The Rock Port R-II Board of Education held a regular meeting March 16, 2023. President Jeremy Davis called the regular meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the board room. Other board members in attendance were Joanna Burke, Kayla Sierks, Afton Schomburg, Regan Griffin, Reven Herron and Jared Meyerkorth. Also present were High School Principal Donnie Parsons, Elementary Principal Dr. Steve Waigand, Superintendent Dr. Ethan Sickels, Board Secretary Jennifer Welch, and guests Duke Snider, Ken Eaton, and Dr. Rex Bollinger.

The agenda was adopted and the minutes of the regular meeting of February 16, 2023, were approved. Dr. Sickels reviewed the financial information for the month ending February 2023. The transfer of funds, February final check register, March check register to date, and the activity account checks were approved. During communications, Dr. Sickels presented certificates to the board members in recognition of school board appreciation week.

Veregy gave updates on the progress for the building project.

Dr. Sickels presented the monthly program evaluation report on Compensation and Benefits. He also discussed the Annual Performance Report data.

The board proceeded to address several new items of business. Action was taken to approve the 2023 – 2024 preliminary budget, approve the 2023 – 2024 certified salary schedule, approve the 2023 – 2024 administrator and non-certified minimum salary schedule, approve the extra duty pay schedule, approve the 2023 – 2024 employee work calendar, approve the 2023 – 2024 group medical insurance plans, approve the school auditor contract, approve a school bus purchase, approve the Veregy storm shelter variance, and approve board policy updates.

Following a brief discussion of future business items the meeting was then moved into executive session. Following executive session, action was taken to extend contracts for the 2023 – 2024 school year to all tenured teachers; to the following non-tenured teachers: Carrie Driskell, Christin Dush, Dalton Jones, Jeremy Palmer, Stephanie Parsons, Jennifer Vogler, Kendall Carpenter, Danyal Coon, Katarina Robertson, Sheena Roup, Jayme Wood, and Jenny Rueckert; and the following part-time retiree: Jackie Miller.

Action was taken to hire Sydney Rains for the vacant elementary special education position and Betsy Larson for a vacant third grade teacher position.

The meeting was then adjourned.