JCCU1 Board of Education Meeting Report

On By admin

Jasper County Community Unit #1, Board of Education Meeting Report January 16, 2024

Superintendent’s Report:

School Resource Officer:

  • The Jasper County School District is working with the City of  Newton to establish multiple School Resource Officers for Jasper County Schools.
  • The Jasper County School District will initiate an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Newton for the SRO.
  • The hope is to have multiple SRO positions available in the near future. 

School Closure:

  • The District continues to monitor weather conditions as the winter months continue.
  • The main areas of focus:
    • Building conditions: 
      • Do the buildings have power, light and heat?
    • Site conditions: 
      • Is the parking lot plowed? 
      • Can buses get in and turn around? 
      • Can parents drop off students? 
      • Are the exit doors free of snow?
    • Bus operations: 
      • Can the bus drivers get to the bus garage?
      •  Do the buses start? 
    • Road conditions:  
      • Can we safely place the buses on the roads?  
      • Are the roads continually plowed and or cleared? 
    • Air temperature: 
      • How cold is it? 
      • What is the wind chill? 
      • Can children safely walk to school? 
      • There are times when schools may need to be closed due to dangerously cold temperatures. In these situations, wind chill is also taken into account, as well as the extent to which the temperatures are sustained throughout the school day.  
  • If the answer is yes to the first four areas of focus, and if a wind chill warning has not been issued, most likely the decision will be to keep schools open.

Policies:

Second Reading of PRESS Policy Updates- Unchanged: 

  • 2:110 Qualifications, Term, and Duties of Board Officers
  • 3:50  Administrative Personnel Other Than the Superintendent
  • 4:90  Student Activity and Fiduciary Funds
  • 4:170 Safety
  • 5:90 Abused and Neglected Child Reporting
  • 5:120 Employee Ethics; Code of Professional Conduct; and Conflict of Interest 
  • 5:150 Personnel Record
  • 6:20 School Year Calendar and Day
  • 6:65 Student Social and Emotional Development
  • 6:270 Guidance and Counseling Program
  • 6:280 Grading and Promotion
  • 7:50 School Admissions and Student Transfers To and From Non-District Schools. 
  • 7:250 Student Support Services

Second Reading of  PRESS Policy Updates-Changed:

  • 2:20 Powers and Duties of the School Board:  Indemnification
  • 2:120 Board Member Development
  • 2:200 Types of School Board Meetings
  • 2:220 School Board Meeting Procedure
  • 4:10 Fiscal and Business Management
  • 4:30 Revenues and Investments
  • 4:60 Purchases and Contracts
  • 4:130 Free and Reduced Price Food Services
  • 4:160 Environmental Quality of Building and Grounds
  • 5:30 Hiring Process and Criteria
  • 5:50 Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace; E-Cigarette, Tobacco, and Cannabis Prohibition
  • 5:190 Teacher Qualifications
  • 5:200 Terms and Conditions of Employment and Dismissal
  • 5:210 Resignations
  • 5:220 Substitute Teachers
  • 5:250 Leaves of Absence
  • 5:330 Sick Days, Vacation, Holidays, and Leaves
  • 6:15 School Accountability
  • 6:30 Organization of Instruction
  • 6:50 School Wellness
  • 6:60 Curriculum Content
  • 6:230 Library Media Program
  • 7:60 Residence
  • 7:70 Attendance and Truancy
  • 7:160 Student Appearance
  • 7:165 School Uniforms
  • 7:190 Student Behavior
  • 7:270 Administering Medicines to Students
  • 7:285 Anaphylaxis Prevention, Response, and Management Program
  • 7:290 Suicide and Depression Awareness and Prevention
  • 7:345 Use of Educational Technologies; Student Data Privacy and Security 
  • 8:30 Visitors to and Conduct on School Property

New Business

  • Approved Fuel Bid for Jasper County Schools
  • Established Newton Community High School Graduation Date for  May 11, 2024
  • Approved Request For Proposal for installation of fiber Ste. Marie Elementary School
  • Approved the Purchase and Installation of a Greenhouse for NCHS with Greenhouse Masters for $147,431

Action out of Executive Session

  • Approved to keep closed session minutes closed from  July 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020

Resignations

Hires

  • Approval to hire Chad Farley as the NCHS Varsity Soccer Coach 
  • Approval to hire Ellie Burris as the Assistant NCHS Scholastic Bowl Coach
  • Approval to hire Meredith Blake as an After School Tutor for the 2023-2024 School Year.

Approval to Advertise

  •  Approve to advertise (2) NES Elementary positions for 2024-2025 school year.