Good news for USD 408 parents years ago
2005-06 proposed calendar nixes early dismissal days
Staff writer
There's good news for parents who have students attending school in Marion-Florence USD 408.
They no longer will have to worry about what to do with their children during the monthly early dismissal day.
Superintendent Lee Leiker Monday night told the board they had been eliminated from the proposed 2005-06 school calendar.
"I felt we were causing a lot of problems for our parents with this policy and it wasn't the best use of our educational time," Leiker explained.
The district had been dismissing students on the third Wednesday of each month around 12:30 p.m. in recent years in order to provide staff development time. As it turns out, the scheduled Wednesday planned dismissals have already been eliminated for the remainder of the year in order to make up lost days due to the January ice storm.
Leiker told the board he had created a temporary calendar committee composed of teachers and staff to draft a possible 2005-06 calendar. State law requires schools to provide 182 student contact days and 190 contract days.
Under the proposed calendar, students in kindergarten through seventh grade, ninth graders, and new students to the district will start school Aug. 17. All other students will begin Aug. 18.
New teachers will begin work Aug. 11 with Aug. 12 as a staff workday. Teachers will meet for inservice Aug. 15-16.
Students will be dismissed for the Christmas break Dec. 22, although teachers will gather for a workday Dec. 23.
"The board asked that teachers respect the contract and if it says they will work that day, they will work and not utilize a Saturday or some other day so they can leave early," Leiker explained.
Spring break will be March 20-24, 2006, and the last day of school for students will be May 25. Teachers will finish their year May 26.
Leiker said he will take the calendar back to the committee for final review before it's brought to the board in March for final approval.
PATHS
Marion Elementary School principal Stan Ploutz presented information regarding the "PATHS to Adventure" after school program, which will be funded through a grant obtained by Linda Ogden, director of Marion County Communities in Schools.
The curriculum-based program involves students in grades three through sixth as part of a countywide grant and is offered to all students in those grades.
The program has been shown to significantly improve children's social and emotional skills and covers the following areas of development: self-control, emotional understanding, self-esteem, peer relations, and interpersonal problem-solving skills.
Ploutz noted the PATHS program will be integrated into the after school assistance program on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The 18-week program includes a staffing budget of $2,400 for two program coordinators, $1,066.50 for two assistant coordinators, and $4,265.20 for transportation and supplies.
PE credit
After discussion, the board voted unanimously to allow involvement in athletic programs at Marion High School to count as one-half physical education credit.
"This issue came about as we looked as scheduling," Leiker explained. "The state requires one credit of P.E. Here, students take one semester of health and one semester of P.E."
USD 408 requires a further half-credit of P.E. because "the district feels students should be physically fit," Leiker explained.
Unfortunately, fitting that half-credit into a student's schedule sometimes became difficult.
"The added math, science, fine arts, and other credits make it difficult for students to fit everything into a schedule," Leiker explained. "And that additional half-credit P.E. class is taking the place of an elective course.
"My question was 'Can athletic program participation count as a half-credit?'" Leiker said.
DSIT, the district's curriculum committee studied the question and felt it was workable, Leiker said.
He noted that during one semester a P.E. class meets 50 minutes each day. Of that time, approximately 15 minutes is spent dressing and showering which means students may receive a maximum 30 to 35 minutes of actual P.E. time. Based on 90 days in the semester that amounts to only 45 hours of physical activity, Leiker said.
"A student participating in any one of our athletic activities is getting way more than that," Leiker said.
During the March meeting, Leiker said the board would be examining a list of possible athletic activities which may be used to take the place of the half P.E. credit.
In other matters, the board:
— Met in executive session for one hour for the purpose of discussing non-elected personnel.
— Voted 7-0 to accept the resignation of Tim Young as bus driver effective March 1.
— Voted 7-0 to accept the a half-time contract for Missy Stubenhofer during the 2005-06 school year. She will teach one secondary math class and remain as district curriculum and assessment coordinator.
— Voted 4-3 to release MES fifth-sixth grade instructor Susie Best from her teaching contract effective March 26. Board members Gene Bowers, Rex Savage, and Chris Sprowls voted no.
Best's wages will be reduced to offset the days remaining in the contract period.
Best's husband has been transferred to a new job out-of-state, Leiker explained.
— Voted unanimously to extend the principals' contracts of MHS principal Ken Arnhold, Marion Middle School principal Tod Gordon, and MES principal Ploutz through the 2006-07 school year.
