Posted: 2/12/03

ISD 831 approves new policy for kindergarten early entrance

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Parents wishing early entrance to kindergarten for their children now have new rules to follow in ISD 831.

The school board at its meeting on Feb. 3 adopted Policy 501 as recommended by the policy committee and reviewed by the board in January.

Under the policy, new guidelines for early entrance to kindergarten are established and the decision on early admission falls to the director of administration and human resources rather than the school board. The school board can act as a court of appeals for parents as a last resort.

Rules continue to specify that students entering kindergarten must be age 5 on or before Sept. 1 of the year they enter school.

Under the change, early entrance will be considered only after a child has been screened by the districtís early entrance screening committee. Cost of the screening will be done at the expense of the parents.

The new policy also sets up time periods for applications. For current parents of the district requesting early entrance the district is asking that they contact the district by Aug. 1.

Exceptions will be considered for families new to the community.

After action on Feb. 3, the policy will be implemented for the start of school this fall.

Classified workers

With the broad sweep of the pen last week, the district put in place terms and monetary salary changes for a wide group of classified employees for the period 2002-2004. The action covers employees who are not part of formal bargaining groups or unions.

The action came following a series of meetings with a majority of the employee groups covered under the general description policy.

Under the general agreement, the employees will be granted monetary salary improvement of 2.25 percent in 2002-2003 and 2.25 percent in 2003-2004.

Insurance benefits will be improved to the tune of 1.72 percent in the first year of the agreement and 1.64 percent in the second year.

The employees were awarded new language for sick leave use and were added to the employee ranks eligible for the 403B retirement plan.

Employee groups covered under the general agreement are: adult enrichment coordinator, assistant school age care coordinator, assistant to the buildings and grounds supervisor, athletic coordinator, behavior intervention specialists, certified occupational therapy assistants.

Community occupational therapy assistants, cook helpers and cook managers, ECFE teacher assistants, ECFE teen parent child care assistants, Link coordinator, locker room attendants, noon duty assistants.

School Age Care coordinator, senior citizen coordinator, shop foreperson, teen center planners, Title I assistants, transportation safety coordinator, vision and hearing technicians, water safety instructors, youth development coordinator and youth site planners.

Travel policy

School employees who use personal vehicles for school business may soon be paid more in form of mileage reimbursement.

At the Feb. 3 meeting, the board reviewed Policy 302 ó Travel Expense Reimbursement for the first time.

District employees are currently reimbursed 34.5 percent per mile for all travel with a personal vehicle. If the policy amendment is adopted, the reimbursement per mile would increase to 36 cents a mile for all authorized travel to conduct school business.

The policy came to the board after review by the policy committee.

In general review last week, the board questioned the policy reimbursement for meals. A per diem maximum of $25 a meal is part of the existing policy. Board members questioned if the amount was adequate for any travel to large cities where costs are significantly higher.

The policyís second reading will take place at the next board meeting on Monday, March 3. The policy committee may take on additional review at its Feb. 18 meeting.

The policy was last updated in March of 2001.

Other business

In other business from the Feb. 3 meeting, the board:

ïHeard reports the technology and boundary change committees have commenced their respective studies.

ïDiscussed setting a work session to review the ìNo Child Left Behindî federal mandate.

ïLearned the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra would be at Century Junior High School on March 7 to work with music students.

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