The regular monthly meeting of the Oneida School Board was held on Tuesday, August 19, following a work session. (Brandon Ward was not present for either meeting.) A main topic during the work session was the refinancing of the school bond as the Board met with a representative of Hawley-Troxell. A public meeting to discuss the bond repayment schedule will be held on Wednesday, September 3, at 5:30 p.m. in the School District Office. The proposed repayment schedule includes 10-year, 12-year, and 15-year options. Paying off the bond early would mean less interest being charged.

Five Malad High School FCCLA members who attended the FCCLA National Convention presented highlights of their trip, including awards won by the students.  Carter Smith, Cora Asay, Jaden Charles, Paige Wilson, and Miriam Teeples were excited to report about the presentations and competitions in which they participated.

Superintendent Report

Superintendent Dallan Rupp began his report by stating that enrollment in Oneida School District is down slightly from last year.  All construction projects are completed although a fence with gates will be installed at the north side of the elementary school to secure the playground. The elementary school will be hooked up to City water instead of just relying on its well for outside water. The flood in the basement of the high school last month resulted in two pumps having to be repaired; repairs will be covered by insurance. The air conditioning in the high school should be repaired by the end of the day.  The inside freezer will be repaired by the end of the week. The scoreboards for the new ball fields have been delivered but have not been hooked up, yet.

A court case brought against the Idaho Home Learning Academy (which then involved Oneida School District) regarding use of religious materials in classrooms has been dismissed. 

A status conference will be held on September 11 to discuss the lawsuit brought by the School District against the State over the withholding of previously allocated funds to the District. 

There have been several meetings with State officials to clarify the role of IHLA in both the District and the State. The Board voted to approve IHLA as an LEA (Local Education Agency) as part of its charter school status. Federal funding will be directed to IHLA instead of going through Oneida School District.

Board Actions

The time of regular School Board meetings was changed from 6:00 to 6:30; this change will be in effect through December. 

A revised policy about the staff dress code was approved.  The changes were brought by the staff during contract negotiations. A revised policy related to sick leave and benefits for classified staff was approved. 

The coaches’ handbook was approved as was the substitute teachers’ handbook. The bus routes were approved.  Kelly Hill, Director of Transportation, noted that there are many more students riding the school buses this year.  He also reported that there have been changes in the number of hours a bus driver can be behind the wheel, which will mean some changes when long trips, such as to Wendell, are scheduled.

Overnight trips for MHS fall athletics were approved, including the cross-country state meet, the girls’ soccer state tournament, three volleyball tournaments, three boys’ basketball tournaments, and three girls’ basketball tournaments.

The following personnel were approved, pending their passing the State-mandated background check: Laren Nalder as a Malad Middle School assistant football coach; BreAnne Weeks, Tony Tracy, and Julie Bell as MMS paraprofessionals; Marie Green as the instructor in the Malad Elementary School computer lab; David Owens as a MES classroom aide; Ashley Ward as a MES special education aide; Camrbee Howe  and Bethany Hubbard as MES Title I aides; Stephanie Hurd as a special education paraprofessional/speech case manager; Megann Beckstead, Katie Coatney, Kaitlin Lofthouse, Rachel Wall, Graycee McManus, Mariah Price, and Jenka Slater as substitute teachers; Meagan Gleckler as a MMS volunteer volleyball coach; Breanne Nalder as a Malad High School part-time cook; Nolan Briscoe and Michelle Ricks as MMS after-school  program aides; and Megan Clark as a MES after-school program aide.  The Board approved an alternate route to superintendent certification for Dallan Rupp, and ABCTE alternative teacher certification authorization for Kimberly Jeppson.