Belle Plaine Board Approves Groundbreaking STEM Program
Belle Plaine Board Approves Groundbreaking STEM Program
The Belle Plaine Board of Education at its regular meeting approved the hiring of STEM coordinator (Frank Jowitt). Mr. Jowitt is to lead STEM initiatives in the district. Belle Plaine will become one of the first schools in Iowa to provide a STEM program with a dedicated instructor and STEM coordinator. The school board and superintendent worked together to apply for grant funding to support the program for multiple years. The new program will provide Belle Plaine students with unique hands-on opportunities not available in many other school districts.
Also at the regular board meeting, the school board decided to share the superintendent, business manager, and maintenance director with the Tri-County School District. The Belle Plaine CSD had previously shared the business manager with Tri-County. The Belle Plaine CSD expects to max out their operational sharing and benefit from the sharing of those employees' salaries and benefits. Due to a lack of state funding, all school districts have needed to look for opportunities to reduce expenses as they balance budgets.
Belle Plaine Board of Education Major Accomplishments for the Year
1. Implemented a One to One Program 5-12
2. Applied and received grant funding of STEM program
3. Implemented Google Classroom and other programs at the MS/HS
4. Removal of Old Central Building and Pending Sale
5. Adopted standards-based assessments in both buildings
6. Offered early retirement and increased sharing opportunities to balance budget
It's been a great year! Proud to be a Plainsman!