Riverside School Board voted unanimously to renew principal contracts at the Feb. 4 meeting. Superintendent Jeff Priest recommended all administrators be rehired, commending them for the work they do.
Principals include Matt Ziegler, high school; Jason Durham, high school assistant; Leeann Harrell, West elementary; and Steven Sanders, East elementary. Priest also recommended renewing contracts for Brandy Wallace, curriculum and federal programs coordinator, and Christy Young, special education coordinator.
Priest said the administrators are working as a team. East and West elementary meet twice a month and they have a common curriculum. There is before and after school tutoring for the students.
Priest asked Ziegler to update the board on the newly implemented flex
schedule.
“In my opinion, it is one of the better things we have done,” Ziegler said. “The discipline problems are down. Students are only having to take take the classes they need and leaving to go to work. I had one father tell me the flex schedule was actually keeping his child in school. Kids sometimes miss the value of a high school diploma and these are taking advantage of the flex schedule.”
“This week is National School Counseling Week and I want to express my appreciation to our counselors Shey Williams and Mel Jordan for the work they do,” Priest said. “They wear many hats. I want to recognize them for a job well done.”
During the financial review Priest pointed out finances are down a little from last year due in part to tax revenue collections being down.
The expenditures are down $21,313 from this time last year. If the revenue had been the same, Priest said the district would have been within $111 from last year.
“We will receive the tax revenue later,” he said. “We are guaranteed 98
percent collection rate."
Priest informed the board the state legislature is looking at increases in teachers' salary. There has been some discussion on raising the
minimum starting salary to $36,000.
He said school districts should receive more details within a couple of months. The board voted unanimously to approve a proposed 2020-2021 budget.
Priest explained they are required to pass the long term budget.
The junior high boys and girls will be playing in the district tournament at Buffalo Island Central on Wednesday. The girls game is at 7 p.m. and the boys game is at 8:15 p.m. The senior high district is also at Buffalo Island Central.
Parent/teacher conference will be held Feb. 14 and there will be no school on Friday, Feb. 15, and Monday, Feb. 18 (President's Day). The next regular board meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, March 4.