School board approves employee contracts

DAVENPORT—The school board approved administrative and non-union represented employee contracts for nine district employees at its June 21 regular meeting. Superintendent Jim Kowalkowski, middle/high school principal and assistant superintendent Chad Prewitt, elementary and assistant middle school principal Noelle Carstens, business manager Leslie Oliver, district secretary Stephanie Linstrum, behavior intervention specialist Trenton Briney, occupational therapist assistant Nina Olson, plant operations director Joe Coppersmith and transportation supervisor Bill Ball were among those employees.

The board also approved a resolution supporting a request to the state Board of Education for a four-year waiver of one or more high school graduation credits to support a Pathways learning program for alternative high school graduation options.

The consent agenda included the approval to hire Heather Jacoby as a K-8 school counselor, Sam Roepke as a secondary science teacher and Sadra Danekas as elementary secretary. The board also approved a motion to surplus several novels and four iPads from the district’s stash.

Oliver shared that basic enrollment declined by 0.30 and special education enrollment increased by one in June. The district has budgeted $226,790 in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) II funds for 2021-22 and $300,000 in ESSER III funds.

The current estimate for the ending fund balance is $1,073,045, which is 12.29% of the year’s expenditures. The board’s original goal for the balance was 8.33%.

During an executive session not open to the public, the board discussed administrative contracts.

The board is next scheduled to meet July 26 at 6 p.m. for a regular meeting.