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Fieldcrest Board Meeting Summary

Thursday, September 28, 2023 Posted by Superintendent David Johnson

The following is a summary of the Fieldcrest School Board meeting held on September 27, 2023. Please note, these are informal notes from the board meeting to help keep the community and staff members informed of district happenings. If you would like to read the official agenda or other board documents, go to the following website. https://www.unit6.org/board_of_education/board_meeting_documents. Official minutes are not typically approved and published until the next board meeting

As part of the budget hearing, Braiden Skinner shared the fund balances as of 7/1/23 and the FY24 budget. Details of the balanced budget can be found on the Fieldcrest website https://www.unit6.org/district_information/financial_information

Intermediate School Principal, Nate Lorton, and teacher, Heather Hamer, shared the Book Tasting Activity that was done on September 1st as part of the first week of school. This school wide activity allowed students to gain knowledge in all genres of books as well as got them moving throughout the building which was great for the 3rd graders and other new students in the building.

Public Comments - There were no public comments.

Auditors shared their report of FY23 budget and financial statements. The auditor reviewed the same information Braiden Skinner shared in the budget hearing. There were no findings in the audit. The conclusion was it is a balanced budget, with no deficit reduction plan required. The education budgeted revenues are $13.3 million while the education budgeted expenses are $13.1 million.

Board voted to approved:

Financial and Personnel items
FY24 budget as presented in the budget hearing.
Theatre Festival and FFA Convention which are overnight field trips and gave support to the upcoming EF Tours trip to Ireland in the summer of 2024. This is a non-school event, but is organized by a Fieldcrest teacher who wants to provide travel opportunities for kids beyond the school.
Hazardous walking route for students in Wenona. By identifying this walking route as hazardous, the district can provide transportation for these students and get state funding.
Bus Lease for the 2024-26 school years. 4 full size buses each at $32,785 annually, 4 full size with luggage storage each at $33,975 annually, and one 14 passenger activity bus at $23,257 will be leased from Central States Bus Sales, Inc.
Early Graduation Requests for 7 high school seniors. These seniors will graduate in January and start college or their career early.

Mr. Johnson shared:

The board will be meeting on Wednesday, October 18th from 6 to 8 pm at the high school for a board retreat. The retreat will focus on updating the district's strategic plan. This is an open meeting to the public, so all are welcome.
The Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) that meet every Wednesday started the year working on creating meeting norms and setting team goals. These documents were recent reviewed by administration and found that the teams were focusing on the essential questions that they should be:
What do we want our students to learn?
How will we know when each student has learned it?
How do we respond if a student has difficulty in learning?
How do we respond when students exceed expectations in learning?

Principals shared:

All principals shared that the school year is going well and the routines have been established. Required emergency drills are being completed.
Mr. Chaplin shared that the new kindergarteners are learning about the school and adjusting to this big change in their life. To go along with the homecoming theme next week, the Primary School will be having a tailgate to celebrate the week.
Mr. Lorton talked about an upcoming event called "Donuts with Grown Ups" that allows students to bring a parent or significant adult to school and enjoy a donut. The Intermediate school also enjoyed Casey's pizza a few weeks ago when Casey's donated pizzas to the school to feed the students and staff.
Mr. Hall shared that softball and baseball have ended, but that girls basketball has started and boys will be starting soon. He is still looking for a boys 7th grade coach. A Good News campaign is starting soon at the Middle School. Teachers will share good news with Mr. Hall and he will be calling home to share the news with parents.
Mr. Burdette is preparing for homecoming week. On Friday, September 29th, the high school will be starting the day with an assembly to start the homecoming spirit early. The assembly will include celebrations and games. Last week the staff enjoyed a potluck lunch prior to an afternoon of staff meetings. The lunch was an opportunity for staff members to connect in a more personal way.
Last year, 47 of 48 students who took a Dual Credit class earned college credit.

Next regular meeting…Wednesday, October 25, 2023 in Wenona.

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Fieldcrest Board Meeting Summary