School board approves master agreement
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ST. IGNATIUS — After 15 months of negotiations, the St. Ignatius School District and certified employees have come to an agreement for the 2010-11 school year. The agreement includes a 4-percent increase on employees’ base salary. Employees will also receive a $50 increase per month in district health insurance contributions to help offset 2011 premium increases. Certified employees have also received a $1,250 stipend for removing contract language that supports new teachers in the district. The language provides “just cause” protocol for dismissal or non-renewals of new teachers. The board voted unanimously to ratify the agreement, and negotiations for the 2012-13 school year are currently being scheduled.
The board also approved Katie McDonald and Bob Erickson as volunteer coaches for the softball season and approved the middle school honors group for out-of-state travel May 17 to Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho. The middle school advisory council is paying the admission cost of the students and chaperones who will be attending. About 23 students earned the trip by maintaining a 3.5 grade point average and exhibiting exemplary behavior throughout the year.
In other school news, trustees approved the adoption of seven new high school courses that will aid a wide range of student interests and needs in the 2012-13 school year. The board approved the following courses: basic English, basic math, integrated English, integrated math, introduction to statistics, music production and music technology.
Classes such as basic English and basic math will help support students at St. Ignatius who are nearing or novice on the Statewide Assessments, had a low measures of academic progress (MAP) score or a history of failing English and/or math grades in middle school. Students that fall under this category will be required to take basic English and/or basic math.
Introduction to statistics will give other students who want to get a jump start into college a dual credit opportunity, while also providing them the chance to experience a college-formatted class.
The music production course will address a growing interest in drama at St. Ignatius High School. The class will give interested students the opportunity to learn more about drama and production art, while creating and acting out their own productions as well as assisting with other school musical productions.
School board chair Maxine Whitson called the implementation of the new courses as strides toward “student enhancement and interest.”
After approving the new courses, the board also voted to renew contracts for elementary principal Cherie Stobie and high school principal Jason Sargent.
Scott Johnson gave the board his monthly report regarding transportation, including the possibility of equipping school buses with GPS units. The units can track the location of buses to help give parents an estimated time of arrival when it comes to sporting and activity events, but it would also be useful during wintry weather when route times often lag behind.
“It can track how fast a bus is going,” he said. “I’m not trying to get the drivers in trouble, but it shows when the reds come on and the yellows, and the speed limit changes.”
Johnson explained that anytime a bus goes over the speed limit, a text is sent to his phone. He told the board at next month’s meeting he would bring a unit to demonstrate how it works.
Technology coordinator Matt Lyon is working to redesign the St. Ignatius School District website, but does not plan to launch the updated site until next school year.
Superintendent Bob Lewandowski also announced that St. Ignatius won a $7,000 Graduation Matters Montana Challenge Grant.
Next month’s school board was rescheduled and will take place April 24 at 7 p.m. at the district office.
