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FFA students Eric Osborn, Norman Martin and Zach Gibson make
a presentation to the school board.
Data shows our students are moving forward
Feb. 24, 2010
The business of the Montezuma Community Schools is to educate students. According to data gathered by Superintendent Dave Versteeg, "we're headed in the right direction."
Versteeg presented some key pieces of student achievement data from 2009 to the board of education during its monthly meeting on Wednesday night.
Presented were results of testing done at various grade levels.
"It's good news," Versteeg said. District students scored very high in math and science. Reading scores were consistent, except for a drop noted in grades seven and eight. "But, that could be because of a problem that started earlier," he said. "We'll work on it."
Students also took a poll conducted by the Gallup organization, and scored highest on three positive tendencies: Thriving, being engaged, and being hopeful. Also, their scores were climbing in those three areas. "That may be why our test scores are going up," Versteeg said.
"We will use this data to talk about and possibly develop district goals for the 2010-11 school year," Versteeg said. "District goals will act as an umbrella for goals developed by more specific groups, such as the board itself, the secondary building and the elementary buildings, etc."
In other business, the board opted to continue the present policy of making up snow days at the end of the school year. The district has had six snow days.
Something different for seniors
High school/junior high principal Brian Moretz said May 7 will be the last day of school for the district's seniors - who won't have to make up snow days - and noted he's making a major change in Senior Awards Night.
It won't be at night this year - it will be from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on that last day - May 7. "I want our younger students to see it so they realize how important it is to work toward those awards," Moretz said.
The principal said graduation practice will be held after the awards ceremony is completed. He also said the gym will be reconfigured for graduation, with the stage placed in front of the north wall. "We'll still seat 1,000 and the basketball hoops will be out of the way," he said.
Moretz noted about 40 juniors and seniors are taking college courses, worth about 170 hours of credit. "I appreciate that our students can do that. It's important," he said.
"I was proud of our speech and drama students," Moretz said. "I went to their contest at Grinnell and it was really something how the Montezuma community attacked those rooms!"
"Speech and drama is big here," confirmed board president Pete Ross. "FFA, other extracurriculars, athletics, all of those things can be imporant later in life," said Ross.
Later, business manager Don Longhurst said, "you've got a great student body here, really. There's an absence of vandalism, and older kids talk to younger kids here. It's special."
The board saw and heard from some of its students at the start of the meeting when the FFA conduct of meetings team made a presentation. Students involved were Sage Comstock, Eric Osborn, Norman Martin, Zach Gibson, Carly Steele, Halley Ogan and Tyler Swenson.
Preschool/elementary principal Darin Jones said the Area Education Agency did an earlier-than-expected audit of the district's special education program, "but we got good reports," he said. He also mentioned several awards students had received in writing contests.
The board gave its approval to allow participants in the district's Scholatic Clay Target Program to receive letter awards, just like athletes in other sports. Versteeg, who is one of the program's volunteer coaches, said 22 students in grades 7-12 will participate in shooting sports this year.
Activities director Tyler Lown received board approval to go ahead with a program that will salute conference and other championships by having banners on display on the north wall of the high school gym.
"In the past, the policy was to honor the sport in the location where the sport is played," Lown said. "But it led to some controversy."
"Now, when people visit our gym, they will realize we have had a pretty good past in a lot of things, not just basketball," Lown said. "And basketball will still be honored on three of the four walls."
Lown said banners to be purchased would cost about $2,100 and that the Blue & White Athletic Booster Club has pledged to pay half that amount. He said the rest could come from his athletic budget.
The board approved giving 21 Imac 1999 computers that have been replaced over the last few years to Compassion Ministry, which will arrange to pick them up. Versteeg said the machines are obsolete and have no value. Tech coordinator Boyd DeJong made the district aware of the ministry organization's need for the computers.
Roofs to get inspected
The board approved a roofing survey agreement with Shive-Hattery to assess the conditions of the school buildings' roofs. Benchmark Inc. provides this service to all clients of EMC property insurance. Benchmark last re-evaluated the roofs in 2006, "but as far as I know, the district never implemented the improvement schedule," Versteeg said. He added that the cost of roof repairs and maintenance can be incorporated into the Master Facility Plan or funded as stand alone projects through sales tax or PPEL receipts.
In other business, the board:
- Approved a three-year agreement with Nolte, Corman and Johnson to perform the district's annual audit. The first year cost is $5,150, with five percent annual increases.
- Approved payment of $5,620.05 to Septagon Construction for invoices and payment for costs incurred during January.
- Heard a from Longhurst about the district's audit report. "In a snapshot, your district is in real good shape," he said.
Versteeg said the district has received a good number of applications from highly qualified candidates for several job openings and that interviews would begin this week.
The board discussed strategy for contacting parents of resident students who opted to open enroll their students outside the distrcit.
Versteeg updated the board about legislative happenings in Des Moines. "People have told me they're as busy as they have ever been," he said. "They've got a lot to do in the next 80 days."
Versteeg provided board members with information about the Intructional Support Levy program. He said it is a five-year program that the board can pass by resolution, which it did in 2005. He said this year it will provide the district with about $275,000 in income. "If we didn't do it, we'd have to figure out where to come up with that money," he said.
Longhurst said a draft of the district's budget for 2010-11 will be prepared for a preview by the board in March, and Versteeg said that there will need to be a special hearing about the budget on April 7.
Sage Comstock and other FFA students showed the board
their conduct of meetings presentation.
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