WEST ALEXANDRIA — The Twin Valley South Board of Education discussed the possibility of implementing e-days as well as new stadium bleachers for their football and soccer field during their meeting on Wednesday, June 24.
The board also approved the placing of a renewal tax levy on the fall election ballot.
Superintendent Clint Moore presented the findings of a survey sent to TVS parents, where 85 percent were in favor of the blizzard bags and e-days.
These are assignments that students take home or complete online after the school as incurred five snow days on the year. It prevents the school from having to add on days at the end of the school year due to inclement weather.
The 15 percent who were against the e-days questioned the validity of the work that would be sent home on these days. Others took issue with the online aspect, saying they have multiple children in school but only one computer to accommodate them.
Moore explained that the material is made ahead of time and will employ a generic lesson plan for each grade.
“The relevancy of the material, although it’s good material, it won’t necessarily sync up with the teachers,” said Moore. “It’s pre-made because that’s what the regulations call for.”
The board did not vote on the implementation yet. They will do so in their July meeting.
Once they approve the resolution, it gets sent to the Teachers Association, who will then need to sign on and prepare the material by Nov. 1.
Moore also noted that they had Farnum, the school’s inspection company, come look at the “home side” bleachers for the football and soccer stadium.
“The east end is getting to be very problematic as it’s moving off its foundation and the braces are now becoming – the torsion or pressure on them — is creating the braces to be bent,” said Moore. “I think we need to really start making some efforts to replace them. There is no way in making them better.”
He laid out three options for the school:
They can tear down the bleachers and put up new ones before the fall sports season starts – the cost will be between $90,000 and $200,000.
They can do fundraising and allow the community to embrace the problem. This creates issue with timing, however.
Or lastly, they can tear down the bleachers, put up temporary ones, and continue to fund-raise. During fall sports, the visitors side will become the home side and the away team will sit on the portable bleachers.
The board did not make a decision on the issue and opted to hold a special meeting, inviting members of the community to join, on Monday, July 6 to discuss it.
The board also approved two resolutions; the first which was to levy a renewal tax in the excess of the ten-mill limitation, which was set to expire in 2015. The existing levy was renewed for five years.
The second resolution was to levy a renewal tax and request the county auditor to certify matters in connection with the proposed tax levy. The current outstanding nine mill renewal levy is due to expire in 2016 but the board has declared the taxes – which may be raised in the district within the 10 mill limitation by levies on the current tax duplicate – are insufficient for the school district.
The tax levy will be placed on the ballot for the elections held in November.
Lunch and breakfast prices were set for the 2015-2016 school year during the meeting. Breakfast will be $2 for all grades. Lunches will be $2.85 for K-8 and $3.00 for grades 9-12.
South’s board adopted the contracts of all their employees as well, including the hiring of a new band and choir director and health and physical education teacher. They also approved the resignation of Superintendent Moore, effective at the end of his current contract year (July 31, 2016).
They also recognized track athletes Aaron Deaton and Madison Wright for their accomplishments at the state track meet held in early June.
