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Southwest Public Schools board re-elects Jason Neseth as president; approves financial designations, policy revisions and program updates
Summary
At its Jan. 13 board meeting in Bartley, Southwest Public Schools re-elected Jason Neseth as board president, authorized routine financial designations and policy revisions, accepted a staff resignation, and heard updates on the Beef in Schools program and preschool enrollment.
At its Jan. 13 meeting, the Southwest Public Schools Board of Education re-elected Jason Neseth as board president and approved a slate of routine administrative and financial actions that set the district’s governance and operational framework for the coming year. The meeting was held at Southwest Junior-Senior High School in Bartley and convened at 7:44 p.m.
The board moved, on a nomination slate, to elect Jason Neseth as president, Duane Teter as vice president, Brooke Brooks as secretary and Jennifer McConville as treasurer. The board recorded the vote in favor as Meyers, Brooks, Neseth, Teter, McConville and O’Dea. Earlier in the meeting, members unanimously approved a motion to adjourn sine die in order to hold the officer elections.
The board also took a series of unanimous votes on routine financial and administrative matters. It authorized board officers to sign checks for the following funds: General Fund, Special Building Fund, Depreciation Fund, Employee Benefit Fund, Activity Fund, Qualified Capital Fund, Student Fee Fund and School Nutrition Fund. The board appointed Stockmens Bank and Adams Bank & Trust as official depositories for district funds and designated The Valley Voice as the district’s official news publication.
The board approved several policy revisions. On separate motions the board adopted changes to Policy 3004.1 (Fiscal Management for Purchasing and Procurement Using Federal Funds), Policy 2008 (Meetings) and Policy 5045. The minutes record the motions and unanimous votes but do not include the text of the amendments.
In personnel business, the board accepted the resignation of Mrs. Conie Lovin; the minutes note the resignation without specifying a position or effective date.
Superintendent Drew Billeter reported on several district programs. He said the after-school daycare program will remain unchanged for the time being and that letters of intent for the program were sent in early January. On the district’s Beef in Schools initiative, Billeter said the district expects to receive its first shipment of beef this week and that donations have paid for freezers and processing, enabling the kitchen staff to begin incorporating locally sourced beef into student meals this month. Billeter also reported an equipment problem described in the minutes as a "watt stopper" and said the district is obtaining quotes to upgrade lighting to improve efficiency and safety.
Principal Tara Fries reported that preschool admission letters have been sent and that the district has received 31 applicants so far. Fries said she plans to revisit the preschool entry policy for the 2026–2027 year to clarify some "grey areas" and to account for possible new legislation affecting admissions.
The board approved the 2025–2026 school calendar on a unanimous vote and scheduled its next regular meeting for Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. The meeting adjourned at 8:42 p.m.
The minutes record votes and motions but do not include full texts of revised policies, the job title affected by the resignation, or specific dollar amounts in the treasurer’s report.
