Board Finance & Facilities Committee Minutes – April 19, 2022

District Mission: The Sioux City Community School District exists to educate students to believe in their talents and skills, achieve academic excellence, and succeed in reaching their potential.

Facilitator: Dr. Paul Gausman

Secretary: Rosa Alfaro

The Board Finance & Facilities Committee (BF&F) met on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in the Educational Service Center Board Room. Copies of the Agenda and the following Executive Summaries were available:

  • Title VI Indian Education Grant Application
  • FY23 Curriculum Resources Fess, Student Fines (Textbooks), and Meal Prices
  • IREADY K-5
  • ALEKS
  • FY23 Cisco VolP Support
  • FY23 Software Licenses
  • Technology Fines
  • FY22 Construction Trades Building
  • FY22 Proposed Budget Amendment

Committee Members Present: Dr. Paul Gausman, Patty Blankenship, Tim Paul, and Dan Greenwell

Committee Members Absent: Perla Alarcon-Flory and Taylor Goodvin

Guests / Visitors: Jim Vanderloo, Dr. Brian Burnight, John Pritchard, Matt Basye, Angela Bemus, Dr. Dora Jung, and Rich Luze

Call to Order: Dr. Paul Gausman called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m.

Title VI Indian Education Grant Application: Dr. Dora Jung

  • Title VI Indian Education is an academic program designed to address the culturally related academic needs of American Indian and Alaska Native students.
  • The program works to improve graduation rates, attendance rates, and academic performance of the students served by the program.
  • The grant provides direct support to 415 Native American students from 28 federally recognized tribes by mentoring, tutoring, home visits, and family support services.
  • The preliminary FY23 grant amount is $101,408.
  • The recommendation is that the Board of Directors set a public hearing for May 9, 2022, at 6:00 p.m., local time, at the Educational Service Center, 627 4th Street, Sioux City, Iowa, to receive public input on the district’s Title VI Indian Education grant application.
  • This item will be on the agenda of the April 25, 2022 Board meeting.

FY23 Curriculum Resources Fees, Student Fines (Textbooks), and Meal Prices: Patty Blankenship, Dr. Brian Burnight, Jim Vanderloo

  • The district provides curriculum resources, including textbooks, digital texts and companion materials, software packages, and other items for students.
  • The current curriculum resources fees are $34 for elementary school and $100 for middle and high schools.
  • The administration is proposing no changes to the curriculum fees.
  • The current fine schedule for lost or severely damaged textbooks is as follows:
    • Year 1 and 2 – 100% replacement cost
    • Year 3 – 75% replacement cost
    • Beyond 3 years – 50% replacement cost
  • The administration is proposing no changes to the above fine schedule.
  • The administration is proposing an increase in food service meal prices.
  • The proposed increase is $0.10 to lunch, $0.10 to breakfast for elementary and middle schools, and $0.15 to breakfast for high schools.
  • The proposed 2022-2023 lunch prices are $3.05 for elementary school, $3.40 for middle school, and $3.50 for high school.
  • The proposed 2022-2023 breakfast prices are $2.05 for elementary school, $2.20 for middle school, and $2.25 for high school.
  • The administration is proposing no changes to instruments or other bus transportation fees.
  • The recommendation is that the Board of Directors approves the FY23 curriculum resources fees, student fines (textbooks), and meal prices.
  • This item will be on the agenda of the April 25, 2022 Board meeting.

IREADY K-5: Angela Bemus

  • The district math committee has identified the need for an adaptive online mathematics program to meet students at their level.
  • Funding source: FY23 ESSER III Intervention/Learning Loss
  • The recommendation is that the Board of Directors approves a three-year contract with IREADY for $553,733.30 using ESSER III FY23 funds intervention/learning loss.
  • This item will be on the agenda of the April 25, 2022 Board meeting.

ALEKS: Angela Bemus

  • The district math committee has identified the need for an adaptive online mathematics program to students at their level.
  • Aleks provides online math support for grades 6-12.
  • Funding source: FY23 ESSER III Intervention/Learning Loss
  • The recommendation is that the Board of Directors approves a three-year contract with ALEKS for grades 6-12 for $533.565.00 using ESSER III FY23 funds intervention/learning loss.
  • This item will be on the agenda of the April 25, 2022 Board meeting.

FY23 Cisco VolP: John Pritchard

  • The district purchased a Cisco VolP phone system through Marco in 2017 with a Cisco five-year support program. The support program includes software updates and support calls. The support contract expires in FY23.
  • The Technology Department received quotes from Marco and Heartland Business Systems. The low quote was from Heartland Business Systems.
  • Funding source: General Fund
  • The recommendation is that the Board of Directors approves the Cisco VolP three-year support contact with Heartland Business Systems for $198,727.
  • This item will be on the agenda of the April 25, 2022 Board meeting.

FY23 Software Licenses: John Pritchard

  • The district utilizes a variety of curricular and administrative software for operations.
  • The software includes inventory tracking, security and filtering, financial tracking, learning management systems, substitute management, professional development, recruiting, communications, curricular presentation, and coding systems.
  • The estimated cost of the annual software licenses is $1.1 million.
  • John will add an excel list with the current year and estimated FY23 cost.
  • Funding source: General Fund and ESSER
  • The recommendation is that the Board of Directors approves the FY23 software license renewals.
  • This item will be on the agenda of the April 25, 2022 Board meeting.

Technology Fines: John Pritchard

  • To establish student and staff fines for lost and damaged devices and adapters (technology fines).
  • The Technology Department is making the following recommendations for students:
  • Device loss $250
  • Adapter loss $20
  • Restrictive filters will be applied until the fine is paid.
  • The Technology Department is recommending that staff be charged $20 for lost adapters.
  • The recommendation is that the Board of Directors approves implementation of the recommended fines to be placed in the Parent/Student Handbook.
  • This item will be on the agenda of the April 25, 2022 Board meeting.

FY22 Construction Trades Building: Tim Paul

  • The district requested plans and specifications for the construction of the Construction
  • Trades Building to be located on the Harry Hopkins site.
  • The building will provide students with a controlled environment to learn the construction trades.
  • Jim Vanderloo discussed the education program.
  • Funding source: ESSER III
  • The recommendation is that the Board of Directors approves the plans, specifications, and estimated costs, including architectural fees, provided by FEH Design of Sioux City, Iowa, of $4,000,000.00 for the construction of the district’s Construction Trade Building and set a public hearing date.
  • This item will be on the agenda of the April 25, 2022 Board meeting.

FY22 Proposed Budget Amendment: Patty Blankenship

  • Formal and legal budgetary control for the certified budget is based on four major classes of expenditures known as functions. These four functions are instruction, support services, non-instructional programs, and other expenditures.
  • The proposed budget amendment will increase instruction by $3,315,000, total support services by $1,852,000, non-instructional programs by $96,000, and total other expenditures by $15,511,000.
  • This budget amendment is due to ESSER II and III and the Governor’s teacher retention bonus expenditures, and a bond refunding.
  • The natural classification (salaries, supplies, etc.) will be added to the presentation.
  • Funding source: All Funds
  • The recommendation is that the Board of Directors sets a public hearing for May 9, 2022, at 6:00 p.m., local time, at the Educational Service Center, 627 4th Street, Sioux City, Iowa, to receive public input on the district’s FY22 Proposed Budget Amendment.
  • This item will be on the agenda of the April 25, 2022 Board meeting.

Finance Report for March – Revenues and Expenditures: Patty Blankenship

  • The March finance report was briefly reviewed.
  • This item will be on the agenda of the April 25, 2022 Board meeting.

The next meeting of the Board Finance & Facilities Committee will be Monday, May 2, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. in the ESC Board Room.

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