NEVC Board sets plans for emergencies

By Johannes Brann

After a June Agenda with 18 items under new business alone, the six items of plans and procedures on July’s agenda went by quickly. Board members on hand for the meeting were David Bruce, Connie Gerster, Heath Brown, Scott Pritchett, and Tisha Bailey. Participating via internet was Bobby Burney with Delisa Harms absent. Also present were Board Secretary, Nicole Waters and R-1 District Superintendent Christy Jones.

“Just as its name indicates, our new Crisis Plan covers a variety of threats and emergencies from an actual fire or bomb threat, to someone seriously bleeding to our school becoming a crime scene and how we handle and instruct our staff for each situation,” explained Jones.

By a vote of 6-0, the board approved that plan and the other five as well. Second up was a Cardiac Plan and staff training for use of automatic emergency defibrillators which have been placed throughout the buildings of both campuses. A third area is to have a state endorsed group give a presentation on organ donation to students ahead of obtaining their first driver’s license. Parents may have their child opt out.

Fourth was an update to the required mentoring program for new teachers during their first and second years. Fifth was a protocol for use of a purchasing card and finally came revisions to the district’s general expenditure control procedures so as to meet state department of education and general audit standards.

Since principals have an eleven-month contract which does not include July, the only report came from the superintendent.

Said Jones, “You remember last month how I said we would close the 2025-2026 fiscal year with a deficit unless some final payments for services came in before June 30? Well, thankfully, they did come in and were higher than my conservative projections and so we ended this past year with a bit of a surplus. Hooray!”

The superintendent said that based on this year’s state budget, the district will receive significantly less than in past years and so that financial cushion will likely be used to get the R-1 district through the coming school year.

When asked if the district’s insurance company had settled on the roof damage from a spring hail storm, Jones said the process will take several months but indicated she is satisfied with how things are proceeding.

The R-1 school board next meets on Thursday, Aug. 20 at 5:30 p.m.