School district expects state assessment results in May
Staff writer
Darrell Knoll presented the board with a new district professional development plan.
Knoll said the new plan would foster professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators. The updated plan changes ambiguous language and streamlined the process.
The board voted to adopt the new professional development plan. It will now go to the state for approval.
Charlie Jones addressed the board regarding the board's plan to purchase 86 computers. The board voted to make an outright purchase of the computers using funds from the capital outlay fund instead of leasing some of the computers.
The board plans to repay some of the money used from the capital outlay fund from savings in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 school year budgets.
Keith Goossen reported that the maintenance department had purchased a truck from Irv Schroeder Country Motors.
After 32 years of teaching, Dave Clark, HHS/HMS vocal music instructor, submitted his letter of resignation, which was accepted by the board.
The board went into executive session to discuss matters relating to personnel and after reconvening, the board again went into executive session to address patron concerns.
Marlene Fast, David and Cheri Marsh, Curt and Clara Frick, and Kem and Autumn Chisholm spoke with the board individually and in groups to address concerns.
No action was taken regarding extension of teacher contracts. According to continuing contract law, no action by the board will allow all certified teaching contracts to renew on May 1.
Teachers who will receive tenure with the renewal of their current teaching contracts are Dustin Dalke, Stuart Holmes, Tim Kilgore, and Monica Leihy.
The board voted to postpone the consideration of supplemental contracts until the May board meeting due to funding issues.
The board heard reports on the legislature from Jerry Hinerman.
Gordon Mohn, school superintendent, said the position of education is that it is good to have more money, but it still doesn't meet the supreme court's mandate for adequate funding of education.
"This doesn't come close to doing what the supreme court asked," said Hinerman. "In fact, it increases some of the inequities."
Other staffing issues discussed included the 2005-06 kindergarten program.
Yoder told the board that during kindergarten roundup, parents were polled on what their preference would be regarding all-day or part-day kindergarten.
He reported that in meetings with parents, most expressed that they would like to see full-day kindergarten become a reality soon.
Sixteen percent of parents were undecided in their kindergarten choice, 30 percent said they would like half day, and 54 percent of parents polled said they would choose all day kindergarten.
Yoder said that many of the parents that choose half day kindergarten would opt for all-day if it was offered, and more than half of the undecided votes were not at the screening.
No decision regarding kindergarten was made.
The board said they would announce the HHS/HMS vocal music program vacancy and hope for a candidate to bring to the board next month.
The board also discussed the expansion of the media specialist position. They plan to look at funding but took no action.
The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. on May 9 in the technology center in the high school.
