The Broadus School Board Trustees met for their regularly scheduled monthly meeting on June 10th.
The first major agenda item on the docket for the evening was the hiring of 6th grade teacher Elizabeth Marcaurele, as well as hiring Michelle Reaves for summer custodial work, and Stephanie Roberts as concession stand manager. Frank Benson was hired as JH football coach, and Jamie Harper as head girls basketball coach. The spring sports coaches were also hired (these hiring always take place after the seasons conclude, while the fall and winter seasons generally take place in April). Stacy Hagedorn was hired as JH track coach, Faith Dyrud as HS track coach, and Chad Gatlin as head golf coach, as well as Rick Gatlin as assistant golf coach.
Next on the agenda was the approval of various handbooks, including the certified teacher’s handbook, classified handbook, transportation handbook, crisis handbook, student handbook, and activities handbook.
The process for handbook approval generally takes several meetings of the handbook committee with parents and faculty, and then it often takes several hours of discussion within the board meeting to iron out the details.
This meeting was no different, as this year a number of items were changed in the handbooks, particularly anything regarding the start and end of the school day, which will be extended slightly in the coming year; those times needed updated in the handbooks.
The cell phone policy in the student handbook was changed; in the coming year, students will be required to place their phones or devices on silent and into a phone holder located in each classroom as they enter the class, only removing the device upon leaving the class between class periods.
The previous electronic device policy was dependent on each teacher to make their own decision on device usage. As English teacher Jacy Collins explained at the meeting, this policy created issues when students would use the policies of some teachers against others, and an across the board policy would likely help to remedy these incidents.
Superintendent Hansen noted that a number of schools have essentially shut down the use of personal electronics by students during the school day. Miles City has a similar policy to what Broadus is now enacting.
Another handbook modification of note includes a change to eligibility which makes for stricter guidelines for those eligible to play sports or other activities. Current guidelines make a student ineligible if they hold an “F”, or 59% or less, in one class.
The new guidelines will show that if a student has a “D” (60-69%) in two classes, that student will be ineligible. Ineligible students will also attend “Academic SOS” class, which requires meeting with a teacher twice a week to work on their grades.
Work study guidelines were also updated to make for stricter rules on ensuring students are at their assigned place of work.
The dress code, always a hot topic of discussion, was updated to allow the wear of spandex shorts, with the committee citing the reason that spandex shorts are allowed for sports such as volleyball.
Hearing from the Building and Grounds Committee, the board voted that apartment openings would first be available for those without a permanent residence. Renters will be charged an additional 10% per year if they stay four years or more in an apartment. If a staff member living in one of the school’s apartments is using it as a secondary residence, as in the case of some staff who have residences far from town, their payment rate will increase from the maximum rate plus 10% per year (those rates are currently set at 300, 400, or 500 dollars per month depending on the unit.
The next regular monthly meeting will take place in August.
Reader Comments(0)