Board welcomes new members


The 2017-18 Monticello School Board, seated from left: Board President Bud Johnson and Vice President Dave Melchert. Standing are John Schlarmann, Craig Stadtmueller, and Mandy Norton. (Photo by Pete Temple)
School Board
By: 
Pete Temple
Express Associate Editor

     The Monticello School Board said goodbye to two longtime members, welcomed two new ones, and elected a new president and vice president during its regular meeting Monday, Sept. 25.

     Angie Beitz and Peg Mere stepped down, after serving eight years apiece, and were commended for their service and presented with plaques by Superintendent Brian Jaeger.

     Joining the board were the two newly-elected members, Mandy Norton and Craig Stadtmueller, along with re-elected member Bud Johnson.

     Johnson was voted the new board president by a 4-1 vote, and Dave Melchert was voted vice president, also by a 4-1 margin.

     The new board tackled an agenda that included a lot of new-school-year business, but also made plans for upcoming events.

     One of those is a Nov. 27 legislative forum, held in conjunction with the Maquoketa Valley School Board’s meeting in Delhi. At least three Iowa state legislators are scheduled to be present to hear board members’ concerns and answer questions. The forum is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. that evening.

     To accommodate it, the Monticello board will move its regular meeting up to 5 p.m., then head to Delhi for the forum.

In other action, the board:

     • re-appointed Judy Hayen as board secretary and Marcy Gillmore as board treasurer.

     • approved a special education allowable growth request in the amount of $134,531.74, which will increase the district’s spending authority.

     • appointed, as part of the consent agenda, Allison Pasker as volunteer athletic trainer/physical therapist, and Brenda Funk as substitute bus driver. Pasker will work about 25 hours per week, collaborating with current trainer Emily Putney.

     • accepted, as part of the consent agenda, the resignations of Kris Weers as district office/H.R. secretary, and Mary Jo Roller from Carpenter food service.

     • approved the high school dance team’s trip to attend the High School Dance Nationals in Orlando, Fla. Feb. 16-18, 2018.

     • approved the list of superintendent’s goals that was outlined at the Sept. 13 work session.

     • approved the first reading of two board policies, one pertaining to unpaid leaves of absence, the other to community group relations.

     • appointed the board members to district committees as follows: Dave Melchert, Negotiations and Labor; John Schlarmann, Grounds and Transportation; Craig Stadtmueller, Education; and Mandy Norton, Finance. Johnson, as president, will also serve on all four committees.

     • approved the selection of school district financial depositories, and the maximum amounts that can be kept on deposit at each, as follows: Citizens State Bank, $10 million; Banker’s Trust (Des Moines), $6.5 million; Ohnward Bank & Trust, $800,000; and Iowa Schools Joint Investment Trust (Des Moines), $5,000.

     • designated Strittmatter Law Firm, Ahlers & Cooney P.C., Gruhn Law Firm, and Lynch Dallas Law Firm to represent the district for personnel issues and a case-by-case basis for the board for the 2017-18 school year.

     • designated the Monticello Express as the board’s official publication for board minutes, listing of payments, etc.

     • approved the FFA fruit fundraiser bid of MinnTex Citrus.

     • appointed board member Dave Melchert as delegate to the Iowa Association of School Boards Convention.

     • appointed Bud Johnson to serve on the Jones County Conference Board.

     • determined that regular board meetings will be on the fourth Monday of the month at 6 p.m., and work sessions will be the second Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m., with additional work sessions as needed.

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