News : VS School Board to meet second Monday of each month

As required by law, the Vinton-Shellsburg School Board went through the process of retiring the old school board, and installing the new school board, during its meeting on Monday.

This process takes place after each school board election. The new board, of course, is the same as the old board, since all four incumbents who were up for election ran unopposed.

The board does, however, have new leadership. The members elected Sue Gates as President and Rob Levis as Vice President.

The meeting also included the following:

• Brenda Bartz, Tim Bird, Angela Hazen and Megan Rickels were sworn in for four-year terms.
• Jim Struve provided an update on the participation rates in VSHS sports and fine arts.
• Two FFA officers shared their 2011-12 program and goals.
• Tilford Principal Jim Murray updated the board on the implementation of the new math series and other building initiatives.
• VSMS Principal Shelly Petersen shared information about the PBIS work the MS is doing along with her plans to take a small team of teachers to present at a special education conference about our literacy work.
• Kim Meyer updated the board about several technology items including the challenges with wireless.
• Ryan Davis shared about activities at Shellsburg and the alternative high school.
• VSHS Principal Matt Kingsbury provided an overview of the homecoming activities and other building work.
• Superintendent Mary Jo Hainstock shared a overview of our Annual Progress Report, highlighting the gains in achievement made at the elementary and middle school last year. "ITBS/ITED certainly do not measure everything. But they are a common measure that many people use and many of our students had a positive year," said Hainstock.
• The Administrative Team presented an initial list of PPEL expenditures and asked that the board allow us to proceed. The list included addressing the wireless issues in the building, purchasing software for time cards, updating the clock system at Tilford and the MS, purchasing low voltage protection units, and consider the possible purchase of a new student accounting system and resurfacing the track (the last two are in the preliminary stages).
• The board accepted a bid for a Blue Bird bus for $74,848 with possible trade in.