Note: This information was posted prior to the winter storm predicted for Mnoday, Feb. 11, and may be updated.

By John Speer

Editor

jspeer@tamatoledonews.com

“If the weather holds” is the phrase which appears is going to determine what the rest of the school term will look like for South Tama students and staff.

As part of the special session of the STC School Board on Monday night, Feb. 4, Superintendent Jared Smith outlined what is believed to be the preferred way to deal with the six days of no school due to weather this winter.

“There’s no easy answer,” Smith observed. He said if additional school closings occur then the proposed solution will at least be partially subject to adjustment.

Because of the requirement for 1,080 instructional hours in the classroom for students, the district is two days (six and one-half hours each day) short of this based upon the orignal last school day being May 24.

Smith’s recommendation, based upon consultation with staff and varying factors including planned vacation time to make up the days is:

Thursday, April 18, the day added for the vacation which falls around the Easter weekend will be a school day instead this year. School will not be in session on Good Friday nor on Monday, April 22.

In addition, six of the student early-out Wednesdays for staff development will be eliminated gaining the other six and one-half hours needed. Smith said he was reluctant to eliminate all 12 of the early-out days because he is seeing benefits resulting from the development time.

Influencing the schedule is a desire to not have school days past Memorial Day because of pre-planned June vacations.

Board President Penny Tyynismaa also pointed out summer sports schedules might be in conflict with school running into the month of June.

Meskwaki Settlement School

It’s a similar case for the Meskwaki Settlement School with classes already expected to run to May 30, Superintendent Willie Barney reported last week. The Settlement School also had lost six days due to weather and was three days short in the master schedule.

Barney cautioned this was the plan if there are no more snow days as well.

Extend Superintendent’s Contract

The two-year contract of Superintendent Smith was extended on a 5-0 voice vote of the board Monday night through the 2020-21 fiscal year ending June 30.

Smith took over July 1 from Jeff Berger who took his name out of consideration for the post. He served one-year.

In ther business the board:

accepted the retirement resignations of Zelda Cecak, middle school principal’s secretary and Theresa Walton, middle school nurse, both effective at the end of the current school year.

approve Leah Fonua as assistant varsity (9th grade) volleyball coach for fall 2019.

approved sign bids for the Administration Building at 1702 Harding, Tama: “monument” lighted 4 Ft. X 6 ft. sign $5,584; and non-lit building directional signs at a total cost of $2,207. The building currently has no signage. The board also approved painting it this summer.