Belle Valley among those approving O’Fallon District 203’s request to leave BASSC

Belle Valley District 119 hired two new teachers, made changes to the student handbook and agreed to allow another district to leave the special services cooperative during its meeting Tuesday night.

Main item

After some discussion, the board approved O’Fallon School District 203’s request to leave the Belleville Area Special Services Cooperative. Board member Roberta Barth asked if schools leaving BASSC could be a trend; Superintendent Louis Obernuefemann said he had not heard of any other districts considering such a move.

“If we wanted to save a lot of money, we’d be asking the same question,” Barth said. “They’re still going to have to meet their bond obligations.”

The request was unanimously approved.

Other items

▪  The board approved some changes to the student handbook, including sections on birthday treats and invitations.

Belle Valley students holding off-campus parties must find another way to invite their friends without passing out invitations on school grounds, Obernuefemann said.

“We’ve actually had fights break out because a student wasn’t invited,” he said.

After the meeting, he said that “generally, kids know where each other live” so he thinks parents will be able to get invitations to other students.

Students may still bring in treats on their birthday to share with the class, but the leftover snacks must be left at school to be picked up by a parent. He said the treats were problematic on the buses.

▪  The district has $164 in the transportation budget, business manager Joan McKay said. The district received the last two payments in July that the state owed from the 2014-15 school year.

“As you can see it’s pretty low, but at least it’s in the black,” she said.

▪  Obernuefemann warned the school board of a possible large upcoming expense: the air conditioner unit on top of the building that cools the library and the art room failed this week.

If the 10-by-5 foot unit is not under warranty, Obernuefemann said the replacement cost could be $12,000, not including installation.

▪  Brooke Taylor will be the fifth third-grade teacher for the district. She previously taught at Confluence Academy in St. Louis and at a district in Columbia, Mo.

▪  Danielle Bowles was introduced as a physical education assistant.

This story was originally published July 21, 2015 at 9:57 PM with the headline "Belle Valley among those approving O’Fallon District 203’s request to leave BASSC."