The Lennox School Board met July 10 and swore in three members for another term.
Board members Scott Sandal, Heidi Bowers and Melissa Daugherty were sworn in for another board term. Sandal was elected board president and Renae Buehner was elected vice president.
The board approved the resignation of Trevor Schroeder as high school math teacher and assistant football coach and Michelle Styke for foodservice. They approved the new contract for Corey Sayler as LWC Intermediate fifth grade math and science teacher, as well as the new work agreements for Mindy Fischer for high school general education assistant and ELL, Trinity Johnson for Lennox Elementary special education assistant and Kelly Shiell for Lennox Elementary special education assistant.
Superintendent Chad Conaway said the district has been approached about putting in a propane fill station at the high school for the buses. A possible grant would pay for the installation minus the three-phase power.
He also noted that the HVAC projects are progressing on schedule. They did have to remove some asbestos around drain pipes in Worthing during the project so the building is now asbestos free.
The parking lot improvement project is looking to be done by the end of the month.
Business manager Angela Arlt provided a budget hearing for the 2024 fiscal year. The budget accounts for new curriculum purchases for reading, English and language arts, along with laptops, software licenses and desktops. It also includes funds for HVAC projects, concrete projects, paint, water fountains, gym doors and rugs. The budget also includes a propane bus and suburban, along with football helmets, uniforms, warmups, band instruments and tennis courts. The board adopted the budget for fiscal year 2024.
The board approved voting for Ryan Rollinger of Harrisburg and Adam Shaw of Madison Central for the SDHSAA election.
Clayton Wulf will serve as the representative for the Lennox review board, Renae Buehner will be on Worthing and Melissa Daugherty will be the Chancellor rep.
Board members were appointed to various committees - long-range planning: Buehner, Sandal and Nick Butler; policy review: Sandal, Buehner and Daugherty; finance: Yvette Christion, Bowers and Daugherty; and negotiations: Wulf, Butler and Bowers.
Board members reported conflicts of interest. Bowers’ son is a wrestling coach; Butler’s wife is the Carroll Institute executive director and son is working for the district this summer; and superintendent Chad Conaway will be serving on the board of directors.
They approved the handbooks for Totally Kids and Sunshine Preschool, as well as a $2 a week increase to Totally Kids school year rates.
The board approved the following designations: Robert’s Rules of Order for parliamentary procedure; Valley Exchange Bank, Security Bank, First Interstate Bank and First Bank & Trust as official depositories; board president, vice president and business manager as authorized signatures for the district and foodservice checking accounts and business manager and superintendent for all other bank accounts and the safety deposit box; business manager to invest and borrow money; business manager as custodian of the private purpose trust and custodial accounts; business manager to pay the electric, natural gas, water, telephone, credit card(s) and approved leases as they come due; business manager and superintendent as official purchasing agents for the district; The Lennox Independent as the official newspaper; superintendent to institute the school lunch program; superintendent as federal program director and director of student services as administrator of the Title I program; superintendent and business manager as official signature for the Title I program; superintendent to close school in emergency situations and in case of inclement weather and to set a chain of command in the superintendent’s absence; superintendent as truancy officer for the district; appoint KSB Law (Tyler Coverdale) and Churchill, Manolis, Freeman, Kludt & Burns LLP (Rodney Freeman) as legal counsel for the district; and Chad Allison as Title IX coordinator.
The board also approved some financial designations: laptop user fee of $30 or $40 with school insurance; staff mileage and meal reimbursement rates will follow current state rates; student meals for travel are breakfast $7, lunch $10 and dinner $12; activity and admission prices remain the same.
The board suggested increasing the business manager’s bond up to $1 million if the insurers will allow it. She is currently bonded at $300,000.
They approved their board meetings as the second Monday of each month with the exception of the July 2024 meeting which will be the third Monday.
A quorum of the board will the majority vote of those in attendance at a board meeting. The board meeting rate is $60 per meeting.
The board adjourned at 7:07 p.m.