South Tama School Board members (seated) Michelle Yuska, president and Mark McFate, vice president. (L-r standing) Jackie Dvorak, Alan Kline and Penny Tyynismaa. -STC photo

The South Tama School Board met Monday, Dec. 21, at the Professional Learning Room in the Partnership Center, Tama, and approved members on the School Improvement Advisory Committee (SIAC).

The School Improvement Advisory Committee serves as an advisory group with the purpose of enhancing the relationship between the district and the South Tama Community.

The committee meets to review the district needs assessment data and make recommendations to the school board regarding major educational needs, student learning goals and long range goals and indicators for content areas.

The SIAC Committee members representing staff and administrators are Mary Jones, Superintendent, Ben Adams, Brent Bagnall, Scott Bolen, Melody Cole, Nancy Dostal, Laura Edwards, Jeff Funk, Laura Galvez, Abby Gard, Travis Gratteau-Zinnel, Jon Huebner, Marsha Keahna, Seth Koch, Karen Mixdorf, Michelle Morgan, Kim Nelson, Deloris Ryan, Jessica St. John, Joy Schirmer, Amy Stewart, Ian Tayner and Kathy Wilkerson.

Student representatives are Garrett Arp, Mitch Knock, Cally Frakes, Clarissa Rosenberger, Megan Mann and Mckenna Knock. Parents and community members are Julie Berger, Carrie Musgrave, Brian Oliver, Sally Slaven and Denise Thomazin.

The SIAC Committee members are approved by the board of education and the committee is required to meet at least once a year. This year the committee plans to meet on a regular basis each month.

Staff Retirement Incentive

By board policy, the Board must officially decline to offer a retirement incentive policy if the Board does not want to offer the program in any given year. The decision to decline or to offer should be based on various factors such as the district’s ability to pay, past practice, the number of people it would potentially impact and the benefit to staff.

Retirement incentives can now be paid totally out of the management fund.

The district did offer the incentive in 2015. In 2010 there were a large number of retirements due to an increase in the amount offered. In 2011 the district used the one-time ARRA funds for this purpose.

There is the potential for three or more employees eligible for the incentive. Currently no retirement requests have been received.

There has been a change in the law that makes it more advantageous to consider offering the plan, however, the relevant factors should not be discussed as the decision is made. There may be merit in limiting the number of incentives offered this year.

The normal age for retirement is after age 65. There is no mandatory retirement date for any employee, however, all employees are expected and required to be capable of performing job responsibilities for their position.

Retirement incentives are on file at the District Administration Office, 1702 Harding, Tama, and are available for public inspection.

Impact Aid

The Impact Aid Indian Policies and Procedures were reviewed. ” It is the mission of the South Tama Schools to provide a rich academic, student centered education that results in success for all learners” according to a policy statement. The policies and procedures discussed related to Indian parental and tribal involvement in the education programs of the South Tama School District.

Impact Aid funds are based on the number of students served by the STC School District whose parents live or work on federal lands. Since Federal Land or Indian Reservation Land is a nontaxable entity and cannot generate funds for a Local Education Agency, Impact Aid dollars are given in lieu of these local taxes to help support the impacted Local Education Agency.

In other business:

a contract was approved for Dave Wacha as bus driver, effective January, 2016 at $28.85 per hour.

the Board met before the regular meeting in closed session to discuss a confidential student discipline issue.