The Chatfield School Board met in the media center of the Chatfield High School on Wednesday, August 30, 2017 at 6 p.m. in a closed meeting for a superintendent evaluation. The regular meeting began at 7 p.m. In attendance were Superintendent Ed Harris, and board members Jerry Chase, Lanny Isensee, Scott Backer, Amy Jeffers and Matt McMahon. Katie Priebe was not present. There were no board committee reports.
Craig Ihrke, elementary principal, reported that the workshops have gone well and the teachers have spent a lot of time getting the rooms ready to welcome back the students. He stated that elementary conferences would be on September 5 and 6 and school would start for K-6 students on September 7.
Superintendent Harris commended both principals, Randy Paulson and Craig Ihrke, for getting everything ready for the beginning of the school year and was looking forward to students returning and bringing the energy back to the buildings. He also thanked the office staff for readying all the necessary schedules and legwork to make the school year start on a good note. The cleaning crews worked especially hard this summer having to work around all the construction in progress. He also thanked the technology director, Damon Lueck and technology assistant, Dirk Young for the many hours they spent getting the technology infrastructure ready for the school year.
As far as construction updates, Harris reported that the gym, boys’ locker room, and the storage areas are functional, with some additional work that will be done when school starts or shortly thereafter. Classrooms are all newly carpeted with new student and teacher desks.
The second phase of construction will start this fall and the bids came in favorably. This fall excavation will begin for the building addition. The weight room will temporarily be moved so the two new science rooms can be completed. These should be finished by second semester. In March the kitchen will close and all meals will be prepared at the elementary school. This will allow construction and readjusting of space for the new high school kitchen. The media center will close in May as the remodeling of this space begins.
All consent items were approved, which included both elementary and high school student and staff handbooks and the high school discipline matrix. Resignations were accepted from: Kim King, elementary teacher; Sally Bahl, elementary para; Samantha Gibson, fall play/one act advisor; and Dana Norby, elementary special education teacher. Also under consent items new hires were: Bryan Neis, junior high football; Nikki Ostby, ninth grade volleyball; Sue Danielson, computer lab para; Julie Pepin, kindergarten para; Paula Tessier-Honsey, part-time special education para; Kelsey Mehus, ADSIS behavior para; Kirk Affeldt, upper elementary teacher; Angie Grant, Tuesday-Thursday, preschool teacher; Greg Schaitel, elementary special education teacher; and Brenda Nelson, JV dance coach. The following job postings were approved: fall play advisor, one act play advisor and elementary special education teacher.
There were no changes in the annual review of district policies and they were approved along with the second reading of district policies. The first reading of district policies will be voted on at the next meeting.
Under new business, the resolution for a combined polling place at the high school was approved and the Truth in Taxation hearing was scheduled for December 18, 2017. The CEA Collective Bargaining Agreement that had been ratified by the CEA was also approved by the board. A Memorandum of Agreement for concurrent enrollment courses for the high school was approved, as well as the high school remodel and remodel bid package #2.
The next school board meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Monday, September 18 in the high school media center.
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