School Board
Minutes
Red Rock Central
District No. 2884
Monday, December 16,
2013
The regular monthly meeting of the Board of
Education, District No. 2884, was held in the Board Room in Lamberton on Monday,
December 16, 2013. Members present
were: Bierl, Erickson, Kelsey,
Rasmussen, Rogotzke, and Stavnes. Clarke
was absent. A quorum of 6 was
present. Superintendent Brennan,
Principal Goetstouwers, Bruce Olson, Bryce Pack, Meridith
Flaig, Robin Weis, Ann Grant, Joe Dietl, and Denise
Clarke were also in attendance.
Chairman Rogotzke called the meeting to
order at 5:31 p.m.
Upon motion of Rasmussen, seconded by
Stavnes and unanimously carried, to accept the agenda as amended, the minutes
of the November 18, 2013 meeting and the treasurer’s report.
Chairman Rogotzke invited visitors Robin
Weis and Ann Grant to voice their concerns about the late bus and basketball
practice times.
Board Member Kelsey reported that work is
continuing on the auditorium project.
The committee is still working locally seeking funds. He continues to talk with the donor.
Lead Teacher Altermatt’s
report was distributed to the board:
Last month I reported that Lisa Fest would
be starting nutrient classes in the elementary after January 1st. The Program has now been totally cut in
Cottonwood Co. Our concert was December
9th “It’s December Once Again”.
It was again a very nice concert. We thank Mr. VanMaasdam
and Mrs. Frasher for their work. We would also like to thank several of our
support staff members that helped decorate for the concert. The Student Council presented Mr. VanMaasdam and Mrs. Frasher with poinsettia plants before
the concert began. Our Elementary students and staff collected food items for
our two area food shelves. The staff
collected monetary donations for the food shelves in lieu of exchanging gifts.
This will all be dispersed this week to appropriate places. The Student Council sold 240 Advent calendars
this year and profited $324.00. Santa will be in the elementary building at
9:30 for our students to visit with. After
lunch the students and staff will do some caroling before we leave for the
Christmas break. The student council is sponsoring a poster contest for Martin
Luther King Day. All grades are
encouraged to participate with prizes being awarded for each classroom. The
mini IPads are here.
We are waiting for covers. Half
of them have been set up and the rest should be completed by Christmas
break. The student will be able to use
them as soon as the covers arrive. Our Fourth grade students participated in
the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP results for grades four and eight in
reading and mathematics function as the common metric of student achievement
across the nation, and play an important role in informing national policy
leaders about the educational achievement of America’s students. These are the highlights of Minnesota’s 2013
results. Minnesota scores were
significantly higher in both math and reading at fourth grade, and for the
first time since these data were collected, we saw achievement gap closure in
fourth grade reading.
Grade
Four Reading
Black and Hispanic students scored
significantly higher than 2009
Students eligible and not-eligible for free/reduced price lunch scored
significantly higher than 2011
Females score significantly higher
than2011
Gap between white and black students decreased 10 point since 2009
December
16, 2014 – Page 2
Gap between white and Hispanic students
decreased 10 points since 2009
Percent-at-and-above proficient and percent at advanced significantly higher
than 2011
Grade
Four Math
Minnesota has highest
overall score in the nation in 2013
Minnesota has highest
percent of students at-or-above proficient in 2013
Minnesota black and white students each has
fourth-highest score in 2013
Minnesota has fifth-highest score for students eligible for free/reduced price
lunch
Males and females scores significantly
higher than 2011
Percent-at-and-above proficient and
percent at advanced significantly higher than 2011
Principal Goetstouwers reported the
following: We have a 100% GRAD Reading
test proficiency and about 91% GRAD Math test proficiency. Our 1st Quarter Falcon Pride
Winner is Colby Davis. I have been
working with teacher representatives and superintendent (s) on the teacher
evaluations, which needs to be implemented next year and finalized. Our One Act play this year will be “Macbeth:
A Tale of Darkness”. 28 students have
signed up, but only 20 can be involved in One Act. The FFA Advisory Committee has met a couple
more times. The FFA will be touring a
sugar beet farm near Renville on January 22nd. Dr. David Cole, Agronomist, will speak to our
FFA members on February 18th.
We are looking at inviting other chapters and community members who
donated to the RRC Corn Drive. Southwest
Minnesota Arts Council awarded RRC with a grant of $1,332 for the 40th
Annual Lamberton Jazz Festival. The
“Grant is through an appropriation from the MN State Legislature with money
from the State’s general fund”. SW
Regional Development Commission: CERT (Clean Energy Resource Team) awarded RRC
with $4,400 towards auditorium lighting project (specifically electrical
costs). Partial funding for this project
was through the SW Clean Energy Resource Team Seed Grant. The Target Field Trip grant for $700 allows
10th graders to attend a play in the Twin Cities.
Upon motion of Kelsey, seconded by Erickson
and unanimously carried, to pay claims in the amount of $105,135.07. Receipts were $389,830.38.
Upon motion of Erickson, seconded by
Rasmussen and unanimously carried, to acknowledge that each year Red Rock
Central receives E-rate (federal) funding in order to help cover the cost of
our students having access to the Internet in both buildings. In receiving these funds we, as a District,
(and all U.S. public schools) agree to protect our students from “harmful
Internet content” as defined by the Federal Government via a law named the
“Children’s Internet Protection Act”.
RRC does filter out harmful Internet content via our agreement with our
access provider which is Trillion and the Southwest/West Central Service Coop.
in Marshall. With Board agreement we
consider this agenda item does cover Public Notice and we’ll conduct this
meeting yearly at this time. A copy of
the posting of this agenda to give the public advanced notice that they may
contribute to the discussion of the Internet Access Use Policy and ask
questions, the agenda itself and minutes of this meeting will be kept on hand
for five (5) years in order to verify that we did discuss this issue at a
public meeting. A copy of the posting,
the agenda and minutes will also be sent to SW/WC Service Coop. for their
records as well. The addition of the
word/term Password to our policy will meet all the necessary guidelines set out
by the federal government under the CIPA and the use of receiving e-rate
monies.
Superintendent Brennan explained that our
stage lighting project in the auditorium will cost nearly $73,000. We have raised $66,433 to date and if it
stands like this the District will be responsible for nearly $6,600. He is still hopeful that more funds will be
collected before the
December
16, 2014 – Page 3
end of this calendar year and the closing
dollar amount will be announced at our January meeting.
Superintendent Brennan and Mr. Pack
discussed, with the Board, the possibility of using the Jeffers gym for some
Junior High games and practices as administration sees fit.
Upon motion of Erickson, seconded by Bierl
and unanimously carried, to rescind the October 22, 2013 motion made regarding playing
all indoor Junior High sports in the Lamberton building beginning immediately.
Open discussion consisted of the
following: Sprinkling system at the
athletic field, softball, audit, JMC text alerts, and the lunch program.
Superintendent Brennan led a discussion of
the District’s tax dollars to begin the Truth in Taxation portion of the
meeting at 7:00 p.m.
Upon motion of Stavnes and seconded by
Kelsey to certify the 2013 payable 2014 levy at the Maximum - $949,857.40.
Roll call vote was as follows:
Voting Yes:
Rogotzke, Kelsey, Stavnes, Erickson, Rasmussen, and Bierl.
Voting No:
None
Clarke was absent.
Motion carried.
Upon motion of Kelsey, seconded by Stavnes
and unanimously carried, to adjourn at 7:35 p.m.
__________________________________ ________________________________
Alan J. Clarke, Clerk Denise
Clarke, Recorder