River Ridge Seeks New Director For Area Vocational Center

By Michael Miller For The Prairie Advocate News

HANOVER – The River Ridge School District discussed various options available to fill the slot of director of the Area Vocational Center, at the school board’s January 17th meeting.

The meeting was attended by Board members Matt Wild, Barb Schaible, Merri Sevey, Raymie Diestelmeier, Don McLane, Dr. Allen Crist, and Board President David Howard. Also attending were District Superintendent Brad Albrecht, Elementary School Principal Beau Buchs, High School/Middle School Principal Mike Foltz, and Secretary Kay Bailey.

Diestelmeier updated the Board on the latest news from the AVC, and led off his report with the surprising yet welcome announcement that the Stockton School District had decided to remain a member of the AVC, having withdrawn their petition to withdraw. Diestelmeier provided his monthly report which detailed some changes in the AVC’s Joint Agreement Policy. The language change proposed by the AVC Finance Committee would read as follows: “All costs of maintaining the Area Vocational Center, its approved programs, and administration not covered by other sources of funding are the remaining costs which shall be divided by member schools on a tuition-only basis. Member schools’ tuition will be calculated by taking the projected year’s costs divided by the Center’s previous year’s total enrollment”.

Language has also been changed in the Policy’s arrangements for physical facilities, whereby “special emergency assessments for physical building maintenance may be made by 2/3 vote of the board of control.” This assessment would be “paid equally by member schools.”

Diestelmeier also reviewed the status of the AVC director position, reporting that essentially, two options were open to the District, either hiring someone who would be both a part time AVC Director and a part time Eagle Ridge Delivery System director, or make one full time position to fill both slots. Diestelmeier commented that he favored the latter.

Albrecht reviewed the highlights of the latest Building Committee meeting, noting that he’d like to set up a meeting between the architect and members of the board to discuss various issues. Schaible and Crist volunteered, and Howard and Albrecht will also attend.

The Board also approved a request to seek bids for the purchase of two buses. Albrecht favored eliminating the buses currently owned by the District that were off depreciation as well.

The Board also gave approval to the Soccer/Track Cooperatives. These coops are composed of Galena and River Ridge girls for soccer, and East Dubuque, Galena, River Ridge for both girls’ and boys’ track teams.

The District will require the hiring of another one on one aide to help give special assistance to a student with special needs. This position will be for the remainder of the school year. Crist inquired as to how much the state might reimburse the District for such a position, and Albrecht answered “between 40 and 80 percent.” The item was given full approval by the Board.

Administrative reports were led off by Buchs, who told the Board that AIMSweb testing would be starting for the elementary in the next couple of weeks, and Literacy Night will be on February 2nd.(at 6:30 pm). ISAT testing is also on the horizon, and the staff has been working on the reading textbook series.

Foltz was impressed with the Juvenile Justice’s assembly on bullying and complimented the gentleman who gave the presentation, saying he held the audience’s interest well. He also reported that ISAT testing will be coming up in March for middle school students, and in April for the high school. The Class 1A Boy’s Sectional basketball tournament will be hosted by River Ridge on February 28, 29 and March 1st.

Albrecht concluded the meeting with a few comments about the building. He said he’d been informed that a bigger heat pump could be installed in the mechanical room. He also said he’d been monitoring the status of various cracks in the floor and felt that it was nearly time to decide whether repair work could be done in house or if bringing in someone to do it would be necessary. The superintendent said he’d also been evaluating the budget, and that, due to a retirement, the middle school special education position is now open and the District will begin seeking a replacement.