Jamestown   (CSi)  A Special meeting of the Jamestown Public School Board, was held Tuesday, for a Reduction in Force  (RIF) Recommendation concerning  instructors being contemplated for non-renewal at the James Valley Area Career and technology Center.

Superintendent Robert Lech recommended the Reduction in Force, due to lack of funding and uncertainty of funds.

The Jamestown Public School Board issues contracts for the James Valley Career and Technology Center, as the operating board.

JVCTC was not selected for flow-through  programs as a regional provider for programs which previously was available  to each interested center/school district.

One program is not able to cover expenses through direct revenue received, nor is it projected to cover expenses in the future.  At the same time the Department of Career and Technical Education is projecting a decrease in revenue from the state, which will lower revenue again.

The second program also operated with direct flow-through funds from the state to James Valley Career & Technology Center, but it is now regionalized. This means the Career & Technology Center will have expenditures, but the money will flow through Sheyenne Valley Area Career & Tech Center in Valley City.

Superintendent Lech said funding, was applied for anticipating having the program, was not selected as the regional provider. Funds would be funneled through Valley City after this school year.  While this program was able to cover all expenses through the revenue received, there will no longer be any state funding for JVCTC for the program.

At Tuesday’s meeting, it was determined that there is a need for reduction in force of the three instructors of the James Valley Area Career and Technology Center, and directed the superintendent to determine within the Reduction in Force Policy, which instructors should be contemplated for non-renewal.

A motion was made, and approved unanimously for the board to contemplate the non-renewal of the instructor in the Oakes Farm Business Management program, Lance Brower, and the instructor in the Jamestown Farm Business Management Program, Virgil Dagman.

Also to be discussed by the board and acted upon is the contemplated non-renewal of the current teacher contract of Kim Thoele, an instructor in adult education support and GED services,  for reasons provided by Superintendent Lech.

The board approved that a Special Jamestown Public School Board meeting be held at the Jamestown Middle School’s Thompson Community Room on Tuesday April 4, 2017, at 5:15-p.m., or a different mutually agreeable date, at which time the board will discuss and act upon the contemplated non-renewal of each of those individuals. The Business Manager will provide the notice to each.

If agreed to by all teachers/instructors, the evidence the District provides supporting the reasons for RIF can be provided in a public meeting all at one time, followed by separate hearing portions for each individual related to why each individual was selected.  If it is not agreed upon to do joint district evidence, it will be provided separately  at the beginning of each individual’s hearing.

Superintendent Lech recommends that the individual portion of the hearings each be conducted in Executive Session, after which, the school board will return to open session, and will then need to act upon the contemplated non-renewal, once for each of the individuals being contemplated for non-renewal.  The initial hearing date allows for continuances and still meets the statutory deadlines for non-renewals.