The Fairfax R-3 School Board of Education met September 15, 2022. Jon Graves, president, called the meeting to order at 6:32 p.m. Also present were: Brett Johnson, Chance Clement, Crystal Woodring, Miles Smith (at 6:35 p.m.), Sam O’Riley and Theresa Larson, board members; Jeremy Burright, Superintendent; Dustin Barnes, Principal; and Karen Burke, secretary.

The agenda was approved as presented.

Minutes of the August 18, 2022, executive, regular, and open tax hearing sessions were reviewed.

The financial report was also reviewed. The September 2022 fund balance is $1,488,838, compared to $1,446,000 in September 2021.

September 2022 expenses were $133,729 and revenues were $161,090. September 2021 expenses were $80,499 and revenues were $66,729.

The monthly bills in the amount of 98,295.74 were reviewed and approved for payment.

Superintendent’s Report

Thank you notes went out to volunteers that helped with property this week.

Still no applicant for maintenance. The background check was slow to come back for the gentleman who had an interview and in the meantime he took another job.

Work on the gutters will be done this month.

The school will need to add more chips/fiber to coat the ground by the swings. It is the consensus of the board to move forward with pricing swings.

An ice machine will be purchased and 90% will be paid through a grant the school received.

Food Service expenses for 2021-22 were $5,895.90, and are $3,682.34 for 2022-23.

The Ford has new brake pads.

A duplicate key and fob made for the Chevrolet this week.

Title is doing BOY testing for reading. MAP scores are back.

In the Superintendent’s Spotlight Ms. Price gave a presentation to the board on how she uses classroom and remote learners, Google translate and her teaching about artists.

Principal’s Report

Registration was held August 8. Registration paperwork was on the website and available in July for families to pick up beforehand. Un-scientific data states that probably 75% of parents already had some form of paperwork filled out when they came in to register. Mr. Barnes thanked Mrs. Peters, Mrs. Burke and Mrs. Hedlund for their hard work.

Preliminary numbers for student enrollment are: preschool, 10 students; kindergarten – sixth grade, 71 students (three less than last year); and seventh – twelfth, 69 students (five more than last year)

Teacher work days were August 17, 18, and 23. Topics and trainings included elementary and high school staff meetings, mandatory yearly compliance trainings, children’s division, coaches mandatory trainings, mandatory policies trainings, mandatory nurse training, and work in room time.

Back to School night was August 23 and school started Augut 24.

Attendance reporting guidance from DESE says students who are home either quarantined or with COVID can be counted as having attendance for those days provided those students have some contact with the teacher/teachers during the day and can Zoom in for some classes. This is the same policy as last year with one change. Last year the school was notified by the Department of Health. This year the school will either require a doctor’s note or notice of a positive home test.

Mr. Barnes also reported on miscellaneous athletic information.

The 275 Conference has voted to raise the price of adult tickets to $5.00 for conference events. Student pricing will remain at $3.00. Fairfax does not charge for senior citizens.

He also reported there is a major shortage of officials for all sports. In addition, official fees and payments have increased across the board. Official associations are raising prices amongst their groups.

MSHSAA has suspended COVID return to play protocols. It is up to the local school to determine what will happen. Fairfax R-3 will treat it like any other illness – if a student is home sick they do not practice or play.

Mr. Barnes explained “wet bulb temperature.” In addition to schools looking at the real and feels-like temperature, they are required to use wet bulb temperature readings to determine, based on a wet-bulb guidance chart, limitations for practices and contests. There is a guidance document from MSHSAA that Fairfax is using.

The consent agenda was approved.

New Business

Dr. Burright discussed the board policies with the board members. Board members voted to approve the following policies as written: Policies 0320, 0412, 1210, 1725, 2550, 2670, 2876, 4130, 4150, 4630, 5205, 6118, 6119, 6190, 6191, 6215, 6251, 6273, and Regulations 2240, 2785, 2876, 4515, 5620, 6190, 6191, 6215, 6251.

Changes to the drug testing policy make refusing to test carry the same consequence as a positive test. Prior to the rewrite a refusal to test carried a 365 day ban on the first incident while a positive test carried a 30 day ban. Now refusals and positive tests are cumulative and move an individual through levels of violations. Board members voted unanimously to approve the updated drug testing policy as presented.

Board members approved payments to the following: Falls City Mercantile, $2,500 for food service supplies; Josh Ohlensehlen, $1,145.84 for installation of the high school door.

Board members approved the fall 2022 payment to ACES COOP for $11,226.00. The social worker cost is $3,500 and COOP fee is $7,726.07.

Old Business

The COVID Plan Feedback (CSIP 3-4) was discussed. It is no longer a CDC recommendation to cohort, screen, or quarantine (except for high risk). Recommendations are to stay home when sick, clean surfaces once a day, wash hands/respiratory etiquette, and vaccinate. Because the different strategies in the Fairfax R-3 plan are contingent on administrative recommendations, still no changes need to be made.

The next regular board meeting will be October 20, 2022, at 6:30 p.m.

The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.