times (unless publicized to students) for questions concerning lessons. Due dates are still attached to assignments, but flexibility will be in order. Teachers will contact students concerning missing work. If students don’t respond to the teachers, the principal and/or counselor will contact parents.
– Grading should focus on the continuation of learning and prioritize the connectedness and care for students and staff. All students should have the opportunity to redo, make up, or try again to complete, show progress, or attempt to complete work assigned during the remote learning time. A focus on keeping children, emotionally and physically safe, fed and engaged in learning should be our first priority during this unprecedented time.
– If adequate documentation shows a student has not done anything during the distance learning period and does not have a legitimate obstacle, the student’s grade will reflect that.
– School officials will continue to monitor the learning and made adjustments in grading as necessary on an individual, class, or whole school basis. For example, if a student does not have access to the Internet, grades may be figured differently.
– Grades cannot negatively affect a student’s eligibility.
– Students who were failing course before school was closed will be given the opportunity to improve.
– Fourth quarter Honor Roll will be based on fourth quarter grades.
– Dual Credit classes will still be weighed.
New Business:
Both principals shared their Distance Learning Plans now that “physical” school has been shut down for the remainder of the year. When it was planned for school to be shut down for a short period of time, the intent of distance learning was to keep the students engaged until school resumed.
Now, new content is being introduced to students. Building principals and teachers have been meeting virtually to discuss how best to move forward. Parents will be receiving a letter from their respective principal outlining the expectations for “school” moving forward.
The board also set a tentative date for high school graduation on July 19, at 3 p.m. What graduation will look like will depend on the guidelines at that time. Sixth-grade graduation will be held on July 20 at 6:30 p.m. and the same guidelines will apply to this ceremony as well.
Prom was discussed and Mrs. Greenwell will be surveying the juniors and seniors for their input, so no date was set for this event.
The last piece of new business was to decide on the mascot to be used on the new football scoreboard. The board voted to use the traditional (side view) Raider.
“Again, the North Shelby staff is to be commended for all of their hard work; there have been and will be bumps in the road as we navigate this quick transition to virtual/home school, and thank you to the parents for their continued support of their children’s learning during this time,” Gaines said.
Executive Session:
The board voted to accept the resignations of Jessica Linberger—junior high softball coach and Kyle Haeberlin—assistant varsity boys’ basketball coach.
The board voted to offer an elementary teaching contract to Lisa Clawson and a part-time science position to Donna Henderson for the 2020-2021 school year. The vote was 7-0.
The board also voted to hire all current support staff for the 2020-2021 school year.
The board made a motion to hire Amanda Cook as assistant varsity softball coach for 2020-21. Motion passed, 6-0 with Amy Presson abstaining.
The board motioned to hire Heather Christine as varsity scholar bowl sponsor for 2020-21. Motion passed, 6-0, Presson abstained.
A motion was made to hire Seth Bass as varsity football coach. Shively, McEwen, Killen, Reitz and Presson voted YEA and Brandy Uhlmeyer and Jason Pollard voted NO. Motion passed, 5-2.
Uhlmeyer made a motion to hire Bass as assistant baseball coach for 2020-21. Killen seconded the motion. Motion passed, 7-0.
Reitz made a motion to hire the following for 2020-21. Bridgett Bass, JH track coach/asst. Varsity track; Landon Daniel, V girls/boys basketball; Scott Gaines, JH boys basketball/V baseball; Kyle Haeberlin, V asst. football; Haley Hardy, V softball/JH girls basketball; Jennifer Linberger, accompanist; Randi Minear, V football cheer; Barbie Parrish, JH football cheer; Jacob Rich, 2nd V football asst; Renee Shinn, V track; Katie Wiley, JH scholar bowl; Jaime Williams, asst. V girls basketball; Angie Resa, softball volunteer. Motion passed 7-0.
A motion was made to hire class sponsors for 2020-21. S. Gaines and Melissa Smith, eighth grade; Lisa Arment and Seth Bass, ninth grade; Bridgett Bass and Shinn, 10th grade; Jennifer Chandler and Daniel, 11th grade; and Cristy Jones, 12th grade. Motion passed 7-0.
The board voted to hire Kathy Jackson, seventh grade; Heather Christine,12th grade; and Holly Klusmeyer, seventh grade, as class sponsors. Motion passed 5-0, Shively and Presson abstained.
Christine was also hired as the National Honor Society sponsor. The board voted 7-0.
Cook was hired as Student Council sponsor for 2020-21. Motion passed 6-0, Presson abstained.
Jackson was hired as the FCA sponsor. Motion passed 6-0, Shively abstained.
Harold Eckler was hired as the FFA sponsor. Motion passed 6-0, Pollard abstained.
The following sponsors for 2020-21 were hired: Chandler, FBLA/TRACTION; Ethan Thomas, TRACTION; Jones, FCCLA; Mitch Schmidt, FFA; S. Bass, FCA; Heather Gander, Art Club/Prom Coordinator; and B. Bass, Science Club. Motion passed 7-0.
Susan Wilson and Carrie Greenwell were hired as elementary scholar bowl sponsors for 2020-21. Motion passed 7-0.
