The Cook County High School Athletic Booster Club contributed $16,750.25 to ISD 166 for school sports this year. “I’m certainly impressed with all the hard work they’ve done,” said board chair Bill Huggins at a May 19, 2010 school board meeting. The board passed a motion thanking the booster club for its contributions.
When asked about whether the club knows how important it is to school sports in the face of declining enrollment and budget reductions, Principal Gwen Carman said she believes they are “well aware of their need to grow.” Some people have talked about starting up an arts booster club also, she said.
First year with K-12 principal
School board member Eric Kemp asked Principal Carman to comment on her first year as K-12 principal, specifically how she views the issue of bullying in the school in light of a student seminar on bullying earlier in the year. Carman replied by saying the school continues to promote respect.
Carman said this year’s focus has been on improving test scores, figuring out scheduling in light of teacher cutbacks, and meeting the instructional needs of students. One of the biggest challenges, she said, is the wide range of abilities in many classrooms. “We just have to always look at how we can improve,” Carman said. Theteaching staff has been “respectful and responsive” to her, she said.
Administrative restructuring
The board approved several administrative staff reductions proposed by Superintendent Beth Schwarz. Elementary secretary Jeanne Anderson will be laid off. She will be replaced by current high school secretary Cindy Everson, who will also keep some of her duties in the high school.
Community Education administrative assistant Laurel Maruska will be laid off. Picking up her duties while retaining her current ones will be human resource manager Lori Backlund.
For the time being, the administrative offices will not be combined into one space as advised previously by a consulting firm. Schwarz said she needs more time to think about the restructuring. “Change is hard,” she said.
Superintendent Schwarz reported she is taking coursework leading to her licensure as a community education director.
The combined hours of the paraprofessionals will be reduced from a total of 140.25 hours a day to 108.8 hours a day, some of which Schwarz expects to reinstate as needs arise closer to fall.
Schwarz stated that the paraprofessionals have unionized. School board members Rod Wannebo and Bill Huggins will work on contract negotiations this summer.
Health services will be restructured this fall, with long-time health services aide Malena Johnson losing her job. Currently, a licensed school nurse works 11 hours a week and oversees Johnson as well as a five-hour-a-week LPN.
Superintendent Schwarz recommended having school nurse Kristen Wharton on duty 16 hours a week and the LPN on duty 32 hours a week. The number of students with chronic health conditions is rising, she said, and having licensed staff on duty would help address liability concerns.
Eli Hill resigns
The school board accepted the resignation of industrial technology teacher Eli Hill with regrets and sincere appreciation after four years of service. He has accepted a job in southern Minnesota.
Selling school lots
Mike Raymond of Red Pine Realty spoke with the school board about selling some pieces of property north of the school complex but not contiguous to it. Neighboring property owners have approached him saying they might be interested in acquiring some of the school’s lots.
Several years ago, the school unsuccessfully worked on a deal with a local businessperson who had planned to develop the property as a whole. Raymond said selling the land in one piece to a developer would be difficult in this economic climate. “It makes sense to be flexible,” school board Mary Sanders said.
The board passed a motion authorizing Raymond to pursue the sale of individual lots.
In other school news:
. Kerri Bilben has been hired to be the district’s K-12 music instructor upon the retirement of high school band director Bill Tormondsen. Superintendent Schwarz said, “She’s going to be busy.”
. Clara Weitz will serve as a Minnesota Reading Corps tutor at Sawtooth Elementary School next year. She will work 20 hours a week, replacing Heather Kemp, who has fulfilled her term.
. County Commissioner Bob Fenwick will attend the June 16 school board meeting to talk about the projects planned for proceeds from the new countywide 1% sales tax. Superintendent Schwarz said she has asked to be part of the discussions and has expressed openness to various options, including attaching a new community center to the school.
. Eric Kemp reported that he recently toured the Hedstrom Lumber Company mill with a group of third graders. He said it was hard to believe they could keep so many pieces of equipment up and running at the same time. “After we got out of the mill we had a finger count,” he said.
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