SCHOLASTICS New Buffalo school board adopts attendance policy pilot

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

The beginning of the New Buffalo Area Schools Board of Education’s Monday, Feb. 13, meeting began with the swearing in of Elizabeth Lamport, student senate/board representative.

New Buffalo Area Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. Michael Lindley said that he and Lamport, who was merely observing at that night’s meeting, will discuss “what some of the issues might be that the students might want to share with the board of trustees” between now and the next meeting.

Board members adopted an attendance policy pilot.

New Buffalo High School Principal Tracy Ripley said that the county and also the board policy 5301 give a list of things that can be excused, or what would be considered “nonchargeable absences;” however, Ripley said that “we’re not aligned with that in our current handbook.”

She and members of the building council realized that they’re sending mixed messages post-Covid, as they’re now saying to families that, if their child isn’t feeling well, they want them to keep them home.

“But right now, in our handbook that’s a chargeable absence…That’s a mixed message because we’re trying to encourage families to keep children at home but we’re basically punishing them for keeping them home and that’s a chargeable absence,” she said.

In the current handbook at the high school, once a student gets to a seventh absence, they must show 75% or higher proficiency on the final exam to get credit in a class. Once a child reaches 12 absences, they automatically lose credit in the class.

“The biggest changes that we’re asking you to consider is removing that seventh absence consequence of the 75% or higher and then also being more in line with the county, which is if the parent, as long as they call in, they can excuse the first five absences,” she said, adding that that’s in line with the state.

Students would provide documentation - a medical, dental or court documentation or for a family emergency - for anything past the fifth absense to be excused.

Ripley said it’s been requested by the teachers to keep an incentive “for encouraging attendance” and they requested to keep something in the policy that says they “do want a child to show proficiency on the standards in a class that they have missed an excessive amount.”

As a result, they were proposing that the following remains: “At the 12th absence, a student in enrolled in a high school course must obtain 75% (a C plus) on the final exam in order to receive credit in the class.”

Board members heard an update on the Operations Department.

Keith Carlson, director of operations, said the district employs nine full time custodians, two part time groundskeepers (one full time and one-part time in summer). One maintenance person, Mark German, is responsible for all district maintenance.

Each day, the custodial staff cleans

215,000 sq. /ft. of floor space, including all restrooms and locker rooms, and cleans transportation, fieldhouses and the multiplex press box.

A posting for a full time, full year groundskeeper was posted earlier this month, with the goal of having the position filled by mid-March.

Projects that have been completed this school year have included the STEAM Building and recreational area completed (with the skate park to be completed in April); the Performing Arts Center overhead door (door nine) replacement project; the re-modeling of the elementary teachers’ lounge; the pre-school playground addition; the remodeling of the press box’s interior and the addition of a filtered air purifier to every classroom and office and large area in the district (through an MDHHS grant).

Future projects (some approved and some in the planning stages) include the planning/bid process for the elementary kitchen and dining room expansion; the middle/high school roof replacement (bids have been drafted); the resurfacing/ restriping of the elementary basketball court; rebuilding the baseball and softball pitching and batting areas and adding new in-fil (5 tons) to the multiplex playing surface.

Board members accepted the resignation of Holli Sommerfeld, high school English 9 and 10 teacher, effective June 30, 2023.

Board members approved the cooperative sports program with River Valley for high school football for 20232024 and 2024-2025.

New Buffalo Elementary School Principal Adam Bowen honored the following students for achieving the Elementary “Students of the Month” award: Hunter Moles, Sophia Dungca, David Pliske and Foster Croskey. Board members approved the contract with Niche to provide marketing services for $9,990 per year and a contract term of three years. Lindley said that this means they’d be upgrading the terms of their contract so they’d be a premium, allowing them to put more pictures and data on their website and to get more exposure. He added the district has gone from a B- to an A plus in Niche’s ratings system, which reflects the top 2.5% of all districts in the country.

Board members did a first reading of Policies 1000 (Policy Overview Mission Statement and Definitions) and 2000 (Official Description Purpose and Board Organization). Lindley said he was recommending that they don’t adopt the policies until members get as far as they can in reviewing all the policies, during which they’ll adopt them in June with an effective date of July 1.

Board members declared two chillers as excess property and authorized the disposal thereof.

The registration for designated members to attend the MASB Winter Institute conference, virtually, Friday, Feb. 24, through Sunday, Feb. 26, was approved.