Two representatives for student groups visited the Monday, October 16 Kingsland School Board meeting to give updates on their respective clubs. Ashley Lang, historian for Kingsland’s FFA chapter, shared the following updates. The group recently participated two CDE (career development event) contests, placing first in Meats and seventh in General Livestock. Both will be competing at state in April. The group also visited residents at the Spring Valley Living nursing home, bringing animals and visiting residents. The Kingsland FFA also just started its annual fruit fundraiser; members sell fruits, butter braids, cheeses and meats, with money helping fund club activities and trips to state and national conventions. The fundraiser will continue until November 6. The school FFA also recently made 80 farmer bags, taking them to elevators in Spring Valley and surrounding towns. The bags included items like Gatorade, chips and cookies for farmers to grab while weighing or dropping off grain. Finally, Ms. Lang announced the FFA corn drive fundraiser scheduled for Wednesday, October 18. Members will drive and walk around to local businesses, taking donations for service projects, a food shelf and Camp Courage, a camp for disabled children.
Hailee Warren, treasurer for the Key Club, also represented her organization at Monday’s school board meeting. On October 4, Key Club carried out a ditch cleanup which 15 members attended, and on October 11, the group procured 32 units of blood in a blood drive. Upcoming events for Key Club include club Fun Day, a visit to Pinter’s in Decorah, Iowa, followed by setting up for the Drama Club haunted house which will be held at the Spring Valley Community Center on Halloween. The group will also be doing Christmas in Fillmore County, buying gifts for less-fortunate families.
KABC was acknowledged for donating $6,150 for the remodeling of the school concession stand.
New hires for the month include the following: Angel Apenhorst, custodian; Sarah Clough, transportation cirector; Karli Fiegel, special education paraprofessional; Kevin Hoornaert, junior high girls basketball coach. Resignations include Kayla VanTries and Jaide Lieffort; special education paraprofessionals.
After receiving three applications for the vacant school board seat left by Carmen Anderson earlier this fall, the school board carried a motion to appoint Brady Wolfgram to the board. One of the three applicants lived outside the school zone, making them ineligible. While reviewing the new candidates’ applications, Board member Kyle Rader expressed a preference that an active parent become involved with the school board, a sentiment shared by at least one other member of the board, which tipped the outcome in favor of Brady Wolfgram. Should the offer be accepted, Brady Wolfgram is eligable to be sworn in by next regular school board meeting, November 20, and would serve until January 2025 when a two-year elected term for the seat would become available.
Aaron Thauwald visited the meeting to discuss the 2025 Kingsland Spanish trip to Peru. Scheduled for the middle of June 2025, the trip would span 11 days and include stops at sites including the Incan ruins of Machu Pichu and the Amazon rainforest. The trip would be led by EF educational tours, a company with whom Thauwald has taken two trips; he expressed being “very confident” in the company. Mrs. Morgan Jacobson is slated to lead the trip; currently 14 students have expressed interest and four are signed up to attend.
Kingsland Schools renewed their PSEO agreement with Riverland Community College, reinstating an arrangement several years running. The agreement acts as a cost-saving measure for Kingsland schools, allowing the district to count students who participate in PSEO classes offered by Riverland Community College as full-time Kingsland students, rather than part-time, thereby preserving state funding received per full-time student by Kingsland schools. Classes will be offered both online through Kingsland and in-person with Kingsland staff teaching PSEO material themselves. Students also have the option to attend Riverland classes in person on the community college campus.
The special meeting covering the ICS facilities budget assessment will be held October 30 in the high school choir room; the public is encouraged to attend.
The next school board work session will be held Monday November 6, at 6 p.m. A special meeting will be held November 15, at 12 p.m. Finally, the next regular Kingsland School Board meeting will be held Monday November 20, 6 p.m. These three meetings will be held in the KES conference room.
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