Citing athletic events and other scheduling conflicts, the Atlantic School Board Wednesday evening approved a recommendation by administrators and Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein, to move the date of the 2017 parent teacher conferences from the week of Feb. 13-to the 17^th, to February 28^th and March 2^nd. There will be no school, on March 3^rd.

In his report to the Board Wednesday night, Amstein said that last week, Superintendents with the Green Hills AEA (Area Education Agency) met with a handful of State legislators from southwest Iowa, and the legislators conveyed message of “Don’t be expecting much in the way of State Aid,” in 2017. One alluded to the possibility of a one- or two-percent increase. Amstein said “If that’s the case, that will be eight straight years.”

Nine years ago, he said there was a 10-percent across-the-board cut, which Amstein said the District never got back. He urged the Board to contact those legislators and express their concerns over the continued lack of funding. Amstein said the legislative track record of minimal funding increases “Is going to have an impact on school districts. It just comes down to numbers. The bottom line is that a District the size of Atlantic can weather that storm, but smaller school districts…they will not be able to weather that storm.

And, in an update on the search for a new superintendent, Board President Ali Bruckner said since the online application form went live last Thursday, they’ve had 20 applications submitted for review. On Feb. 13^th, a meeting will be held with all of the interview groups (10 students, 10 teachers and 10 community members), who will narrow down their list of questions for the candidates selected to be interviewed.

Afterward, that same day, the School Board will hold a work session to review the applicant videos and narrow down the selection. The Board will conduct 1^st round interviews Feb. 20^th and 22^nd, the groups will interview candidates Feb. 27^th & 28^th, and if needed, March 1st. The person selected will succeed Mike Amstein, who is retiring at the end of the current school year.