Dorchester Times: School Board Minutes: Nearly $28,000 In Hail Damage At DPS

Friday, April 24, 2009

School Board Minutes: Nearly $28,000 In Hail Damage At DPS

(The following minutes are from the April 9 Dorchester Board of Education meeting. They appear as submitted to the Times by school administration staff.)

President Brad Havlat called the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Education of Saline County School District 76-0044, a.k.a. as Dorchester Public Schools, to order at 8:03 pm on Monday, April 13, 2009. All members were present along with Superintendent Brian Redinger, Principal Mitch Kubicek, Joyce Karl and Scott Pohl, AD. Motion by Boller, second by Hansen to approve minutes of the March regular meeting. Members voting yes to approve the March minutes were Boller, Hansen, Bors, Zoubek, Kahle and Havlat. Motion passed by a vote of 6-0.

Visitors present were Susie Morris and Ben Haufle.

After verification of publication of the meeting notice in The Crete News, local postings of the meeting notice (Dorchester Schools, Farmers Coop, First State Bank and the Village Office) and the advanced receipt of the meeting agenda and other meeting materials by individual board members, the President stipulated that meeting minutes should reflect that this meeting was held in compliance with the NE Open Meetings Law. It was also noted the Open Meeting Act Poster is posted in the boardroom.

Request for a change of agenda as follows: Discussion and action to approve the resignation of Traci Parr, ELL and K-12 Spanish teacher, effective the end of the current school year.

The March Treasurer’s Report was reviewed. Motion by Bors, second by Zoubek to approve the March Report. Voting yes were Bors, Zoubek, Boller, Hansen, Kahle and Havlat. Motion passed 6-0.
Motion to approve the March 2009 end of the month and April 2009 general fund expenditures was made by Kahle, second by Hansen. (A complete list of expenditures are available in the school office.) Voting yes were Kahle, Hansen, Bors, Zoubek, Boller and Havlat. Motion passed 6-0.

Committee Reports:

Wellness Committee: A meeting was held March 24, 2009 at 6:30 pm. In attendance were administration, board members, food service staff, parents and students. The physical education program was discussed along with the Safe Walk grant. Concerns were voiced about the summer weight program. Also discussed was the sale of high sugar content snacks and efforts to improve the selection of healthy snacks at the concession stand. Differences between Offer versus Serve were explained to the group. Our cafeteria utilizes the Offer system with students taking at least 3 of 5 items offered versus the Serve system where students are served all items. Students will be encouraged to eat what is on their plate, but not required. If parents have any concerns or requests, they are asked to contact the school.

Building/Grounds Committee: Mr. Redinger reported that adjusters had completed inspection of the buildings and vehicles after the hail storm. $25,484.00 worth of damage was done to the school building, shed and shop with $2,400.00 worth of damage done to vehicles. The playground equipment project will take place later in June/July.

Principal’s Report:

* APEX will be utilized this summer for credit recovery. Mr. Kubicek will coordinate and supervise this 4 week, 12 session program. The summer session is set to begin July 23rd. This program will provide students the opportunity to earn 5 or more credits with the ability to do assignments/homework off site with Internet access. Testing will be conducted on site under supervision. Individualized classes will be offered.

*Lynn Herr at ESU#6 has asked Mr. Kubicek to create a Learning Web Team. This team will attend NETA this spring. They will develop a project that will incorporate technology into the classroom while providing feedback for both students and teachers. This group will then be presenting at NETA in 2010. Costs will be covered by an ESU#6 grant.

*Dorchester was scheduled as an April ACT testing site. Due to low registration at our location, it was cancelled. Our location is still an option in June and through 2010.

*NeSA Reading is a new statewide reading test that all NE students in grades 3-8 and 11 will take beginning the spring of 2009-10. This will be an online test with an option to paper/pencil test. Student and school results will be publicly reported.

*New graduation requirements being implemented with the graduating class of 2012.

*Otter Creek has been implemented for 2 weeks for grades 1-9. Base line data has been collected and student performance will be tracked on a weekly basis.

*Handbook previews were given to the Board so discussion and action can take place at the May 11th Board meeting. Changes to include: 1) 9th hour is an extension of the school day – each missed hour will require an hour at Saturday school; 2) Prom and Homecoming will be considered as extra curricular activities; 3) rotating study hall to include Junior High students with non-band students enrolled in a Study Skills Class; 4) dress code to include no coats or jackets worn in classrooms and 5) ending the school day at 3:30 pm with all teachers being in their classrooms from 3:35 pm through 3:45 pm to increase teacher accessibility.

Superintendent’s Report:

*A Community Coffee is scheduled for May 4th at 7:30 am in the School Library.

*IDEA funds and stimulus dollars were reported.

*Gym renovation project was discussed.

Unfinished Business:

Discussion regarding summer building projects was held. Topic will be tabled until future meeting.

New Business:

Motion by Kahle, second by Bors to revise graduation requirements beginning with the Class of 2012. Voting yes were Kahle, Bors, Hansen, Boller, Zoubek and Havlat. Motion passed 6-0.

Sale or disposal of unused/outdated school property was discussed. The Board asked Mr. Redinger to go ahead with a public sale.

Motion by Hansen, second by Zoubek to approve Secondary Social Studies contract offered to Kyle Steinkuhler for the 2009-10 school year. Voting yes were Hansen, Zoubek, Kahle, Boller, Bors and Havlat. Motion passed 6-0.

Motion by Kahle, second by Bors to approve K-12 Physical Education contract to Jake Snodgrass for the 2009-10 school year. Voting yes were Kahle, Bors, Zoubek, Boller, Hansen and Havlat. Motion passed 6-0. Motion by Bors, second by Hansen to accept the resignation of Traci Parr, ELL and K-12 Spanish Teacher at the end of the 2008/2009 school year. Voting yes were Bors, Hansen, Zoubek, Boller, Kahle and Havlat. Motion passed 6-0.

Motion by Boller, second by Zoubek to adjourn to executive session at 9:45 pm. All Board members voted aye. Motion by Hansen, second by Kahle to return to regular session at 11:26 pm. Voting yes were Hansen, Kahle, Bors, Zoubek, Boller and Havlat. Motion passed 6-0.

The next regular monthly meeting of the Dorchester Board of Education will be Monday, May 11, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. Motion by Hansen, second by Kahle to adjourn at 11:26 pm. Voting yes were Hansen, Kahle, Bors, Zoubek, Boller and Havlat. Motion passed 6-0.

Ron Kahle
(s) Ron Kahle, Secretary of the Board of Education

4 comments:

Fulton St. GalApril 24, 2009 at 5:34 PM
I'm very interested in what the new graduating criteria will be in 2012. I hope things are made tougher, not easier. Our kids are being dumbed down constantly by media and lousy parenting.
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousApril 24, 2009 at 8:02 PM
I am very sad to hear Mrs. Parr is leaving. My children always enjoyed her---she will be missed!!!
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousApril 27, 2009 at 8:34 AM
dumbed down by the media huh? interesting
ReplyDelete
Replies
AnonymousMay 2, 2009 at 9:48 AM
I had the opportunity to visit your village last evening and attend the elementary music program. Congratulations to Kathy Jezl as well as the elementary students for a fine evening of entertainment. The art display was as fine of display as you would find in a school many times your size. Your village has been blessed with a thriving school system. Please continue to support this school system as many small towns in my area have lost their identity to large consolidated systems.

Nebraska Native
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Village Dweller checks all reader comments to determine if they are appropriate for print.

Dorchester: A Good Little Family Town

Dorchester, Nebraska (est. population 630) is located in northern Saline county. Close in proximity to Interstate 80, Dorchester is only 25 minutes from the state capital of Lincoln (est. population 250,000) and about 55 minutes from Omaha (metro population 725,000).

Dorchester's median resident age is 37 years. In 2005, Dorchester had a median family income of approximately $35,600. The median house value was about $63,000. About 95 percent of Dorchester residents commute to work via Interstate and highways.

The village has a quality public school, which received a $4.1 million expansion and modernization in 2008; it offers a small classrooms and individualized attention. Total enrollment of grades K-12 is around 230-250 students.

Ancestries of the Dorchester area are primarily German (42.4%), Czech (24.9%), Irish (12.5%), English (5.4%), and Dutch (4.9%).

Dorchester Historical Facts

* On July 4, 1871, the railroad reached Dorchester.
* Incorporated in 1881, Dorchester's population grew from 200 to 500 by 1882.
* In 1882, Dorchester had 90 buildings, 35 of which were businesses or public facilities. Brick buildings lined both sides of Washington Avenue for two blocks.
* Dorchester's longest-running newspaper was The Dorchester Star, which was published until the late 1940s.
* By 1889, Dorchester's population is said to have reached 800, while the town housed an opera house, a two-story brick schoolhouse with a bell tower, and four churches.
* By the 1910s, Dorchester had electricity, a water tower and a fire department.
* Dorchester's main arteries, Highways 6 and 33, were graveled in the 1940s.
* Dorchester's first irrigation well was drilled on Chris Weber's farm and rural electrification was finished following WWII.

A Village with History

Dorchester is one of the "alphabet towns" on the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad line built west from Lincoln. The town site was selected for its pleasant location in the northern part of Saline County, about eight miles west of Crete. This situation is an attractive one, being on the level prairie land, midway between the West Blue River and Turkey Creek. The first named stream is three miles north, and the latter about the same distance south from the town. Dorchester was platted in 1870 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Dorchester" came from either for a suburb of Boston by that name or a town in England. No one is sure. Two of the very first settlers were James Seely and Edward McIntyre, who both made Dorchester their permanent home.

Dorchester: In The Beginning

Here is a look at Dorchester around 1890, less than a decade after its official incorporation, as documented by Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska:
* POPULATION: "About 300, and is made up of a substantial and progressive class of citizens, who are moral and industrious. ... The town grew but very little until the year 1879, for the reason that Pleasant Hill, on Turkey Creek, a short distance south, was the county seat and naturally drew a trade for quite a large scope of country."
* BUSINESS: "The business and professional interests of the town are represented by three general merchandise stores, two drug, one grocery, one furniture, two hardware, and two millinery stores, one bank, two restaurants, two hotels, three livery stables, a post office, one newspaper office, two elevators, two lumber yards, two coal yards, two blacksmith shops, two lawyers and four physicians."
* SCHOOL: "The schoolhouse is a good one. The schoolhouse was built in 1872, since which time the public schools have been continually kept up. The present schoolhouse is 24' x 40' in size, two stories high. The school is graded and consists of three departments. The house is found too small, and arrangements will soon be made to increase its size."
* CHURCHES: "There are three substantial churches."
* HOMES: "The residence portion of the village is made up of neat houses of different styles of architecture, but none of them very large."
* NEWSPAPER: "The Dorchester Star, which was established August 21, 1881, by H. C. Bittenbender, who edited it until January 19, 1882, when he sold it to Ryerson & Bullock, the present proprietors. The Star is a bright weekly paper, five-column quarto, in size, and is Republican in politics."