LPOSD to vote on new resolutions
SANDPOINT — School use of Memorial Field and the upcoming legislative session were discussed by the Lake Pend Oreille School Board during the regular board meeting last week, The board also took action on items from executive sessions at the Tuesday, Oct. 13 meeting.
The board was in executive session to discuss performance-based raises for some of the executive staff. Steve Youngdahl, board chairman, said they give the executive team of Shawn Woodward, Lake Pend Oreille School District superintendent, Dr. Becky Meyer, assistant superintendent, and chief-financial-officer Lisa Hals, performance based raises each year.
Woodward is given a list of board goals each year and evaluated on the goals in June. Once the board evaluates Woodward, they agree upon a bonus to be paid. Woodward was hired with a base salary plus a bonus in his contract.
Youngdahl said the district has improved from being “in the cellar” to being one of the state's top performing schools. Because of the massive growth with performance standards, he said executive team bonuses were approved.
“Our goal is to be the No. 1 school district in the state of Idaho in our category,” Youngdahl said. “We've gone from the cellar to one of the top school districts. We are in the top 5 percent.”
Woodward was given a 10 percent of his base pay as a bonus, as was Meyer, and Hals. Hals was given 10 percent in 2013-14, and 7.5 percent for 2012-13. Woodward was given 10 percent each year.
"The reason we are paying bonuses is because we are getting results," Youngdahl said.
These are bonuses that were paid through June 2015, for money that was already approved. Youngdahl said the board was recently told they had to make the motion for the bonuses in a public session, so they put the bonuses on the record during the meeting for the years 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2014-15.
“We’re just memorializing things we have done,” Youngdahl said. “Our executive team is highly respected.”
The board of trustees discussed 12 resolutions proposed from different school districts throughout the state, that each district’s board will vote on during the Idaho School Board Association meeting, Nov 11-13.
The board gets a certain number of votes based on the number of children that are in the district. These resolutions were brought to ISBA, which cover a variety of issues and would affect all districts, Woodward said.
“School districts will have an opportunity to vote as to whether or not the ISBA as a whole should support the resolution,” Woodward said.
From there, the ISBA will go to the Idaho Legislature and ask for the changes. Woodward said there are many districts that belong to ISBA, which governs Idaho school boards and provides support, advice, training, and policy services to school boards in Idaho. The school board will finalize its individual votes before Nov. 11, and chairman Steve Youngdahl and vice chair Joan Fish will represent the district and cast votes accordingly.
“They have more clout with the Legislature than we do as an individual school district,” Woodward said.
The school board also heard the Barlow Stadium at War Memorial Field presentation. Planning and economic development director Aaron Qualls, and parks and recreation director Kim Woodward discussed the 1-percent, five-year sales tax increase that would fund the $2.72 million grandstands at the stadium. The voters of Sandpoint will vote on the sales tax increase at the Nov. 3 election.
The district uses the facility often for sporting events, graduations and other ceremonies. Youngdahl voiced his support for the tax, saying he has heard a large amount of community support for the project.
“It’s a special place that holds a lot of meaning," Youngdahl said. “It would benefit the district to see this continue.”