Board considers construction methods

COVID, medical marijuana policies coming at future meetings

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BROOKINGS – The Brookings School Board spent a significant portion of its Monday meeting discussing future construction projects at two district buildings – Medary and Hillcrest Elementary schools. 

The board heard a presentation by Mitch Aldinger of Architecture Incorporated, a firm from Sioux Falls that has been selected to design the projects. The work at the two schools could include remodeling, new construction, or both, with preliminary estimates of more than $20 million.

The board considered two different approaches for the work. 

The traditional delivery method, design-bid-build, revolves around construction companies bidding on the project. The other, construction manager at risk, is a delivery method that calls on one company to do the project for a guaranteed maximum price. Design-bid-build usually creates a cheaper price for the project while the construction manager method shortens the project timeline. Aldinger said either method should work.

Design-bid-build won the board’s preliminary vote, with the disclaimer that the board has the option to change contract delivery methods in the future, after a feasibility study is completed this summer. 

Mask mandate, medical marijuana 

Brookings School District Superintendent Klint Willert noted the COVID policies and mask mandate are still in place for the district. He announced that a full update to both the policy and the mandate would be coming at the July board meeting.

“The administrative team will be getting together to provide a version 2.0 of the Bobcat Tracks plan on how we will enter school this next year,” Willert said. “Our goal is to have that to the board in terms of an action item at the July meeting because I know we have constituents in our community who are watching and wondering, ‘Will we require masks?’ What are some of the precautions that we will take with this year?” 

Willert also gave an update on medical marijuana policies expected to come from the State of South Dakota. Medical marijuana will become legal in South Dakota on July 1, and the state Department of Education is still working on the rules and regulations that will be in place for its use in schools. According to Willert, there will be a first and second reading of the policy regarding medical marijuana in the schools coming in July or August. 

“Stay tuned, a big topic coming,” Willert added. 

Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports

The district is implementing a new behavior support system, PBIS, this coming year. The district was selected to participate in a recent training to learn more about the system and implementation. 

The South Dakota Department of Education describes the system: “Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is comprised of a broad range of systemic schoolwide, group, and individualized strategies for achieving important social and learning outcomes while preventing problem behavior with all students. PBIS is not a specific ‘model’ but a compilation of effective practices, interventions, and systems change strategies that have been proven to be empirically effective and efficient. PBIS has relevant applications to educating all children and youth in schools or other community settings.”

“It’s about getting a common set of language starting from a time the child enters the bus to when they leave the bus at the end of the day,” Willert said. “The transportation department will be involved, the classrooms, the classrooms assistants, the child nutrition services, every function within the school building (will be involved).” 

“PBIS has been around for a longtime,” board member Roger DeGroot said. “It’s really teacher labor intensive, and you need strong leaders in each building to make sure it works.”

“It’s a wonderful process, it’s just everyone needs to go into this with their eyes wide open because this is not easy to implement,” DeGroot added. 

High school needs

Brookings High School Principal Paul von Fischer brought forward his request to the board for additional staffing, which would cost the district $55,882. 

The request is mainly due to the registration numbers coupled with class sizes and teacher workloads.

“Once we see the numbers come in, we have the process of finding out who’s registered in which classes, looking at the staffing, who is capable of teaching which courses and then trying to fit that puzzle together so that as many student requests are honored as possible,” von Fischer said. 

Von Fischer said current student registrations have made it difficult for the high school to cover all of its bases, making it necessary to either add staff or eliminate some course options.

“Brookings expects a diversity of courses to be offered, and when I sat in (the superintendent) chair over there we tried to cut some things, too, and it’s really impossible (to do so),” DeGroot said. 

“This $55,000 that is on the table right now is a big ask,” von Fischer said. “I know that, but it was a factor of taking a look and forecasting the rainfall and where are students going to request.”

The board approved the request, and it was decided that at least part of the $55,000 would come from the high school’s general fund. 

DeGroot

The board also recognized current school board member DeGroot on his final full meeting.

“We really thank you for all that you have done for the Brookings School District,” Board President Debra DeBates concluded.

Keli Books will join the board in July.

Contact Addison DeHaven at adehaven@brookingsregister.com.