News Article for Preston Times from Preston CSD
Written by Dianne Anderson

Grants and Reductions for Preston Schools

On Thursday, March 18, the Preston School Board learned of the district receiving $25,000 through the Harkin Fire Safety Grant written by Superintendent Anderson. Bruce Yaddof collected the quotes on replacing the doors and adding push bars included in the grant. The fire safety investigator this last summer listed $35,000 worth of repairs and replacements necessary to bring the buildings up to Iowa Fire Code. This work has a timeline that begins shortly and we will be reimbursed as soon as the work is complete. The additional $10,000 of work to be accomplished will be paid for through the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy or the Penny Sales Tax and neither is part of the general fund that affects our unspent authorized balance.

The Jackson/Clinton Empowerment DECAT Grant that was written by Kathy Meier, Elementary/Curriculum Administrative Assistant, with assistance from Dave Miller and staff was awarded to Preston Schools for their summer school program. This grant for $3,749 will fund two teachers and an aide for a quality summer school program where students improve or maintain their math and reading skills over the summer months.

Superintendent Anderson also reported the passing of the Instructional Support Levy which continues for five more years to assist the school’s general fund. Additional information was included about the teachers’ professional development. They had been concentrating on training and the implementation plan of the Iowa Core and the alignment of K-12 curriculum through the use of the Curriculum Manager program.

There were several concerned citizens that attended the board meeting; respectfully communicating their concerns of reductions they had heard may happen in the school. The board and administration listened to several citizens and clarified the information. The Preston Board voted unanimously to reduce $93,000 of expenses for the 2010-2011 school year. With early retirements of 7-12 Social Studies teacher and part-time Family Consumer Science teacher, the school saved over $44,000. Included in that amount is hiring a first year teacher for the Social Studies position, sending the 9-12 Family Consumer Science students to Northeast Schools for that instruction, and the 7th and 8th Family Consumer Science will be taught by a teacher within the district. One elementary teacher time will be reduced either with one teacher or two half-time teachers with a reduction of $40,000. Extended contract days that occur in the summer were partially reduced: both librarian aides, guidance counselor, and technology coordinator. Three coaches were reduced from sports that already had two coaches: One high school track, one high school golf, and one junior high track. These reductions were determined from numbers of students participating in the 2009 spring season. If several students choose to participate in one of these sports next year, the board would reconsider adding the second coach again.

K-12 Principal Dave Miller reported to the board about the Putnam Outreach Program bringing a program to the students on insects, and Librarian Linda Cornelius assisting the K-3 graders with a Dr. Seuss celebration involving six different work centers. Also reported were the 6th Grade Math Bee students doing an excellent job in representing Preston Schools. The Parliamentary Procedure team received a silver rating. Janell Johnson will be interviewing for the Iowa FFA Star in Production at the State Conference. The Ag department applied for a Green Communities grant through Rockwell Collins which was written for vermiculture and re-usable dry erase markers.

The School Board read and approved several board policies as usual in revising policies throughout the school year. All board policies are to be revised or rewritten every five years. The Board also approved charging a student fee of $340 for driver’s training this summer. The renewal of Cooperative Sponsorship of Wrestling between Preston and Northeast Schools was approved for another school year.

The Preston School Board approved the hiring of Adam Crigger as Business Manager. Mr. Crigger lives just northwest of Clinton, has his Masters in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting. Besides being well educated for the position, Adam comes with high ethical standards necessary in this career.

The school board meeting for April has been changed to Tuesday, April 13. There will be the annual hearing at 6:00 p.m. for the proposed budget for 2010-2011 which includes the budget guarantee. The school board meeting will follow the public hearing.