The regular monthly meeting of the Oneida School Board was held on Tuesday, April 21, following a work session. Christine Smith was honored as the Oneida School District “Employee of the Month.” (See accompanying article.)

MHS Team Recognitions

Malad High School teams that have performed well at their state competitions were honored by the School Board. Individuals and a team from the Business Professionals of America (BPA) will be going to the national competition in Nashville in May. Students at the meeting included Hope Briggs, Adi Schow, Kelty Thomas, Carter Smith, and Trevor Allen.  Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) students who will be competing at their national tournament in Washington, DC, in July include Matthew Asay, Abby Cox, Kelty Thomas, and Carter Smith, who were at the meeting. Also at the meeting were Future Farmers of America (FFA) students who will be going to their national competition, including Carter Smith, Kelty Thomas, BreElle Ferree, Cecily Hill, Lyndee Nimer, and Valerie Osequera.

MHS Future Farmers of America

Discussion

Marla McClellan, representing the Malad High School Class of 1989, brought to the Board the idea for a memorial to Erin Hawkes, who passed away while teaching at Malad Elementary School.  Marla and others from the class want to work with school personnel to install a plaque on a bench, a tree, a water fountain, or other item to honor Erin.  Marla will bring a more definite proposal to the Board next month.

Jaxson Shandrew and Lucas Jackson brought a proposal for an Esports (electronic sports) Club at Malad High School. The Board discussed how prevalent esports clubs are becoming at the college and high school levels. Exceptions to the District policy about the use of District computers for gaming would have to be developed. An adviser would have to be present at all meetings and competitions; Kent Crossley has agreed to be the adviser. Discussion will continue next month.

Action Items

Four students have applied for early graduation from Malad High School. All four plan to have completed all requirements for high school graduation by December 2026. The Board approved early graduation, pending the students completing all graduation requirements, for Levi Balappa, Bella McCullough, Theydon Carr, and Aevery Ellsworth. 

MHS FCCLA members

The Board tabled action on accepting bids for a storage facility at the ball fields. The following companies submitted bids: Teton West, Above Board Contracting, MQS Barn, Purdum Construction, and Hess Construction. One of the bids did not include travel expenses, which would increase the size of its bid. The Board will seek additional information before selecting a contractor.

The Board approved 1- year extensions of the contracts for all building principals.

Policies

The Board approved on second reading two policies dealing with retention of district and student records. The Board approved first reading of a policy related to standards implementation as recommended by the Idaho School Board Association.

The Board approved first reading of a new policy on the selection, adoption, use, and removal of curricular materials. The Board approved first reading of an updated policy that will go into effect for the 2026-2027 school year on selection of honor students, valedictorians, and salutatorians. The Board approved first reading of a policy related to district-provided access to electronic information.  Two policies related to student use of electronic networks and district-provided mobile computing devices were approved on first reading, and first reading of a policy related to Chromebook access and internet use agreements was approved.

Administrator Reports

Superintendent Dallan Rupp reported that a new fire alarm system will be installed in the District building (former bank building) upon recommendation of the fire inspector. Stone Elementary School needs a new water heater because now the water is either too hot or too cold. The ground around the bases at the new ball fields is too high; the landscaping company will take care of the problem at its expense after the season is over.

Ms. Jeanie Reeder, principal of Stone Elementary School, reported that the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP) provided a pioneer-themed activity at the school that the students enjoyed.  She thanked the Oneida Education Foundation for helping with the funding for new playground equipment. Asphalt will be laid at the playground in May.

Ms. Sarah McIntyre, principal of Malad Elementary School, thanked everyone who participated in Grandparent’s Day. She noted that many teachers have already registered for summer conferences and professional development. She reported that ISAT testing is underway with science and ELA completed; Malad Elementary School scores are higher than State scores.

Mr. Josh Smith, principal of Malad Middle School, also noted that ISAT testing is underway. Attendance is still over 92%. Spring sports are going well with 54 boys and 44 girls out for track. A science field trip to an aquarium is planned.  In a new program, the number of words read by students is tracked. Ten students have read over one million words with one student having read nearly six million words. Mr. Smith also reported that 79% of the students received Armor Up cards in the third quarter.

Mr. Robert Hannah, principal of Malad High School, thanked Heidi Anderson and Krista Karn for participating in the Idaho Lottery “Scratch for Schools” held in Pocatello; Malad High School received $262. He recognized the five students who received high enough scores at District Music Competition to qualify for the State Competition: Tavin Barnes, Bronson Garrett, Mary Zabriskie, Karley Bennett, and Nolan Briscoe.  ISAT testing is going well with Malad High School scoring higher than the State average on tests completed so far. School attendance is over 92%. He informed the Board that the Idaho Department of Education has changed Senior Projects to Future Readiness Projects with new requirements to be developed. He thanked Kami Willie for meeting with the eighth graders to start their 4-year plans for high school. 

Other Agenda Items

Brandon Ward and Chalae Teeples will be the Board members on the teacher contract negotiations team this year. A school board training will be held on Friday, April 24. The May meeting of the School Board was moved to May 18 because of Malad High School activities that week, including graduation on May 20.

The following personnel were approved, pending their passing the State-mandated background checks: Cynthia Scott, Ann Jeffs, Geanna Ross, and McKinna Owens as substitute teachers and Paisley Smith and Laney Coatney as assistants in the summer after-school program. Resignations were accepted from Christine Smith, the MES music teacher, and Aaron Gibbons, the MMS counselor.