The Audubon School Board met in a regular session Monday night and acted upon an offer from the Iowa National Guard for the purchase of a portion of the Guards’ property for a baseball field. Superintendent Dr. Brett Gibbs told KJAN News it covers roughly the infield into the Armory area. The rest is owned by the City of Audubon, which is in the process of turning their property over to the school district. The $20,000 cost for the National Guard portion of the land would be paid for through the PPEL.

The Board also set March 6^th as the date for a Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2018 School Calendar. More information is forthcoming prior to the next school board meeting. Following the hearing, the Board is expected to discuss changes to Chapter 20 (Collective Bargaining). Gibbs said one of the things that will likely change next year, is the elimination of Spring Break.

He said the teachers overwhelmingly requested not to have a Spring Break next year, which is something they’ve been doing for the past few years, and “The novelty has kind of worn off a little bit.” It’s also a way to wrap up the school year, sooner. The final decision is up to the School Board, but Gibbs said they generally follow the teachers’ recommendations.

The Audubon School Board discussed staffing options for FY2018, keeping in mind the current declining enrollment and decreased State Aid. He says they ended-up with four early teacher retirements, another teacher who didn’t qualify for early retirement but who indicated he will not be back next year, and a secretary who is taking retirement.

Also, as part of the Teacher Leadership Grant, the Model Teachers appeared before the Board to explain what they’re doing to help teachers improve.