The Oskaloosa School Board met in regular session Monday night, putting the finishing touches prior to the upcoming school year.

The meeting began with Superintendent Russ Reiter reporting that the school’s maintenance staff will look at improvements on the fields to the south and east, where the marching band is currently rehearsing.

As the board moved into the regular agenda, Nick Denhartog, an incoming senior at Oskaloosa High School, presented his plans to get his Eagle Scout Award, which is to build a trail from the trees along the fields next to the baseball and softball fields to a giant White Oak tree. His plan is called the “Good Oak Trail” and is a trail that is two tenths of a mile long.

Great Prairie Area Education Agency delivered a presentation outlining their role in the southeast Iowa region and what they offer to students and districts. Eighty percent of the agency’s business deals with special education.

The Board later passed a plan to purchase 150 tablets for the Oskaloosa Elementary School. Five tablets would go into each classroom from kinderprep to second grade for use in the classroom. Oskaloosa has been noted for their progressiveness in access to the latest technology to help out with their students’ learning and needs.

The Board also approved a list of measurable goals that outline short term and long term academic scenarios, and they will revisit them as the school year goes along into the winter.

In other business:

– The Board approved the Special Education Delivery Plan and the Backpack

Weekend Food Initiative

– The Board passed the adjustment to Policy 606.3, which will allow the use of an emotional support dog in the school, and if the program is successful, could see an expansion in the future

– The Board approved Chad Vink once again as the Board Secretary and Treasurer

– The Board renewed their membership to the Iowa Association of School Boards for the price of $7,401 for the upcoming year, acknowledging that there are many good things that come from this membership in the way of workshops and materials that are sent to the school district

The next meeting of the Oskaloosa School Board is scheduled for September 14th at 7 pm at the meeting room in the George Daily Auditorium.