The Alsea School Board had a work session and regular meeting August 25, 2022. The work session covered creating clear and effective board goals for the school year 2022-2023, which is an ongoing project. Lori Greenfield, Curriculum Coach and Mary Jackson, High School math teacher, gave a presentation recommending McGraw-Hill mathematics curriculum be adopted for grades 6-12, which was approved at the board meeting.
Acting Superintendent Sean Gallagher discussed progress on reworking the Alsea School District Collective Bargaining Agreement and proposed that employees be allowed to “opt out” of their monthly medical stipend and into a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) which would follow them outside the district. The HRA option for staff was later approved at the board meeting.
A long, complicated, and difficult discussion ensued about the necessity of some concrete numbers from the general contractor on the cost of the Alsea Bond Project. Board President Risteen Follett and Ryan Van Leuven pushed hard to ascertain the cost estimates of various projects so the ASB can best utilize the funds entrusted to the Alsea School District for the benefit of our students. The good news is that bids from subcontractors are finally normalizing, which we all hope will save the district money. Andy Brophy from CB Construction will work on bids for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. Acting Superintendent Sean Gallagher will follow up with CB Construction and David McKay from the Linn Benton Lincoln Education Service District to determine the scope of other construction aspects.
LaRae Sullivan, District Business Manager, submitted a report showing potential cost savings in the ASD personnel budget. Now that covid lockdowns are eased, LAHO enrollment is down and remains unpredictable for the foreseeable future. After the HR Reset conversation is complete and finalized enrollment numbers are in for this school year, realistic budget projections can be made for this year and future years. LaRae is going to keep working the numbers to create a better understanding of how future funding for the brick-and-mortar school and Learn at Home Oregon interact.
