Exeter-Milligan School Board Reviews Policies

 

Exeter-Milligan school board met on Wednesday, May 11 in the community classroom in Exeter.

After opening the meeting, board president Adam Erdkamp continued with the consensus agenda.  The board passed the consensus agenda.

The board reviewed two policies, professional growth and the lunch program.  Superintendent Paul Sheffield notified the board that both policies are in need of updates, “We will have teachers involved in updating the professional policy.”

As far as the lunch program Sheffield explained that the district technically does not “abide by the necessary state and federal guidelines. . .we give kids more than they say we should so we will probably have to update that.”

Under the curricular report Sheffield shared a preliminary class schedule for next school year.  He noted that the new Ag Science teacher’s schedule will include welding, Ag Business, Animal Science, Plant Science and Ag Education.

Sheffield also introduced the idea of starting an esports team.  Students in the district were surveyed and they had 14 that expressed an interest with several more possibly interested.  He noted that students can dual participate in sports and esports in the same season. 

There are three leagues the students can participate in and there are different games played each season.  They often participate in tournaments. Sheffield will “look at what it would entail to start up.  The interest is there.”

The board opened the floor up for comments but when no one spoke up they moved on to the discussion items including coop opportunities with Friend.  Erdkamp reminded the board that there is an area committee meeting scheduled for Monday.

He added that the coaches and administrators from both Friend and Exeter-Milligan met together three weeks ago and the “purpose was to bring the two staffs together and ee what everyone’s temperature was,” explained Erdkamp.

Sheffield felt that the coaches were in agreement to cooping all activities starting in the 23-24 shool year.  Erdkamp noted that they will be having their annual meeting with Friend with committee members Alan Vavra and Kendra Jansky also attending.

“We will talk to their committee and see what their interet is and we will discuss what the coache and the administrators talked about,” explained Erdkamp.

Erdkamp asked the board if they had any opinions before the scheduled committee meeting.  Board member Eric Milton commented, “If coaches are working together that is all you can do – see what their plan is.”

Vavra asked about the conference status at the Crossroads Conference.  Sheffield replied that the conference preliminary voted by one not to allow a combined Exeter-Milligan/Friend into the conference but one school that had voted no then explained they planned to leave the conference next year.

Sheffield was positive about the conference accepting the new coop but discussed several ways the conference could change in the future to accommodate some of the differences in sizes of schools.

“If that wouldn’t pass then I think there would be interest in creating a new conference,” explained Sheffield.

Erdkamp broached the subject of the Milligan site. “We need to start thinking about what that means, how we are going to use it, how we are going to maintain it.”

He added that he was hoping to have the school lawyers come and do new board member training along with help in guiding the board about the future of the Milligan facility.

The board approved non-certified contracts before a brief legislative update and summer projects list.  The next meeting will be held on June 15th at 8 p.m. in Milligan.