By RICK MORAIN
For The Jefferson Herald
The Greene County Community School District board of education at its meeting Sept. 18 approved spending up to $63,740 from the board’s flexibility account for new elementary playground equipment and rubber mulch.
The funds had been transferred to the flexibility account from the teacher quality professional development account at the Aug. 21 meeting.
The professional development account had built up a balance of more than $100,000 since the 2014-15 year, with another large amount budgeted for the current year.
The resolution to spend the funds followed a public hearing at the Sept. 18 meeting.
In other action, the board approved the hiring of Greg Swecker as a bus driver, Abigail Gerzema as a half-time middle school technology lead teacher, and Chelse Sanderson as a half-time middle school technology assistant.
The board voted to request allowable growth and supplemental aid from the state school budget review committee for $488,230.06 for the negative special education balance for the recently completed 2018-19 year, and also $12,162.39 for excess limited English proficiency expenditures.
The board approved replacing controls and a software upgrade for the 41 heat pumps in the older section of the elementary building, as quoted by Drees Co. for $37,718.
The approval followed the explanation of the replacement need by building maintenance director Adam Snowgren and technology director Brent Gerzema.
The board approved nine fundraiser requests by various school organizations. The projects and their target amounts are:
Two National Honor Society (NHS) bake sales, $200 and $300; NHS Relay for Life team take-out meal sale, $1,500; NHS washable cheek tattoos-glow sticks, $200; NHS halftime hoop shoot, $200; NHS cookie sales, $200; GSA bake sale, $300; basketball teams apparel sales, $500; music department bags/cornhole tournament, $2,000.
The board set the date of the Oct. 16 regular board meeting for a public hearing for the transfer of the previous East Greene school property to the city of Grand Junction.
The board approved a trip by eight members of the Greene County FFA chapter to the national FFA convention in Indianapolis Oct. 30 to Nov. 2. They will pay for their own meals and the $65 convention registration fee. They will use Star Destination of Carroll for transportation and travel arrangements.
Business manager Brenda Muir presented the 2018-19 certified annual report, the special education supplement and the annual transportation report.
Board member Sam Harding gave a presentation on the new high school/career academy construction. Instructor Kirk Davis reported on the 2019-20 student construction house in the Briarwood Addition in Jefferson.
The regular board meeting was preceded by a work session of the board, with a discussion on potential changes to graduation requirements.