Report of the Major Actions Taken by the DMCS Board During the Meeting on June 5, 2006
By Todd Goeldner, DMCS Board President, and Dr. Bob Stouffer, Superintendent
President Todd Goeldner called the meeting to order in Open Session and opened with a devotional he entitled, “Encouragement from One Board Member to Another.” Mr. Goeldner used Scripture to support each of the following assertions: (1) You are here for a purpose; (2) Serve the Lord with all your heart and with all your mind; (3) Seek the Spirit, and seek His wisdom; (4) Have faith and resist the doubts that creep in; (5) Understand we are not in control; and (6) Turn your anxieties over to God.
President Goeldner opened the meeting in prayer.
The Board adjourned to Closed Session.
At the start of the Closed Session, 9 of 12 Directors were in attendance, representing a quorum. Eventually, all 12 Directors were in attendance at the conclusion of Closed Session.
Also present during Closed Session were Bruce Stanley, Incoming Director; Dr. Bob Stouffer, Superintendent; Cade Lambert, Elementary Principal; John Steddom, Secondary Principal; Linda Steddom, Director of Curriculum and Assessment; Samona Yentes, Development Director; and Priscilla Reynolds and Sheryl VanWeelden, Co-Directors of Early Education.
The Board approved minutes for the Closed Session meeting on May 15, 2006.
The Board approved the counter-offer from other parties involved in the gymnasium floor damage of May, 2005.
With regret, the Board approved the resignation of Development Assistant Dawn Vis, effective June 2, 2006.
The Board approved Robin Fynaardt as School Nurse for the 2006-2007 school year.
The Board approved Bob Uttenreuther as Summer Automotives Camp Instructor for 2006.
The Board approved Suzi Bryan as Lead Pre-School Teacher for the Early Education program in 2006-2007.
The Board approved Brad Green as Secondary Science Instructor for the 2006-2007 school year.
The Board approved Paige Thiner as part-time TAG Instructor for the 2006-2007 school year.
The Board adjourned from Closed Session and reconvened in Open Session.
Twelve (12) of 12 Directors were in attendance, representing a quorum.
Also in attendance during Open Session were Bruce Stanley, Dr. Bob Stouffer, John Steddom, Linda Steddom, and Cade Lambert.
The Board approved adjustments to the TAG program for the 2006-2007 school year, based on the availability of Mrs. Thiner, who is willing to serve part-time in 2006-2007 and who has verbally indicated that she will be willing to serve full-time with the TAG program for the
2007-2008 school year.
The Board approved minutes for the Open Session meeting of May 15, 2006.
The Board reviewed five Board policies. All other readings were tabled due to time constraints.
The Board approved a shared athletic agreement for boys with the Urbandale Community School District in 2006-2007 and for girls with the Des Moines Independent Community School District in 2006-2007, pending the approval of the UCSD and DMISCD. The intent of DMCS is to make application for a shared agreement for boys and girls in Urbandale beginning with the 2008-2009 school year. Any girl who enters the athletic system in Des Moines and who still has eligibility left in 2008-2009 would change to Urbandale with no loss of eligibility, pending approval of Urbandale.
The Board approved R. Kim Dreher, Samona Yentes, and Julia Veenstra as “organizing Board members” for the development of the new Student Tuition Organization (STO), a 501(C)(3) organization which will collect solicited donations for scholarship monies to support families who otherwise could not afford to stay or enroll in an accredited non-public school. Current non-public schools wishing to collaborate in the STO are DMCS and Iowa Christian Academy. Governor Vilsack signed this momentous bill on June 2, 2006. State appropriations will be available after September 1, 2006. Donors to the STO are able to claim a 65% tax credit.
The Board approved the Educational Program Committee proposal for dual DMCS and DMACC credit with Speech, AP Calculus, AP Literature and Composition, and AP Language and Composition.
The Board approved the Finance Committee proposal for the 2006-2007 budget process timeline.
The Board approved the Finance Committee proposal for facility rental rates.
The Board approved the Finance Committee proposal for a new Board committee – the Facilities Management Committee – on a one-year trial basis.
The Board briefly discussed and tabled action on the Finance Committee proposal for a new standing Board committee, the Strategic Prioritization Committee.
The Board approved the Finance Committee proposal for Schuring and Uitermarkt to conduct the audit of the June 30, 2006 financial statements.
On behalf of Des Moines Christian School, the Board approved the entrance of Madrid High School to the West Central Activities Conference, effective with the 2007-2008 school year.
President Goeldner disseminated Dr. Bob Stouffer’s most recent evaluation to all Directors.
Director Stephen Darnielle closed the meeting in prayer.
The meeting was adjourned.