Atlantic School District Superintendent Dr. Mike Amstein, Wednesday, reported to the School Board, the 3^rd grade Summer School and 3^rd grade Retention for Reading, has been postponed until the Summer of 2018. He said also, of concern to the school board, is the fact there has been no funding attached to assessments. Amstein said the latest word he’s received, is that funding will be attached for those programs in the next legislative session. He wasn’t holding his breath though, says “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Amstein said also, that the “Smarter Balanced Assessment” was put off until May 2018. In November 2015, the Iowa legislature began a formal process of adopting a new state assessment to replace the current state tests in math and reading taken each year by Iowa students. Smarter Balanced Assessments were recommended by a legislatively created task force of Iowans.

He said “At this time, we don’t know what our State Assessment’s going to be. We’re kind of in limbo on what we need to prepare for, for the upcoming year.” Amstein says it’s another case of “We’ll just have to see what happens.”

Smarter Balanced Assessments are designed to accurately measure how students have progressed in reaching expectations set by Iowa’s academic standards, which outline what students in kindergarten through 12th grade should know and be able to do in math, English-language arts, science, social studies and 21st century skills.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A Council Bluffs man has been charged with child endangerment after authorities found that 11 children were living in filthy conditions.
The Daily Nonpareil reports Richard Simet is charged with neglect of a dependent person and a dozen counts of child endangerment. Those are the same charges facing 34-year-old Bobbi Simet, who authorities say isn’t married to Richard Simet.

The charges stem from an investigation done by the Iowa Human Services Department and Council Bluffs police. Officials say they found the children’s home to be very dirty, infested with cockroaches and smelling like urine. The children range in age from 2 to 14.

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education, Wednesday evening, discussed but took no action on their plans to hold a special election in September, with regard to the voted Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) and PPEL Income Surtax. The Board did, however, agree to have the district’s lawyer look over a draft resolution for placing the Income Surtax before the voters, only. The idea is to have the resolution ready by their next meeting on July 13^th, so that it can be submitted to Cass County Election Commissioner Dale Sunderman by July 25^th, the deadline for a next special election to be set.

The current, draft Resolution of Election calls for a vote on the PPEL Income Surtax, only, which if approved, would begin July 1st, 2017. The language states “The percentage of Income Surtax will not exceed 20-percent (to be determined by the Board each year), with the total taxation not to exceed 85-cents per $1,000 of assessed property value in any one tax year. If the measure fails, it would still not “Terminate or restrict authority previously granted by the voters to levy a special tax for any one or more of the purposes permitted by Iowa law.”  A similar Measure placed before the voters last fall, failed. School Board members hope to have the matter explained in more detail at future, public meetings.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board voted 4-to 1 in favor of a 3% salary increase beginning with the 2016-17 School Year, for School District Administrators and Supervisors, with Dr. Swanson voting against. They also approved, by a vote of 4-to 0, a 3% salary increase for Central Office clerical staff, with Board Chair Josh McClaren abstaining due to a conflict of interest.  Prior to the vote, School Board member Jenny Williams requested to have Business Manager Mary Beth Fast’ increase removed from the group increases. She said that’s because compared with the State average pay for District Business Managers, Atlantic’s is pretty high.

Atlantic Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein had requested both increases. The cost of the salary increase for Administrators and Supervisors amounts to $29,108, which includes IPERS and FICA. Amstein noted that during the 2015-16 school year, the Administrators and Supervisors did not receive a raise, but were given five additional vacation leave days that they were allowed to exchange for cash at the end of the school year. The same offer does not apply to the coming school year, but Amstein requested those individuals be able to retain the option to be paid for up to 5 days unused vacation leave at the end of the 2016-17 school year. With regard to the Central Office clerical staff, Amstein says the cost of their salary increase would amount to $9,377, which again, includes IPERS and FICA. It affects four clerical positions, two tech support and one grounds maintenance positions.

The 3% increase is less than the total package agreement negotiated with the non-certified employees association for the 2016-17 year.