North Scott High School will add a contemporary journalism elective in spring 2022 to provide more English instruction for students with and without college aspirations.
English teacher Madison LaFrenz told school board members meeting online Monday that this year’s juniors helped pick next year’s new senior English elective.
The challenge was to create new courses that teach the school’s reading, writing and speaking standards, but appeal to students not necessarily college bound, LaFrenz said.
A survey of 2020 graduates showed that 49 percent went to a four-year college; 32 percent to community college; 6 percent to a trade; 3 percent to direct employment and 2 percent to the military.
In a survey of this year’s juniors, journalism finished ahead of world literature and a course on favorite literature genres. “We’ll keep those in our back pocket to see how this year goes,” LaFrenz told the board.
The district will continue offering English IV, as well as dual-credit college courses, Literature 101 and 102 and Composition 105 and 106. The district also offers a creative writing elective in the fall.
The new journalism elective also offers an option to early graduates, who now must double up on dual-enrollment courses their final term, LaFrenz said.
“This is more of a pathway for students who choose not to go into dual enrollment courses. Even those who do, could pop into this elective,” she said.
Teachers will assess interest in the new course before considering other English electives.
“We want to get our feet wet with this, test it out before we go too broad and add too many electives,” she said.
School calendar set for 2021-22
Board members approved a 2021-22 school calendar that looks much like this year’s.
The school year begins Tuesday, Aug. 24 and ends Friday, June 3.
Teachers report to work Aug. 9-12, and 18, 19 and 23 before students arrive.
The calendar retains a two-week winter break, Dec. 20-31, with classes resuming Monday, Jan. 4. Spring break is March 14-18. Graduation is Sunday, May 29, of Memorial Day weekend.
Stutting said staff surveys supported this calendar over options that included a fall break.
None of the 47 who were watching the live streamed meeting offered feedback during a public hearing on the new calendar.
Find a link to the calendar with this story online at northscottpress.com.
School accepts city easement offers
Board members accepted a $36,025 offer from the city of Eldridge for school property needed for the expansion of the First Street and LeClaire Road intersection at the high school.
The compensation mostly covers permanent loss of property, and some trees for the widening.
Superintendent Joe Stutting said he had approached the city about swapping the high school land for city-owned property by the junior high. Stutting said he never heard back from the city, but hopes to pursue the exchange.
The board also accepted a $9,000 offer from the city for school district property needed for the Eldridge’s expansion of the East LeClaire Road trail.
Both the intersection and trail projects should begin this year, Stutting said.
New pick-up, van and four buses
Board members bought a Ram four-wheel-drive truck from Brad Deery, Maquoketa, for $29,993. Deery was the lowest of five bidders by at least $1,000 for comparable Dodge and Ford trucks from dealers in Davenport, Dubuque and Clinton.
The board also bought a cargo van from Clinton Auto Group for $29,059.59. It was the lowest of six qualified bids that topped out at $34,700. The Clinton Auto Group bid includes $1,500 for a trade-in.
The board approved buying four propane-powered buses for $438,654 from School Bus Sales, of Waterloo. That includes three 71-passenger buses at $108,227 each, and a same-sized wheelchair-accessible bus for $113, 973.
The district bought three propane buses from the same firm in April for $297,326.96.
Part of this year’s and last year’s bus purchases were funded by about $300,000 in the district’s share of Iowa’s settlement with Volkswagen for altering fuel mileage data.
Health insurance costs up
School district insurance coverage expenses are rising 2 percent after a couple years of staying the same.
Stutting said costs for back-up, or reinsurance, coverage for the district’s self-insurance plan rose 17 percent. He commended employee groups for working with the district to limit plan use in other areas.
A COVID-19 plea
The superintendent pleaded with district residents to wear masks, and said an uptick in infections is attributable to youth sports.
“If you’re involved in youth athletics, please still wear masks. If you’re sick, please don’t go. One tournament caused a spike,” in COVID cases, he said.
He urged parents not to let “activities be more important than making the right decision about keeping the spread down.”
He said 375 staff, or about 75 percent, signed up for the COVID vaccine. Stutting hoped that will begin in February.
District insurance so far has covered 290 staff COVID tests, totaling $35,316.
Legislation update
Stutting urged residents to reach out to state legislators he said are acting quickly on an education bill that includes a lot of new money for charter schools.
Stutting said the Republican majority’s push for more school choice will take funding away from public schools.
“There’s already $50 million going to private schools. We already support home schools. So when it comes to family choices, there’s a lot,” Stutting said.
The district appealed to residents through its Facebook page to lobby against the charter school initiative.
The district’s lobbyist hired through the Iowa Association of School Boards also is acting against the bill.
Stutting also urged an emphasis on more allowable growth, saying last year’s 2.5 percent “is not enough.”
“We should be looking at 3.5 to 4 percent,” he said. He said the governor pledged $20 million more for education, but is pitching a charter school plan that costs $54 million.