Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting – February 11, 2021
The meeting was called to order by Board President Cale Rieger in the administration office on the above date at 7:00 a.m. with all members present except Chris Hingst.
Superintendent Penka had one change to the agenda; to move Audiences before the Consent Calendar. Troy Hilt made a motion to approve the agenda with the one change; the motion was seconded by J. W. Milliken and carried.
Audiences: Rod Klepper, representing the Cheylin Board of Education and the Cheyenne County Mental Health Task Force was present to visit about the possibility of sharing a school
counselor for the 2021-2022 school year.
The Board reviewed and discussed the items on the consent calendar. A motion was then made by Dustin Andrist, seconded by Shawna Blanka, and carried to approve the consent calendar, including the following items:
a) The minutes of the regular Board meeting on December 10, 2020 and minutes of the regular Board meeting on January 7, 2021.
b) A list of bills being paid on direct deposit slips numbering 1218001 – 1218076 and on checks numbering 11720-11732 on BANKWEST, and checks numbering 14859-14882 on FNB Bank for a total of $273,785.82.
c) A list of bills being paid on direct deposit slips numbering 0119001 -0119078 and on checks numbering 11733 – 11747 on BANKWEST, and checks numbering 14893 – 14963 on FNB Bank for a total of $450,989.27.
d) The Cash Summary Report (including two transfers: $5,332.87 from the General Fund to the At-Risk Fund and $52,348.00 from the General Fund to the Special Ed Fund)¸ the Grade School Activity Fund Report, and the High School Activity Fund Report – all as of December 31, 2020.
e) The Cash Summary Report (including two transfers:
$2,713.73 from the Supplemental General Fund to the Career and Tech Ed Fund, and $5,351.55 from the General Fund to the At-Risk Fund), the Grade School Activity Fund Report, and the High School Activity Fund Report – all as of January 31, 2021. f) Also approved were the following gift-offers: $562.09 from the Knights of Columbus from their tootsie roll drive to be used for Special Education; $1,000.00 from Wheeler Cooperative for State Football expenses; and $500.00 from the Northwest Kansas Library System to be used for the Elementary School library.
Under Committee Reports, Superintendent Penka reported that the hiring committee will be recommending:
1) Jana Wilhelm for the Middle School Science position,
2) Megan Stoneman for the Elementary teacher position,
3) Shayla Hilt-Orten for the K-12 Counselor.
Under Old Business, Superintendent Penka reported on the progress of combining the Cheylin high school football with St. Francis high school football for the 2022-2023 school year. An agreement is in the process of being drawn up.
Under New Business, Superintendent Penka presented the proposed 2021-2022 school calendar. After review and discussion, Troy Hilt made a motion to approve the calendar as presented; the motion was seconded by J.W. Milliken and carried.
Under New Business, Superintendent Penka reported that we have two resignations:
1) Amy Christensen will be resigning from her position as elementary school Special Education teacher; she has been with the district for 8 years. Her resignation will be effective at the end of the 2020-2021 school year;
2) Nick Fawcett submitted his resignation as assistant high school track coach effective immediately.
Troy Hilt made a motion to accept the resignations, seconded by Danielle McAtee, and carried.
Under New Business, Superintendent Penka requested contract offers for the following:
1) Jana Wilhelm for the Middle School Science position;
2) Megan Stoneman for the Elementary teacher position;
3) Shayla Hilt-Orten for the K-12 School Counselor, full-time in St. Francis.
Dustin Andrist made a motion to offer these contracts, seconded by Troy Hilt, and carried.
Next, under New Business, Superintendent Penka discussed retaining an Athletic Trainer for the 2021-2022 school year. Troy Hilt made a motion to non-renew our current trainer, Emily Kastens; the motion was seconded by J.W. Milliken and carried.
The Board and administration had an initial discussion of staffing plans for 2021-2022. The Board was reminded that by law (K.S.A. 72-5411, as amended) a School Board must notify a teacher in writing on or before the third Friday in May (May 21st this year) if said teacher’s contract will not be renewed, and a teacher must notify the Board in writing on or before 14 days after the third Friday in May (June 4th this year) if (s)he is resigning from their teaching contract. Contract offers and proposed reassignments (if any) for 2021-2022 can be acted-on at the regular meeting on March 11, 2021, or at the April 8, 2021, meeting if necessary.
Next, Superintendent Penka reviewed with the Board the plans for the High School Chemistry Lab remodel scheduled for this summer. He also reported that we are in the process of replacing our phone system with Vyve Communication (formerly known as Eagle Communications).
The next scheduled Board meeting will be held on March 11, 2021, at 7:00 p.m.At 8:11 a.m., Troy Hilt moved that the meeting adjourn; the motion was seconded by J.W. Milliken and carried.
