MAC board hires counselor, hears band concerns
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The Mount Ayr Community Schools board of directors met in regular session Monday, November 11. Discussion items included hiring of an elementary guidance counselor, questions about the future of the MAC music program, and a special program for fourth- and fifth-grade students,
Elementary guidance
In his report to the board, MAC elementary principal Chris Elwood recommended the hiring of Callie Poore as the new elementary guidance counselor effective at the beginning of the second semester.
Poore is a 2004 graduate of Mount Ayr Community High School.
Poore has a Masters degree in counseling for grades 7-12 and is currently finishing her coursework toward certification in K-5 counseling. If coursework isn’t complete by January, she will obtain conditional Class B certification until full certification can be finalized.
“She has been working with students as a tutor for many years,” said Elwood. “She just said, with her tutoring stuff, she really enjoyed the younger kids … I think she’ll do an outstanding job.”
In other personnel matters, the board approved the hiring of Savanna Spangler in food service and Luke Still as a teacher associate. The board also approved the resignation of Macy Jarred as a middle school basketball coach.
Music program
Tracee Knapp addressed the board with concerns about the future of the MAC music program.
With the departure of former band director Aaron Comer, Knapp said MAC was fortunate to “woo Julie Capps out of retirement,” and Capps has agreed to remain in the director’s position until a replacement is found for next school year.
Knapp listed her concerns if the individual hired for next year would be asked to cover band and vocal for all grades K-12. If such a person could be found, Knapp felt that assignment would be overwhelming, especially for a recent college graduate.
She also questioned if there would be enough time in the day to deliver quality band and vocal instruction across such a wide range of ages and abilities. She added the high school marching, pep, and jazz bands would suffer dramatically.
In light of her concerns, Knapp said the MAC Music Boosters are asking for the district to hire a K-12 vocal instructor and a 5-12 band instructor.
She attributed the quality of this year’s band to the fact they have received three years of individual lessons. She referenced Monday’s Veterans Day program during which she said the band delivered a “Star Spangled Banner” that would “make Francis Scott Key proud.”
“Hiring one person would eliminate all of that and be a huge disadvantage to music students, the entire student body, our town, our entire county, everyone,” she said.
Knapp concluded her remarks by asking board members to listen to their constituents, do their homework on the band program, and talk to community members.
Fourth/fifth grade program
Included in Elwood’s report was information pertaining to a special program aimed at fourth- and fifth-grade students called “The Three R’s: Rights, Respect, Responsibility.” Elwood explained the program is being offered by Alissa Swarts, who has worked with MAC sixth-grade students in the past.
Swarts has a Masters degree in social work and, according to Swarts, works with various school districts to provide students with the skills, resources, and medically-accurate information to navigate healthy peer and dating relationships, while also working to reduce unplanned pregnancies and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. According to information shared with the board, the Three R’s program “envisions a society in which all young people are valued, respected, and treated with dignity; sexuality is accepted as a healthy part of being human; and youth sexual development is recognized as normal.”
The fourth-grade lessons focus on the physical, social, and emotional changes associated with puberty. Lesson titles include “Characteristics of Healthy Relationships and Identifying Trusted Adults,” “Your Body, Your Rights,” and “Taking a Stand Against Bullying.”
The fifth-grade lessons pertain to human reproduction, and classes will be separated by gender for lessons on “Puberty and Reproductive Anatomy” and “Puberty and Reproduction.” A third lesson also deals with bullying.
Elwood told the board that letters were sent home to parents of fourth- and fifth-grade students to inform them about the special program and to allow them the opportunity to have their students opt out of participation. Swarts also met with sixth grade students at the middle school this week to discuss peer pressure and personal choices.
Financial health
Superintendent Jason Shaffer told the board that MAC was in good financial health as determined by two main indicators: the district’s solvency ratio and unspent balance authority.
Solvency ratio is a percentage that measures how much revenue is left over after a district has collected all its revenue and paid all its bills for the fiscal year. Unspent balance reflects the amount of a school district’s general fund capacity that is left over at the end of a fiscal year
Both indicators are recommended to be within a 5-15 percent margin, and MAC is currently at 21.81 percent in solvency and 17 percent in unspent balance.
Other discussion
In other matters, the board:
- learned that at recent parent-teacher conferences, MAC elementary had 98.6 percent attendance and MAC middle/high school had 95.7 percent attendance.
- learned the Winter Program at MAC elementary will be held in two performances – 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. – on Tuesday, December 17.
Principal Elwood explained because sixth grade is no longer in the elementary building and band is no longer offered in fifth grade, all students in grades K-5 will take part in one program this year. - learned 45 students have signed up for Junior Raiders wrestling (grades K-6) and 95 are out for basketball (grades 3-6).
- approved an agreement with the Diagonal Schools to allow their girls to participate in the MAC wrestling program.
- approved a bid from Bradfields for the purchase of upgrades to district Smartboards. The bid for 25 devices at $411 per device came to $10,366,50. Two other bids came in at $11,125 and $11,283.
- approved moving district checking accounts to City State Bank.
The next meeting of the MAC school board will be Monday, December 9 in the board room.
