CCSD still faces teacher shortage

As the summer continues, Creston Community School District School Board is under pressure to find teachers for the remaining positions: two high school math teachers, one high school chemistry/physics teacher, two special education teachers and one elementary teacher.

One frustration the school board has regarding this topic focuses on the licensure of substitute teachers.

“Would you rather have us not fill that math position because you’re telling me that a person with a substitute authorization can not legally go in the classroom full time, even though they’re probably qualified to be able to provide that instruction?” CCSD Superintendent Deron Stender asked.

If substitute teachers were able to teach full time when the school district is unable to find anyone else to cover the position, Stender believes the school district would be alright. However, doing so now would leave the classes taught by these substitute teachers unaccredited.

The school board brainstormed different suggestions on how to solve the teacher shortage issue. Board member Galen Zumbach asked about working with other area schools to share teachers. However, Stender explained why this wouldn’t work.

“Out of the 330 districts [in Iowa], at least 230 of them are not going to fill every position,” Stender said. “It seems like our neighbors are all looking for pretty much the same positions that we are.”

Zumbach then suggested increasing the class sizes, to fit more students to each teacher.

“I took Chemistry 141/142 at Iowa State with 250 other students in a large auditorium,” Zumbach said as an example.

Board member Dr. Brad James agreed with this idea, saying that only one licensed teacher is needed. Other staff in a large classroom would not require the same licensing.

Board member Sharon Snodgrass suggested using the RAPIL (Regents Alternative Pathway to Iowa Licensure) program. She explained how she had seen it used in the past.

“When I supervised student teachers, I had a RAPIL student and she was a chemist, she worked in a chemical factory in Omaha,” Snodgrass said. “She married a guy from Clarinda and decided to get her teaching degree.”

Snodgrass’s student used RAPIL to get her Iowa teaching license without having to go back for a new four-year degree.

According to the RAPIL website, “RAPIL’s two-year, state-approved program helps candidates develop pedagogy through education coursework, field experiences and a year-long internship. During the internship the RAPIL candidate has a contract with an Iowa school district and completes their first year of teaching with school-based mentorship, and continued coursework and support from the RAPIL program.”

Stender said he plans to look into this program, though no decisions have been made yet to officially address the teacher shortage.

In other school board news...

School meal prices have gone up for the second year in a row to account for “state and federal regulations and anticipated increases.” Regularly priced student meals have gone up $0.05 each, resulting in $2.05 for breakfast and $3.05 for lunch. Reduced meal prices remain the same. Adult meal prices have gone up as well, from $2.50 to $3.00 for breakfast and from $4.13 to $5.00 for lunch.

The district has sent 28 negative lunch fund accounts to a collections agency. All accounts with a debt more than $50 were sent. The total needed is $13,643, with balances ranging from $71.10 to $2,306.50 per account.

In April, the school district had a cyber breach through a phishing scam, resulting in $29,804.76 being taken from the district account. Iowa State Savings Bank was able to recover $19,993.83. To keep the district account whole, ISSB covered the remaining $9,810.93. The school board noted their appreciation and thanks to ISSB, and plan to implement a district-wide training regarding phishing, malware and other online issues.

Two school board members’ positions are up this year: Don Gee and Brad James. Those interested in joining the school board may begin candidate filing August 20, with all filings handed into the district by September 21. The election will be held November 7.

The school board approved all new business, including transferring money from the general fund to the activity fund for safety equipment, awarding the 23-24 milk bid to Anderson Erickson and awarding the 23-24 fuel bid to Agriland FS, Inc.

The school board approved the June 2023 list of contracts and resignations.

Resignations: Amy Scroggie, teacher (end of 22-23 school year); Karen Guthrie, assistant speech coach (end of 22-23 school year); Terri Van Gelder, teacher (end of 22-23 school year); Steve Shantz, head seventh grade boys basketball coach (end of 22-23 school year); Drew Dornack, assistant eighth grade football coach (end of 22-23 school year); Bryce Schafer, MS baseball coach (end of 22-23 school year); Maggie Arnold, HS student government sponsor (end of 22-23 school year); Ryan Kissel, assistant eighth grade football/MS assistant baseball coach (end of 22-23 school year); Sheryl Robb, cook (resigned before start of 23-24 school year); Tasia Scott, second grade teacher (end of 22-23 school year); Chad Malmanger, MS assistant football and wrestling coach (end of 22-23 school year); Danielle Dickinson Thaden, head individual speech coach (end of 22-23 school year).

Contracts: Garrison Carter, MS special education teacher (23-24 school year); Cayla Maitlen, fifth grade teacher (23-24 school year); Richelle Lane, HS special education teacher (23-24 school year) *pending release of current contract; Kristen Bradley, third grade teacher (23-24 school year); Jacob Baulder, eighth grade assistant football coach (23-24 school year); Scott Busch, transportation director (as of 6/26/23); Alma Morales, second grade teacher (23-24 school year) *pending Iowa Teaching License.

Voluntary Transfers: Blair Glendenning, MS special education teacher to elementary special education teacher (23-24 school year).