The AEA 267 Board of Directors met July 10 at 5 p.m. via a conference call from the AEA 267 Conference Center for their regular meeting. During the meeting, the board:

• Approved the 2013-14 Fiscal Agent Agreement with Cedar Valley Promise.

• Approved agreements with Statewide System for vision services.

• Approved a lease with Community United Child Care Centers for a classroom at Valley Park for 2013-14.

• Approved the 2013-14 Transportation contract with EPI/Northland Regional Transit.

• Approved the 28E agreement with Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock for an education associate for the 2012-13 school year.

• Reviewed Board Policy 405.7-Jury Duty.

• Approved the revision of the AEA 267 Reorganization Plan.

• Heard a variety of reports from directors and board members.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met August 14 at 6 p.m. in the AEA 267 Conference Center for their regular meeting. During the meeting, the board:

• Heard a program review and watched a demonstration of the Infinite Visions software.

• Approved an amended contract with the State Training School for 2013-14.

• Approved the 2013-14 contract with MJ Care for Medicaid services.

• Approved the amended 2013 Fiscal Agent Agreement with Cedar Valley Promise.

• Reviewed the AEA 267 mileage reimbursement rate.

• Approved authorization to accept bids for new Media delivery vans for 2013-14.

• Accepted the RJ McElroy Grant for 2013-14.

• Approved revisions of the following Board Policies and Regulations:

  • 405.8-Personal Business Leave

  • 504-Early ACCESS Policies

• Heard a variety of reports from directors and board members.

The phone systems at our Cedar Falls, Clear Lake and River Hills sites have been configured to support four-digit dialing between agency phones located at those facilities.

Utilizing the four-digit dialing system will not only connect you directly to the phone of the person to whom you wish to speak, but will eliminate the cost for long distance calls between our Cedar Falls and Clear Lake facilities.

The “Phone Book” button on agency phones can be used to lookup four-digit phone numbers for staff. After pressing the “Phonebook” key; simply use the keypad to type in the first few letters of a staff person’s last name, press the “Lookup” key, press the “Next” and “Backup” keys until the correct name appears, and then press the “Call” key.

If you are dialing from the Clear Lake office, to reach the Cedar Falls receptionist dial 1100. If you are in the Cedar Falls office, dial 1001 to reach the Clear Lake receptionist.

To eliminate toll charges, 800 numbers should not be used to make calls between the Cedar Falls, and Clear Lake facilities.

At this point, we do not have four-digit dialing for our other offices, so please continue to make calls to and from those offices as you have done in the past.

Dr. Roark Horn, AEA 267 Chief Administrator

Final decisions on educational appropriations were made by the State Legislature on the last day of the this year’s session, which occurred after I conducted budget hearings at the main offices. There was good news and bad news regarding the AEAs. We are getting the 2% in supplemental state aid (formerly allowable growth), so increased revenue to us on that will be about $450,000. But the language in the bill was written in such a way that AEAs would not receive the additional 2% in the “2% + 2%” proposal. This was a surprise and we believe this was not the legislative intent. We are trying to get this addressed, but it is possible it will stand as passed since the legislature has adjourned. That will cost AEA 267 about $450,000 in additional revenue. The good news, however, is that the Legislature did restore some of the $20 million cut that we have been under for the past two years. They gave the AEAs back $5 million, which is an additional increase for 267 of about $700,000. Negotiated settlements have been reached, but some are yet to be ratified. Once that is all done it appears that for next year expenses will exceed revenues by about $1.5 million. This continues us on the wrong trajectory, but if everyone continues the current practice of working together to manage expenses there is hope that we can pause or reverse that trajectory in 2014-15.

Sarah Brown, AEA 267 Accounting Director

The close of the fiscal year is nearly upon us. Your cooperation in honoring the following deadlines is critical to the work of the Business Office as we work to meet Department of Education deadlines for Special Ed billings as well as other state and federal regulations. While July 2 is the final deadline for the items below, please do not hold on to these items if they are ready for processing. Your assistance in sending them on to us as quickly as possible is appreciated!

July 2 is the final deadline for the following items:

• Timesheets & mileage (including expense reimbursement) from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.

• Payments (invoices) to vendors for services incurred prior to July 1, 2013.

Invoices to customers the AEA has provided goods or services to during the 2012-13 fiscal year must be submitted to the Business Office as soon as possible so that we may complete the billing process. Be sure to include only goods or services provided on or before June 30.

Questions? Please contact Sarah Brown.

Please be sure that in setting your summer calendar, you are making plans now to attend your sector’s August meeting. As a reminder, these meetings will be devoted both to sector-related business as well as agency updates. All meetings will be held from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

• Monday, August 12: Northwest Sector (AEA 267 Clear Lake Office)

• Tuesday, August 13: Northeast Sector (Waverly High School, Rada Auditorium)

• Wednesday, August 14: East Sector (AEA 267 Cedar Falls Conference Center)

• Thursday, August 15: South Sector (AEA 267 Marshalltown Office)

The agenda will include detailed information regarding the new employee self-service portal (“iVisions”), updates regarding agency Leadership Teams, Collaborating for Iowa’s Kids, the AEA/DE New Compact and honoring staff for their years of service with the agency.

Although it may not seem like it outside, summer is nearly here! Beginning Monday, June 10,  AEA 267 summer office hours will be 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.  Regular hours will resume August 12.

Best wishes to everyone for a safe, relaxing and sunshine-filled summer!

If you have not already enrolled online for your annual benefits, the deadline is June 13. Everyone must complete this process even if you are declining insurance, resigning or retiring.  Please visit the iVisions portal for a video tutorial or download the Benefits enrollment instructions for review.

For more information, contact Shirley Horak.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met on June 5, 2013 at 4 p.m. for a work session in the AEA 267 Administrative Services Building on the Cedar Falls campus.  The purpose of the session was to conduct the annual professional growth conference with the Chief Administrator as well as receive updates regarding the New Compact and Collaborating for Kids.

The regular board meeting was held at 6 p.m. in the AEA 267 Cedar Falls Conference Center.  During the meeting, the board:

• Heard a program review regarding the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) web system from Gina Greene and Margie Jensen.
• Approved an agreement with Morningside College for 2013-14.
• Approved an agreement with Viterbo University for 2013-14.
• Renewed the agreement with Eldora-New Providence Schools for rental space.
• Approved the Grinnell Office lease for 2013-14.
• Approved a lease with the Hampton-Dumont Community School District for meeting space for 2013-14.
• Approved the lease agreement with Lutheran Services for Bremwood classrooms for 2013-14.
• Approved contracting with Jester Insurance for Agent of Record services for Worker’s Compensation Insurance including the Retro program for 2013-14.
• Approved the EMC Insurance program for 2013-14.
• Approved the E-Rate Management proposal for 2013-14.
• Approved a resolution authorizing issuance of individual procurement cards.
• Approved an agreement with BMO for the Iowa Association of School Business Officials (IASBO) supported procurement card program.
• Reviewed the Board Policy and Regulation 603.9 Credit Cards.
• Determined the legislative priorities for Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) for 2014.
• Closed the session for collective bargaining.
• Returned to open session.
• Ratified the contract with Communications Workers of America (CWA).
• Set the 2013-14 Non-Union Support and Administrative Staff salaries and total package costs.
• Heard a variety of reports from directors and board members.

AEA 267 Human Resources and Business Office staff are working hard to complete the construction of the new employee self-service portal known as iVisions. The portal will give staff members “24/7” access to personal benefit, compensation and leave information in addition to all business and human resources forms previously found on the AEA 267 staff website.

In the coming weeks, AEA 267 staff members will receive a letter with instructions for registering and logging into the iVisions system along with the mandatory completion of benefits enrollment. Annual benefit enrollment for insurance and flexible spending opens May 13 and ends June 13, 2013.  Please look for an email on May 13, 2013 regarding the online enrollment process.  Personal benefit information will be mailed to your home address later this week.  Please hang on to this information as you may need it when enrolling online.  Stay tuned!

In conjunction with unveiling the new iVisions portal, the AEA 267 staff website has received a facelift and will feature a more visually appealing format as well as some changes in content. Watch for changes in the coming weeks.

The results of the annual AEA/DE Customer Satisfaction Survey are in. While we saw some decreases in favorable responses in a handful of categories, we also saw some increases. Agency Leadership Teams will be studying the data (along with the comments provided by respondents) and forming action plans as needed. Stay tuned for more information!

Dr. Roark Horn

Dr. Roark Horn will visit the Clear Lake, Cedar Falls and Marshalltown offices this month to facilitate a conversation regarding the status of the agency’s budget including future projections. All interested staff are welcome to attend. This meeting will run before the retirement celebrations beginning at 2:30 p.m. and ending by 3:15 p.m.

• Cedar Falls: Tuesday, May 14 (Rooms A, B & C)

• Clear Lake: Wednesday, May 15 (Rooms A, B & C)

• Marshalltown: Thursday, May 16 (Rooms A, B & C)

   

Please plan to attend the open house retirement celebrations honoring our AEA 267 colleagues.  This is a wonderful opportunity to congratulate our retiring honorees and recognize them for their dedication and years of service.

Those being honored at each of our office locations include:

Cedar Falls: Tuesday, May 14

• Linda Allen

• Catherine Buehner

• James Fisher

• Linda Gleissner

• Sue Halvorson

• Linda Martin (Retired 1/1/13)

• Marjorie Maurer

• Linda McDonald

• Tom Salkeld (Retired 12/31/12)

• Dennis Scudder (Retired 2/28/13)

• Charlene Varney

• Debra Warrens (Retired 12/21/12)

• Elizabeth Wehrmacher

• Marjean Wyatt

Clear Lake: Wednesday, May 15

• Sandy Bruesewitz

• Janet Folkerts

• Marian Grooters (Retired 11/30/12)

• Margaret Jensen

• Mary Jean Olson

• Kevin Scharper

• Connie Stille (Retired 1/31/13)

Marshalltown: Thursday, May 16

• Kathy McCune

• Diane Pascuzzi

All three celebrations will be held 3:30-5:00 p.m.

Sandy Lawry

Congratulations to Sandy Lawry who was recently named “Volunteer of the Year” for the Waterloo International Quota Club. Sandy received the award, along with another member of the club, for her contributions and leadership within the organization. Quota International, founded in 1919, is an international service organization that links members of all ages, occupations, and nationalities in a worldwide network of service and friendship.  ”Quotarians” are especially known for their service to deaf, hard-of-hearing, and speech-impaired individuals and disadvantaged women and children.

Sandy was also featured in a segment on KWWL-TV in recognition of her award. Congratulations!

Mother Nature has proven to us once again who is really in charge of the weather! So far this month we have had a mixture of both winter and spring reminding us that we need to be prepared for anything. Please be aware that at some point later this month, the agency will conduct both tornado and fire drills. Drills will run in all three main offices and be similar to those that took place last fall.

The AEA 267 Board of Directors met May 1 at 6 p.m. in the AEA 267 Conference Center for their regular meeting. During the meeting, the board:

• Heard a program review regarding the Special Education Compliance process presented by Justin Stockdale, Dennis Sinclair and Greg Koppes.

• Approved a resolution to participate in the Iowa School Cash Anticipation Program (ISCAP).

• Approved an agreement between River Hills School and the Iowa Association for Educational Purchasing (IAEP) for meal arrangements.

• Approved a cooperative agreement for pre-service clinical placement with the University of Northern Iowa (UNI).

• Approved membership with the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) for 2013-14.

• Heard a variety of reports from directors and fellow board members.

United Way’s focus is on education, income and health—the building blocks for a good quality of life. We recruit people and organizations who bring the passion, expertise and resources needed to get things done in our community. It takes a village to strengthen a community—to make sure everyone receives a quality education, can meet their basic needs and has the tools needed to build a financially stable future. One person or agency can’t do it alone.

Your gifts, along with your friends and neighbors’ gifts, are making a real impact. In the last six months, you helped a child with previously undiagnosed heart problems get care. You provided a pregnant teenager counseling and support as she placed her newborn baby up for adoption. You helped first grade students read better. You provided nutritious meals for thousands in the Cedar Valley. You helped a young man stay clean and sober, get a part-time job and enroll in college. You helped a family overcome the loss of their home by fire. You helped moms and dads become better, more engaged parents. You provided transportation to doctors’ appointments. You gave a second grade girl the strength to speak up and tell someone she and her sister were sexually abused. You fixed a senior citizen’s wheelchair. These are just a few of the people YOU helped in the last six months.

Please help by giving to United Way. You can do so online with your local United Way. There you will also be able to find information on your local United Way and its funded partners and programs, as well as other ways you can be involved in making your community stronger.

Cedar Valley United Way: www.cedarvalleyunitedway.org
Marshalltown United Way: www.unitedwaymarshalltown.org
United Way of North Central Iowa (Mason City): www.unitedwaynci.org
Waverly-Shell Rock Area United Way: www.wsrunitedway.org

As you learned in an article in last month’s Intersections, the agency Continuous Improvement Team (CIT) has been voluntarily working through the phases of the Schools in Need of Assistance (SINA) process. The result of this work has been the development of action plans to address each of three priority areas identified. Action plans have been completed and recently peer reviewed by the Continuous Improvement Team.

Please take some time to watch each of the screencasts below to learn more about the three action plans developed. Share your comments or ideas directly in the “Leave a Comment” section of this post.

Early Literacy and Numeracy: (presented by Barb Shafer)

Learning Supports: (presented by Jay Colsch)

Implementation: (presented by Jackie Gray)

Further details regarding the Continuous Improvement Team SINA process are available on our website.

For more information, contact Dr. Jon McKenzie.