Shauna Smith

Shauna Smith, incoming South Tama Superintendent Jared Smith’s choice for director of curriculum and student services, was approved by the school board at their regular meeting on Monday, May 21.

The new position replaces the Director of Special Education post held by Kym Stein which has been eliminated.

Smith will begin duties in August and will be paid $90,000 annually in the administrative position. Smith, the STC superintendent effective July 1, and Shauna Smith’s husband, Ben, are not related according to Mary Boege, district business manager and board secretary.

School board members Jackie Dvorak, Alan Kline, Mandy Lekin and Penny Tyynismaa were present. Member Ron Houghton was absent.

Contracts were also approved by the board on Monday for Jessica Bohnstengel, 5th grade; Morgan Ives, 3rd grade; Rachel Smith, assistant individual speech; and Dina Keahna, assistant 9th grade basketball coach.

Andrea Rutledge was named high school boys tennis for the 2019 season. The boys tennis program was suspended for 2018 due to lack of interest. It was previously reported to the board there was only one student signed up.

Resignations were accepted from: Jessica St. John, middle school English as Second Language teacher; Dustin Peska, 7th grade boys track coach; and Nate Van Dyke, 9th grade football coach.

Carla Coates was approved to transfer from 6th grade math teacher to 6th grade science teacher and Crystal Kephart was approved as a volunteer individual speech assistant.

Property Sale

Superintendent Jeff Berger reported the procedure for sale of school real estate as set out by board attorney Conner Wasson. A request had been received from Brenda Jackson to possibly buy the parking lot across from the former South Tama Primary School on East 9th Street in Tama. The lot borders Jackson’s home.

He said the process involves receiving a formal offer from a prospective buyer, a review by the board and a public hearing. The Iowa Code only requires any sale is to have “the board’s obligations to act in the best interest of the district.”

Berger said he the information had been provided to Jackson and he was unsure if she planned to proceed.

In other business, the board approved a new five-year program at a cost of $7,111 per month for copy system with Premier 360, Marshalltown. The new contract is projected to save a minimum of $367 monthly over the existing one which is expiring.