Friday Board Bulletin 3/1/2024

Posted Date: 03/02/2024

Board Members:

Happy Friday! I am actually off today, and will be again on Monday. Ann and I decided it was a good window to try and get away for a few days before some doctor appointments that are coming up in the next couple of weeks. 

The biggest news of the week is that we have hired our new Technology Director. Mr. Jesse Lamp will start in the district on May 1, giving us a month of overlap between the beginning of his tenure and the end of Mr. Murray's tenure. 

In legislative news, I'm going to be a little short on details this week because as I write this, the weekly updates I count on to share my information haven't been published yet. An amendment to the AEA bill was introduced in the House on Wednesday evening, and at the writing of this memo it is currently being debated on the floor. By the time you read this message, this post will be far outdated and I presume the legislation will have passed the House and subsequently transmitted to the Senate. In my view, the amendment is still problematic. My biggest concern is the shift of authority to the DE and I will continue to resist those efforts.

Legislation regarding minimum teacher salary was also advanced from House Appropriations, setting the beginning salary at $47,500 for next year and $50,000 the following year. It also contains a provision to ensure a minimum hourly rate at $15/hour but caps the appropriation at $14 million. We haven't seen the details of the appropriation yet and it sets up a conflict with the Senate version of the same concept that will need to be reconciled.

That is all for now! Have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing you in Des Moines on Tuesday!

Dr. Tony Voss
Superintendent