GRANGEVILLE — Following a tension-filled board meeting and hour-long executive session Tuesday night, Jan. 22, the news was not favorable for Mountain View School District 244 Superintendent Marc Scheibe.

With high school students signing up in droves for college-level classes, Idaho’s two- and four-year colleges are feeling the pinch.

“The first mid-term report showed we are 59 students down,” chair Lot Smith said at the Dec. 17 Mountain View School District 244 board meeting that about 135 people attended. He explained this decrease in average daily attendance (ADA) would cost the district $615,000.

Case No. 3:18-CV-541 is a “complaint and demand for jury.” The second lawsuit is a complaint for violation of Public Records Act.

CIEA president and CVHS teacher Char McKinney speaks about the district’s RIF policy at the Dec. 17 board meeting.

KOOSKIA — Mountain View School District 244’s lunch program is in the black.

The Free Press received information Tuesday, Dec.18, that the Idaho Education Association filed two lawsuits against Mountain View School District 244. The suits were filed Dec. 6 and 7 on behalf of teachers in the Central Idaho Education Association and regard contract negotiations.

One of the standout items in the audit report was the school lunch fund which reflected a net operating balance of $149 in 2018 versus a loss of $10,247 in 2017.

A group of Mountain View School District 244 teachers implored the board to come together and discuss their contracts. This occurred at the Nov. 19 regular monthly meeting held in Kooskia. A meeting was not held in October. “Now that we’ve entered into the mediation stage, I don’t believe we can legally meet face to face,” board chair Lot Smith said.

The charges accused Hill of child abuse, cruelty and endangerment. The PSC panel of three heard the case, beginning at 9 a.m., and made the unanimous decision at 3:30 p.m. to dismiss all charges.

During Lewis-Clark State College president Cynthia Pemberton’s presentation in Grangeville last week, she spoke to what she sees as the school’s unique position in the state, and also to one of the challenges facing such institutions today.

“As a new person coming into a leadership position,” she said, “one thing that leaders, that I think is a mistake, is they come in with all kinds of ideas on what to do next and how to move forward before they take the time to listen, to learn, to come to know the institution, the community and the people.”

According to U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012-2016 American Community Survey (ACR), 88 percent of people 25 years and older had at least graduated from high school, and 17 percent had a bachelor’s degree or higher. An estimated 12 percent did not complete high school.

“CV and Kamiah have entered a cooperative agreement for cross-country this year and the two schools will have one combined team,” reported Clearwater Valley High School Principal Adam Uptmor at the Aug. 20 Mountain View School District 244 board meeting.

Charges are pending review against an unidentified juvenile alleged to have perpetrated a bomb threat hoax at Grangeville High School last week.

At the Aug. 20 MVSD 244 board meeting, discussion continued about the Elk City Library. District librarian Lynn Johnson let the board know Elk City Library is part of the ValNet consortium which the district pays a $13,000 annual fee to be part of.

Only the three trustees – Smith, Lutz and Dominguez – were present at the meeting held at Clearwater Valley High School. The three voted unanimously to give a 2 percent increase to administrators and a 5 percent increase to non-certified employees.

“This is good news for Grangeville High School and the community, and something we should be proud of,” said board chair Lot Smith at the Aug. 20 trustee meeting in Kooskia.

Following an impasse at the bargaining table, Mountain View School District 244 teachers are working off last year’s contracts as of the start of school yesterday, Tuesday, April 21. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services mediator Darrell Clark met with the district’s bargaining team, school board members, superintendent and lawyer Thursday, Aug. 16.

Mountain View School District 244 patrons will have a nice little surprise come property tax time this year. The school board voted, at its Aug. 20 meeting in Kooskia, to return $426,802 on the spring levy amount of $3,090,048. This brings the levy down to the previous five years’ levy amounts of $2,663,246 per year.

Mountain View School District 244’s board of trustees voted unanimously at their regular June 18 meeting to accept a 2018-19 proposed budget of $20,275,266, which includes all funds. The budget includes the general maintenance and operation (M&O) fund ($13,225,221) along with all other funds ($7,050,045) as was listed in a June issue of the Free Press under “notices.” The 2017-18 budget for all funds was approximately $22 million.

A reorganization of the Mountain View School District 244 meeting calendar and agenda turned contentious Monday, July 23. A room full of about 30 patrons, mainly teachers, had signed up to speak during the regular public input session where patrons are allowed three minutes each.