Superintendent's Update:
Next Board Meeting: 11/16/21 starting at 6:30. Board refresher training at 5:30 prior.
Our board met on Thursday 10/21/21 and what follows is a summary of their conversation and decisions.
Superintendent's Report
Financial:
- Our current fund balance is $1,289,945. This is an increase from last year's end of September balance which was $1,110,287.
Facilities:
- Plumbers will be here this week to repair three leaks in our facilities. We are holding off starting the boiler until those leaks are fixed. We suspect that one of the leaks is connected to the boiler system and we hope to have the boiler running by Thursday morning.
- We are holding off on calling the facilities committee together until staffing has been consistent in our custodial area. We are currently utilizing one custodian to cover in the kitchen due to a resignation.
Transportation:
- We have one bus (bus 5) that has bad O rings and will need an engine overhaul. We are getting estimates on the cost of the overhaul and the cost of a different bus.
Board Refresher Training:
- The board will have refresher training on November 16th prior to the board meeting.
Board Policy Updates:
- No updates this month. Restricting the reasons a special meeting can be called was discussed but no motion was made to change board policy.
Federal Programs:
- We are still working on our comprehensive needs assessment which will include assessment data along with qualitative surveys. Please keep your eyes peeled for a survey.
- MAP scores are still embargoed.
Special Education:
- The Corrective Action Plan from DESE was discussed with the board along with remedial measures by the district. DESE identified a few things through our annual tiered monitoring that needed to be corrected.
- LASE PD, which pertained to students with autism, was mentioned as an informational item.
Food Service
- Our district, along with many others, is suffering due to supply chain issues. We continue to adjust our menu due to outages from our suppliers.
- The district voted to use Falls City Mercantile as our main food supplier this year. We have previously been working with Sysco.
New Business:
The board approved the facility scope from HTK as recommended. Please see the following documents:
- The basic scope/alternate #1 of the construction involves the following:
- Removal of current swings (safety issue)
- Removal of wooden play set (safety issue)
- Removal of fitness area
- New preschool play area
- Replacing playground surfacing
- Installation of new swings on our grass area
- Alternate #2: Replacing the existing drainage culvert under the playground
- Alternate #3: Handicapped parking pad by the elementary entrance and a drainage flume next to our main gym.
The district will place these plans out for bid with the intent to approve bids in January. The board may approve a bid for all, part, or none of the work depending on the estimated cost. Timeline for completion of all work in this set of facility updates is August 2022.
The board approved a two year EA Wolves COOP agreement with the following changes:
- Any tournament and regularly scheduled volleyball events and concessions will be moved to Tarkio TAC when, 48 hours prior, the National Weather Service predicts an outside temperature of 90 degrees or more.
- The EA volleyball tournament will be held in both Tarkio gymnasiums. Tarkio will have the concession stand at the TAC, Fairfax will have the concession stand at the High School
Todd Fogg was approved for facility snow removal and ice treatment.
The purchasing of clothing for students through a Masonic Lodge grant was approved.
Old Business:
Covid 19: There was discussion of the new "test to stay" provision but no motion was made to modify our current plan. We will continue with the same precautions in place that we have had since the first of the year. Please remind your families to stay home when they are sick and impress upon students proper hand hygiene.
Graduation Honors Recognition: The board approved the following changes to our commencement/graduation process in addition to changes approved in spring 2021:
- “Graduation Honors speeches will be determined by GPA- The students who have the 2 highest GPA’s in the graduating class will have first opportunity to give the honors speeches. Should either of those individuals not want to give the honors speech, the next GPA in line will have the opportunity and so forth until 2 individuals have accepted the opportunity to speak at graduation.”
Earlier changes to our graduation recognition are below and reflect the diversity of learning opportunities in our current educational landscape. For instance, compare these student scenarios:
- Student A: Has the capability of taking electives outside of core content areas his junior and senior year and instead chooses to enroll in dual credit courses in science and math. These dual credit courses are taught by college professors employed by a college or university and are not Fairfax R-III employees.
- Student B: Has the capability of taking electives outside of core content areas her junior and senior year and instead chooses to attend vocational/technical school and becomes certified in HVAC. This student begins working immediately after graduation.
- Student C: Has the capability of taking electives outside of core content areas her junior and senior year and chooses to enroll in electives offered onsite by Fairfax R-III.
- Student D: Opts into MOCAP classes taught by teachers in another district after his freshman year and graduates from Fairfax R-III after one year onsite as a freshman and three years of online instruction.
- Student E: Earns credits in advance, is able to skip a grade, and graduates in three years instead of the traditional four.
- Student F: Earns all the credits necessary to graduate by December of her senior year and her December graduation is approved by the board.
- Student G: Earns sufficient credits to graduate on time as a senior and opts into a flex program that allows him to work offsite, during the day, as a senior in high school.
While these scenarios aren't exhaustive, they are a glimpse into the different ways a student can now earn the credits necessary to graduate from high school. Below is a description of the final graduation honors recognition approved by the board in the spring of 2021. We feel that these honors reflect the different learning paths available to our students while still recognizing them for exceptional work during their high school years:
Students will be recognized at graduation with honors if met. The following are the three levels of recognition. These academic honors are the only ones recognized by Fairfax R-3. Fairfax R-3 will not recognize Valedictorian, Salutatorian, top 10% of class or top 5 in class.
Summa Cum Laude
- Highest Honors
- Weighted GPA 4.200 or above
Magna Cum Laude
- High Honors
- Weighted GPA of 4.0 up to but not including 4.200
Cum Laude
- Honors - weighted GPA of 3.75 up to but not including 4.0
Executive Session:
Personnel:
- The board accepted the resignations of Karen Ray (cook) and Kathy Leach (PAT).
- The board approved the hire of Mary Kay Ryan for the open kitchen position.
- The board approved the posting of a temporary custodial position to cover for absences during the month of December.
Please feel free to contact our building principal or superintendent with any questions about our October 21, 2021 board meeting.
