On April 19, the South Tama School Board met to discuss the upcoming middle school to be built, wage increases for staff as well as the 2020-2021 financial audit.

There will be package increases for all support staff. The board determined that Mercer Trust is not financially beneficial to the district and that they will be switching to Mark Becker and Associates in the future. These design plan changes will cause savings in the long term resulting in salary increases for staff.

Total package increases came to a cost of $273,138, with new money coming into the school next year at $158,692 resulting in a loss of $114,446 that will be recouped in the coming years.

South Tama has been looking to fill the assistant principal/athletics director position, and so far, 13 applications have been received. Ideas have ranged from separating the positions, continuing to have them operate as one or changing the position to just assistant principal. The board could not come to a conclusion and pushed back the decision to be made at a later date.

Engineering consultant ISG met with the board to present dates that pertain to the upcoming middle school building project. Under the tentative timeline, planning and programming should be complete by June 27, schematic design should be wrapped up by August 19, design development should be complete by October 28, construction documents should be complete by January 13, 2023, and bidding should start in February.

IN OTHER BUSINESS, the board:

Approved the 2020-2021 financial audit.

Approved first reading of board policies 707.5Internal Controls and 710.1 School Nutrition Program.

Approved the second reading of board policies 703.1Budget Planning and 707.2 Treasurer’s Annual Report.

Approved the hire of new math teacher Jared Bridgewater.