Board approves bond sale date

     A resolution to set the date for the sale of $10 million in bonds, and to advertise for the sale of bonds, was approved by the Monticello School Board during its special meeting/work session Nov. 13.

     Bids will be received on the bonds until 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12. The resolution also authorizes the Monticello Community School District to advertise for the sale.

     District voters approved the sale of $15 million in general obligation bonds Nov. 6, providing funding for the district to build a new grade 5-8 middle school, to be attached to the south end of Monticello High School.

     The remaining $5 million in GO bonds will go up for sale in March, and $2 million in SAVE bonds will be sold in November 2019.

     That was the only action item on the Nov. 13 agenda.

In other board business:

     The board did adjourn to a work session for discussion, which consisted of updates and an activity regarding the district’s Strategic Operating Plan (SOP).

     The plan, in its third year, looks at district operations in four categories: Facilities, Communication, Technology, and Teaching/Learning.

     Curt Tauke spoke on Technology, mostly regarding the rollout of 1:1 technology, which went district-wide beginning with this school year.

     Tauke said the rollout went well, and that the students are adapting well to having their own computers to use each day.

     Tauke said the biggest surprise so far has been the number of broken screens on computers – about 30 so far out of the 500-plus computers that were handed out. He said the screens are being replaced in-house, and that students are provided with loaner computers while theirs are being repaired.

     The board also went over Teaching/Learning updates from the SOP, with strategies provided by curriculum director Gretchen Kriegel, who wasn’t present but provided a list of topics.

     Those included continuation of Early Literacy Implementation, continued monitoring of Standards Referenced Reporting, which has now been implemented throughout the district; and continuing to improve student supports and special programs.

     Superintendent Brian Jaeger then spoke about the Facilities and Communications parts of the SOP. As far as facilities, Jaeger said OPN Architects will have the first rendering of the new middle school at the Nov. 26 regular meeting.

     Jaeger then moved to Communications, and went over a PowerPoint of survey results from parents, students and staff; asking about things they liked about the district and things that could be improved.

     Recurring themes on the positive side included the quality of teachers, technology, and communication. Things that could use improvement included behavioral issues, facilities and safety.

     Jaeger then handed sheets to the school board members, with blanks in three categories: things the district should keep doing, things it should stop doing, and things it should change.

     Board members were asked to fill in whatever they could think of in each of the categories, and return them for the Nov. 26 meeting.