Powder River Examiner -

The August school board meeting took place Monday in the high school auditorium, with the temperature inside hovering just above the uncomfortable mark.

Trustees Shasta Madsen, Dan Johnson, Rob Jones, Jay Schroeder, and Raquel Mader were in attendance, meeting the number for a quorum. Trustees Amanda Zimmer, Lori Fortner, and Waylon Billing were not present for the meeting.

Student Council President Rheanna Schroeder gave a brief student council report, noting the availability of funds in the Student Council’s coffers.

New attendance was reported, with the board moving to accept three students from out of district, two of which are from the Ashland area, one from Carter County.

Several positions were then hired. Amy Minow was hired as the Family and Consumer Science Teacher, and Chrystal Mitchell as the Title I Teacher. Both of these positions are considered emergency hires, with the teachers working towards education degrees as they teach.

Coaching positions hired included JJ McDowell as JH Football Coach, Brett Emmons and Frankie Schoonover as Assistant HS Football Coaches, and Kristie Lanke as Assistant Boys Basketball Coach.

Volunteer athletic positions hired at the meeting included Elliott Barnhart and Matt Hagedorn for HS football, Brooke Billing for JH volleyball, and Dan Krantz for JH football.

Next on the agenda was the traditionally long and arduous task of certifying of several handbooks, including those handbooks for students, activities/coaches, and a newly arranged substitute teacher handbook.

Several major changes occurred to the student handbook which were certified at the meeting, including the addition of a weighted GPA for those students taking and scoring well in upper level and college classes. What this looks like in action is that a student taking an upper level class will have a certain bonus amount of GPA given for the more difficult course load than those taking regular electives. The goal of the weighted average and higher GPAs possible with the new program is meant to reward higher achievers, specifically those shooting for the Valedictorian/Salutatorian, and others looking to extend their student careers into the college realm where a high GPA looks good on a college transcript.

The long standing semester test policy at the high school received a revamp. Superintendent Jim Hansen detailed the history of the policy, noting that when he began in Broadus as the Principal in the ‘90s, attendance was down. A policy was enacted where students missing two or fewer days of school during the semester were then exempt from taking semester tests, and attendance increased. Over the years the policy has shifted somewhat, with 3 days available for current students to miss per class, per semester before they are on the hook for semester tests. Additionally, students showing up tardy for class on multiple occasions may also be liable to take semester tests, with Hansen noting that more students generally have to take first period tests than those later in the day, perhaps sleeping in and being late for their first classes. Hansen commented that the policy works well here.

A potential downside to the policy includes students coming in sick in order to avoid taking the tests, but overall Hansen considers the policy a success, with attendance of around 96% in the high school.

Hansen commented on the policy: “We’re here to teach, but also for other lessons, like learning how to show up. Showing up is important.”

A recent committee meeting looked at the policy and suggested several options for updates, including options for those students scoring above a certain grade in class to be exempt from tests, an option for those out for medical appointments to be exempt from the tests, and combinations of those two. The thinking behind the medical exemption was that students who were gone for the orthodontist shouldn’t be penalized for missing days – in essence it would be like a sick day for those in the working world. The grade stipulation would have the potential to motivate kids to do well in class, with the reward of being able to be gone from school on semester test day and not take the test.

A lively discussion was then had with board members and attendees in the audience voicing opinions about what particular option they felt as most valid. Overall the policy was seen as a good thing, with the details of implementation being the matter of discussion.

The issue was discussed and then the board moved on to other business, but was circled back to later in the meeting, for a decision. Trustee Schroeder motioned for a new option, where students could miss up to seven days per semester for medical purposes with a note from the provider, and they would have three additional days to miss for brandings, hunting, or whatever their hearts desired before they had to take semester tests. Additionally, those students with a 90% or higher in any class wouldn’t have to take semester tests if they chose to do so.

The board voted on the motion, with four votes in favor, one against, and the motion passed.

Updates were made to the student handbook electronic device policy.

A major change was then enacted to the eligibility check, in the form of a weekly check for eligibility.

The new eligibility guidelines will check to see if those engaged in school sponsored activities are eligible every Tuesday, compared to the previous policy which checked eligibility twice a quarter. The argument for the change is to keep those students on the edge of in-eligibility from falling so far behind; a weekly check will allow them to catch up more quickly and keep them motivated to stay there.

An update of note to the Activities/Coaches handbook was the inclusion of 5th grade participation in junior high activities is now an option, as is 8th grade participation in all high school sports except football. JH coaches looking to pull up 5th graders will need to take all those interested, while coaches looking to pull 8th graders have the option of pulling individuals up to play at the high school level.

The substitute teacher handbook was discussed, with Principal Denise Ternes noting that a handbook for subs was made in the 91-92 school year but not updated in the interim until now. This handbook will provide those substitute teaching with a number of resources on expected behaviors for students, policies such as what to do during a fire drill, and various other information a sub would need to know when jumping into a new position.

The final agenda item was the yearly school budget. Superintendent Hansen explained that overall the school system is in pretty good shape, but the looming specter of a potential loss in revenue from oil and gas funds is ever present. Hansen explained that Broadus has relatively few mills levied for its school system compared with many other schools in the area. For the coming school year, the mill value dropped slightly, but overall the local tax payer will see slightly less tax burden. The district property tax requirements for 22-23 will be $17,888.82 less in the high school than in 21-22, and $7,290.11 less in the elementary for the same time period. The board moved and approved the budget for the 2022-23 school year.

In her board report, Principal Ternes commented that enrollment numbers were up for the upcoming school year. 110 students are currently expected in the elementary, and 114 in the JH/HS. An open house will take place August 18th to welcome students and parents, where free school supplies are available for students courtesy of Eastern MT Community Mental Health Center & PR County Health Department.