BOARD, WCCA finalize contract

The Red Oak School Board has approved an agreement with West Central Community Action for a preschool contracted services agreement.

Superintendent Tom Messinger said there had been some changes to the format.

“It’s now under the control of one of the teachers they hired. In the past, WCCA hired the teacher, and we kept a small portion of the money per kid to manage the program within our building,” Messinger said.

He added the program was switched to where the ROCSD hires the teacher, because WCCA was having a hard time getting and keeping teachers.

“We count and keep the full portion of the funding that is given through the state, and the teacher goes through professional development and through all the collaboration with our preschool teachers. The amount we pay costs a little bit more than the amount we bring in. We were less than $10,000 into the negative this year in preschool. WCCA is waiting to hear back. They have applied for and are hoping to receive a grant that would pay the difference between what we pay for the teacher and what we bring in. They believe they are going to get the grant, and if that is the case, we won’t be in the hole at all for Headstart,” Messinger said.

The board approved the agreement, with the only change from last year being the program will be run at the Washington Intermediate building.

The board also took action on the tear down of playground equipment and the hauling of rock from Inman Primary’s playground to Washington.

“We got one bid from The Green Tree Co.; this falls right in line with what we were told to expect to pay to have everything removed,” said Messinger.

The board approved the $9,800 bid from Green Tree. The board also discussed a sharing agreement with the Green Hills Area Education Association for a social worker for the 2019-20 school year.

“They have hired a person that we would get for one day a week. The cost to us would be less than $17,000, but we get to count three students for the operational sharing, so it would be a net financial gain for the district, and we would also get social worker services, which would be a benefit to the district,” commented Messinger.

He added the sharing agreement can be re-evaluated each year and could either be eliminated, or expanded.

“Green Hills Area Education Association is the holder of the contract, and it has been approved by the Department of Education to do it that way. She would likely be in the building the same day each week.”

The board approved the sharing agreement.

In other business, the board:

• Approved the contracts of before and after school paraprofessionals.

• Approved the resignation of para-educator Frank Hidalgo, effective at the end of the 2018-19 school year.

• Approved the resignation of high school football coach Tristan Johnson, effective at the end of the 2018-19 school year.

• Approved the resignation of bus driver Doug Moore, effective immediately.

• Approved the hiring of Josh Kippley as jr. high student council sponsor for the 2019-20 school year.

• Approved the hiring of Kendall Candor as middle school assistant football coach for the 2019-20 school year.

• Approved the hiring of Margaret Sondag as TLC grade level lead for the 2019-20 school year.

• Approved a contract for administrative assistant Tammi VanMeter for the 2019-20 school year.

• Approved a contract agreement adjustment with maintenance director Adam Wenberg for the 2019-20 school year.

• Approved the open enrollment request for Payton Doyle from the East Mills District to the Red Oak District for the 2019-20 school year.

• Approved the open enrollment request for Aaliyah Sterkel from the East Mills District to the Red Oak District for the 2019-20 school year.