New fee schedule narrowly passes

   The 2023-24 fee schedule for the Monticello Community School District created some discussion – and some disagreement – during Monticello School Board’s regular meeting May 22.

   The fees, which included a $5 increase for what are called “book fees,” passed by a 3-2 margin.

   The schedule includes optional items such as padlocks and instrument rental, and incidentals such as fines and athletic punch cards.

   But it also includes basics such as food service fees, Panther Academy and preschool tuition, and book fees.

   It was the latter – which cannot be called “registration fees” under Iowa law – that came under contention. Superintendent Brian Jaeger suggested that the fees be raised $5 to help with the district’s budget deficit, going to $55 for elementary students, $70 for middle school students, and $80 for high school students.

   The last time the fees were raised was during the 2013-14 school year.

   The item was originally part of the consent agenda, but was pulled out by Jaeger because he said he didn’t want it to go by without discussion.

   Board member Amanda Brenneman was not in favor of the increase, stating she opposed raising the fees just because “it seems like everything else has to go up.”

   Board members Craig Stadtmueller, Mandy Norton and John Schlarmann all voted in favor of the fee schedule; Mark Rieken and Brenneman voted against.

In other board business:

   • The board approved cancelling the July 12 work session in order to allow board and staff members more summer family time. The July work session has been called off for at least seven years in a rowl

   • The board approved first reading of four board policies, pertaining to care, maintenance and disposal of school district records; employee records regulations, transfer of funds, and the deletion of a credit card policy, because the district had two, one of which was updated last year.

   • As part of the consent agenda, the board approved several personnel appointments, including Jayden Kuper, Ryanna Devaney, Madilynn Kromminga and Nicholas Simmons as summer Panther Academy associates; Todd Hospodarsky, Kelli Osterkamp, Heather Hansen, Breanna Welter and Rebecca DeWitte as “critical friends” for new teachers; Tanya Manternach and Angie Kurt-Sconsa as teacher mentors; Dana Hansen and Stephanie LaBarge as summer custodians, and Jack Lambert and Carson Lambert as seasonal maintenance workers.

   The board also approved a lengthy list of summer reading program co-coordinators, facilitators, and teachers, including Jean Kehoe, Angie Fairley, Tricia Lambert, Elizabeth Moon, Cindy Savage, Rileigh Newhard, Breanna Welter, Karen Brokaw, Jennifer Claussen, Scotty Hall, Stacy Campbell and Lindsay Ryan.

   • The board approved the list of high school athletics fundraisers and field trips, as well as the Panther Academy summer field trips.

   • The board approved the bread bid of Pan-O-Gold and the milk bid of Prairie Farms Dairy for the 2023-24 school year.