Therapy dog coming to Columbus schools – Muscatine Journal

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COLUMBUS JUNCTION – The Columbus School Board agreed Tuesday to finance a four-week therapy dog training program for Copper, a 17-week-old English Labrador Retriever.
Copper’s owner, Roundy Elementary School Principal Kristina Murphy, presented the training proposal to the board, explaining she had witnessed first hand the benefits of using a therapy dog in a school setting while working in the West Liberty School District.
“Studies have shown that children gain confidence in reading and have shown great growth in literacy skills by reading to therapy dogs,” Murphy explained in a handout presented to the board.
She also indicated studies showed a correlation between the use of the therapy dogs and students’ social, emotional and behavior improvements.
In the proposal she presented to the school board, Murphy requested using around $15,000 in ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funding to finance Copper’s training.
Feeding and medical care would be her responsibility, Murphy told the board.
She said the Mt. Pleasant School District had recently trained four therapy dogs using ESSER funding. Those dogs had been trained at an Iowa City kennel, which will also provide the training for Copper, Murphy said.
School board members said they supported the idea, but were cautious about spending ESSER funds to train a privately-owned animal. They also were concerned over the possibility Murphy could be attracted to a job in some other district in the future.
Murphy assured the board members she would be willing to sign a contract establishing a pro-rated repayment plan or some other process to ensure the district would get its money back if she left before a specified period.
Board member Carol Zuniga initially suggested the board delay action until a later meeting so a contract could be completed. However, Murphy said the Iowa City kennel would be training 10 dogs during its next session beginning in January and only three of those slots remained open.
District business manager Neil Mills also pointed out it would take some time to obtain the required state approval to use the ESSER funds for the training.
After hearing of those issues, the board unanimously agreed to use the ESSER funds to train Copper; and in the meantime, develop the contract with Murphy.
In other action, the board:
* Approved the district’s Administrative Assistants Employment and Classified Employment Handbooks, but tabled action on the 2022-23 7th – 12th grade Student/Family Handbook and the district’s Attendance Policy until additions and edits were completed;
* Approved influenza shots for the staff;
* Agreed to pay $1,650 to Homecoming Sponsor Maureen Mincks for several years of overlooked, unpaid service in the position;
* Agreed to submit a $118,859 request for allowable growth and supplement aid for a negative special education balance to the School Budget Review Committee;
* Accepted a $9,775 bid from George’s Painting, Kalona, to paint the bus barn;
* Met with Shania Laguanas, owner of Sol Energy and Nutrition, over her concerns that students had been told to stay away from the new business. A later report from secondary principal Lisa Stevenson indicated students had misunderstood the directive;
* Approved a sharing agreement for girls wrestling with the Winfield-Mt. Union School District.
In final action, the board adopted an in-house bus driver training program that will be provided by transportation dire

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