School board members attend state conference

Several Fairfield community school board members attended the Iowa Association of School Boards's annual convention Thursday in Des Moines.

?There were at least four board members and two administrators present at the meeting,? said board president Phil Miller, adding that board members were impressed with Fairfield High School English teacher Kevin Hosbond's presentation.

Hosbond, who was selected by the IASB, spoke to a group of educators, school administrators and school board members from around the state about becoming a reflective board member.

?He did a great job,? Miller said. ?We're so proud of him and of our district.?

Miller said that, during the conference, board members also had an opportunity to learn more about school finance and how the new sustainable growth rate for 2015-2016 would affect local general fund budgets.

?Spending authority is determined by multiplying the certified student enrollment by the amount of state aid per student,? Miller said. ?The state aid was increased by 1.25 percent this year. The good news is, our enrollment is up by at least 10 students this year compared to last year. That number in itself might not sound too large, but to school finances, it's huge.?

At the Nov. 16 board meeting, school superintendent Laurie Noll said November's school donations were more than $21,000.

?This is amazing,? Noll said during Monday night?s meeting, adding that the funds come from local individuals, clubs and organizations to help teachers in the district with equipment and teaching materials to improve the educational experience for students.

She thanked the community for what they had given to the district so far.

?The private funds that are coming into the district are something we are so thankful for,? Miller said today during an interview. ?For the public to do this is great.?

Various teachers in the district received a combined total of nearly $19,000 in grant funding from The Fairfield Education Foundation.

?They run a grant process where teachers can write a grant for things they would like in their classrooms,? said Kim Sheets of the foundation.

Sheets said teachers can apply twice per year in the fall and spring.

Chappell Studio Inc. in Fairfield donated nearly $3,000 to the district.