(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic School Board, Wednesday evening, approved contract recommendations for a Middle School Paraeducator (Daniel Towne), a Preschool Bus Driver (Loretta Barringer), and a Substitute car/van driver (Gerald Luddington). They also approved an SBO (School Business Official) Sharing Agreement for the 2022-23 School Year, with the Adair-Casey School District.

Adair-Casey’s long-time SBO Theresa Elgin, is retiring at the end of September. Atlantic Community School District SBO/Board Secretary Sarah Sheeder was asked by A-C Superintendent Josh Rasmussen if she would be interested in filling the position on part-time basis, with 75-percent of her time dedicated to Atlantic and 25-percent to Adair-Casey. The 25-percent refers to Sheeder being on-hand for the A-C School Board meetings once per month to record the minutes of the meeting, and they will provide 25-percent of the cost for her services.

According to Atlantic Superintendent Steve Barber, Sarah “feels a personal obligation to trying to help them [A-C] as well as [being] committed to the quality of work she does here for us her in Atlantic.” Mr. Barber pointed out that “We tried sharing Sarah with [the] CAM [School District], it didn’t work out very well. I think the variables that exist within this sharing agreement versus CAM is significantly different, and its something that Sarah and I spoke about, and obviously she feels a commitment to her resident District as much as she is committed to our District.”

Next year, there will also be Operational Sharing of about five students, because when positions are shared, each position has a shared amount of students the District receives credit for, or approximately $36,000 the following year, in revenue for sharing with Adair-Casey. A-C would also receive the same credit. Currently the Atlantic CSD has an Operational Sharing Agreement with the Griswold CSD for Transportation Director. Sheeder said she and Superintendent Rasmussen know each other well, and what their expectations/goals are for her.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board approved a change order in the amount of $7,830 additional cost, for repairs to the sidewalk on the south side of High School. When the parking lot was removed for resurfacing, the contractor discovered the portions of the sidewalk was connected to the driveway. Since replace of the sidewalks was not an original part of the scope of the project, and there was no reason to believe it would have to be redone. Mr. Barber said “There’s a section along/next to the concession stand along the driveway, and there’s a couple of spots [in another area].” The damage was not part of a contractor error, according to Snyder and Associates…it was something that no one was aware of going into the project.

Following adjournment, the Atlantic School Board moved into a closed session for the annual evaluation of Superintendent Barber.