Grant approved for JPS program

Talk about it

The Jamestown Public School Board learned that a grant for the Gearing Up For Kindergarten program was approved at Monday’s bimonthly meeting.

Gearing Up For Kindergarten is a program offered through the North Dakota State University Extension Service with partial grants appropriated this past legislative session.

The School Board approved Superintendent Bob Toso’s request to apply for the program at a previous meeting.

“It’s going to be a cost for the district but since we haven’t put the program together yet ... we don’t know what the cost is going to be,” Toso said.

Three teachers already agreed to take the training in Mandan. Toso still plans to meet and work out the details of the program with kindergarten educators and administration.

Toso said there would be 10 sessions possibly offered in the evening starting after Jan. 1 for parents and their children who will be attending kindergarten the next school year.

School Board member Diane Hanson questioned the logistics of the program and if the district would be able to target those who it would help the most.

“I just don’t see it working well from a common sense standpoint,” Hanson said.

David Saxberg, director of elementary education, said signup for the program would take place at the same time parents register their child for kindergarten, also that there will be a benefit for the parent as well as the child.

“It’s a program not just for the kids, it’s for the kids and the parents,” Saxberg said. “It’s a dual-education program.”

Saxberg said he will work to get the word out through the Head Start and Even Start programs as well.

Later in the meeting the board better defined the per diem plan it put in place earlier in the year.

Gail Martin, School Board member, said it’s not really a per diem play with the way it will be enacted, but rather a reimbursement expense not to exceed allocated dollars.

Athletic coaches or other extra or co-curricular staff will be allocated $6 for breakfast, $9 for lunch and $15 for dinner when on the road and staying overnight for an event.

They will only be reimbursed up to that amount and free meals will not count as a paid meal.

Those parties will also not have to provide receipts as long as no complaints or problems arise during the first year in existence.

The board also heard transportation concerns from Toso on the condition of rural roads for busing in students.

“If we don’t add another route there’s going to have to be some major detours so the routes don’t get too long,” he said.

It would cost the district more, but students need to get to school in a timely manner, even if roads are covered with water, Toso said.

Finally, the board voted unanimously 8-0 to dismiss a proposal for strategic planning at this current time. School Board member Gary Peterson was absent.

Sun reporter Ben Rodgers can be reached at 701-952-8455 or by email at brodgers@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, news, schools, education