School Board meets
The school board accepted the auditor’s report at the August meeting Monday, August 19.
The board also approved hiring Amanda Holcomb as a junior high cheer coach. She will also assist Whitney Wunderlich with the high school cheerleading.
Another hiring approved was Bambi Woolford as a new bus driver.
Superintendent Jon Rehder talked about the House Bill 521 School Modernization Fund. It looks like Cottonwood School District will receive about $1.7 million with about 10% this year and the rest next year. They will put this into a fund and use it to address the 10-year plan facility updates. The board approved the intended use of these funds and will have Rehder fill out the proper forms.
Rehder presented the board with a proposed procedure for approval of student overnight and out of state travel. This was tabled to the September meeting to give board members time to review it.
The district and school handbooks were reviewed and approved with some changes from last year.
Bus routes for the 2024-25 school year were approved.
The Elementary and Jr./Sr. High School schedules were reviewed and approved.
Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA) regulations were approved.
A second reading of a proposed policy update was done but was tabled until September to be approved.
In his administrative report, Matt Elven reported he attended the Idaho Association of School Administrators conference with Rehder and attended several workshops.
The fall sports meeting on August 6 had over 150 junior and senior high students and their parents in attendance.
Current numbers show 18 out for football, 13 for cross country (8 boys and 5 girls), 32 out for volleyball, 4 out for cheerleading and 3 playing soccer with Grangeville.
They still have 2 open paraprofessional positions at the jr./sr. high. Elven said they have 3 excellent applicants and they will be making a  decision soon.
Registration went well with 199 of 212 students attending.
A teacher/District Inservice will be held Aug. 28-29 at the high school cafeteria.
Rehder reported there will also be staff meetings at the Elementary School on Aug. 28-29.
The first day of school is Tuesday, Sept. 3.
A back-to-school night will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 at the Elementary school. Parents and students will meet their teachers and drop of school supplies. Rehder will also be cooking burgers and hot dogs in front of the building.
They will continue to use the parking lot across from the school for student dropoff and pickup with one-way traffic through the lot.
In his facilities report Rehder noted the breezeway enclosure is done except for hanging of the door that goes into the K-1 building.
Laurie Lorentz and Shelly Sandford are getting the buildings cleaned and ready for the new school year with assistance from Rick Forsmann and Sydney Shears.
Rehder said with the issues of cleaning and waxing the tile floors he is looking at getting carpet tiles for the classrooms next summer.
The new Kubota tractor has arrived and a new mower was purchased for it. The old tractor is being prepared to be put up for bids to sell it.
The Monastery contacted the school and they will be looking at dredging the lagoons in Fall or 2025. The school district pays 35% of costs as they use the Monastery’s water and sewer system. The Monastery is working on grants to assist them with the costs.
Proposed projects for summer of 2025 are: paint the high school, replace windows at high school, replace sewer pipe at high school and carpet tiles at elementary school. Additional items may be added throughout the year.
Rehder reported Dave Shears told him bus orders take about 18-24 months to fulfill. The District may need to put in an order for a bus for 2026-27 in January or February 2025.
Extracurricular contracts have been completed and sent to coaches.
Enrollment is currently sitting at 417 which is down about 20 from last year. 52 of those will be open enrollment with 7 from Craigmont, 38 from Grangeville, 3 from Kamiah and 1 each from Lewiston and Nezperce.
The board adjourned to an executive session at 8:20 p.m. The next regular meeting is set for Monday, September 16 at 7 p.m.