Tax levy, handbook changes at Sheldon school board

Nevada Daily Mail

The Sheldon school board approved several rulebook amendments in preparation for the beginning of the 2015-16 school year and set a date for a school meeting to talk about the new tax levy.

A school board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12 to discuss 2015 property tax levy to fund the Sheldon R-7 school district. Superintendent Tim Judd said the tax levy should not be too much different from the current property tax levy. No specific numbers were given.

Judd asked the board to change the school rules on page seven, eight and nine.

The current rules and updates are as follows:

On page seven, letters sent after three, five, and seven absences will no longer be certified.

On page eight, the book gives students in elementary school and middle school eight unexcused absences per semester. The new change will drop "unexcused" mandating all students are not to miss more than eight days worth of classes per semester. This rule change is to meet the high school's preexisting rule of 16 absences per school year, eight per semester.

Also on page eight, the rule mandating any student who misses more than five classes in a semester will need to meet with the attendance committee. Now, the new change will make students who have eight or more days worth of missed classes meet with the attendance committee.

On page nine, the school's day will run from 8 a.m. to 3:06 p.m. This is changed from last year's school day of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. In-school suspension will remain as it was last year, 8 a.m. to 3:06 p.m.

On page 307, Sheldon R-7 will be adding a new subject to its Missouri Assessment Program. Science will be added with math, communication and arts. High school juniors will be adding the ACT.

"It is important to keep our rule book up to date," Judd said. "This is something we do every year."

The handbook will also be adding a page where parents can fill out a complaint of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This act, created by George W. Bush was passed by Congress to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act based on the idea that setting goals and establishing measureable standards, such as MAP testing would improve education throughout the nation.

Also on the agenda was a vote for either repairing the current automatic scrubber for bathroom and hallway floors or buying a new one. Repairing the old scrubber would cost about $839. A new scrubber will cost $3,800, but Henry Kraft Inc. will throw in a power washer free of charge. The board said the washer would help clean walls, toilets and urinals. The motion to purchase a new automatic scrubber from Henry Kraft Inc. passed 5-0.

"This is something that will be used multiple times each week," Cody Clafin, board member said.

Sheldon school board meetings are held the second Wednesday night of each month at 7. The next board meeting will be Aug. 12, and will include the tax levy meeting.