The Sweet Home School Board approved a resolution during its regular meeting Monday night agreeing to the list of services provided by the Linn-Benton-Lincoln Education Service District.
The ESD provides services to 12 school districts in three counties. It is funded primarily by property taxes and state school funds. Member school boards vote annually to approve the services provided by the ESD.
Its two tiers of services include business information services, various software, a courier service, a student information suite for student records, some information technology services, student and family support services and help in meeting the requirements of state and federal laws.
Districts also may pay more to receive additional services, such as a speech-language pathologist, said Business Manager Kevin Strong. At this point, the district does not pay for any additional services.
Present at the meeting were board members Joe Kennedy, Jim Gourley, Mike Reynolds, Chairman Jason Redick, Debra Brown and Jenny Daniels. Jason Van Eck, Chanz Keeney and Angela Clegg were absent.
In other business:
– The board held the first reading of policy updates based on changes in state law.
Among the updates are policies governing board member standards of conduct, reporting abuse, equal opportunity employment, workplace harassment, personal electronic devices, use or restrains and seclusion and admission of resident students.
Among the changes, School Board members will be considered mandatory reporters of child abuse and a completely new policy governing workplace harassment.
– Foster had the highest attendance rate in the district, winning the Golden Shoe trophy for the first time in its six-year history.
Supt. Tom Yahraes said the district had low attendance last month thanks to colds and stomach bugs, with attendance rates generally running between 88 and 89 percent across the district.
Foster had a district-high attendance rate of 91.7 percent in December and won the Golden Shoe trophy, which is transferred monthly to the school with the highest attendance. Oak Heights had a December attendance rate of 90.29 percent.