Staff writer
USD 408 Board of Education came back from executive session May 12 and extended a contract to Jona Newfield to fill a full-time teaching position at Marion Elementary School.
Superintendent Lee Leiker said that the board is returning the elementary school teaching roster to its agreed-upon status before the March 10 resignation of Marj Sandberg. An elementary school teacher had wanted to move to half time, but Leiker was forced to ask the teacher to remain a full-time employee with Sandberg’s absence.
Hiring Newfield is contingent on the board receiving a letter from the teacher officially asking to be dropped to half time.
Leiker also said that the board did not have any non-renewals for teachers this year. The deadline to declare non-renewals is Friday and the Board of Education will not meet again until June 14.
The board did accept the resignations of Calvin Seadeck as bus driver, Lori Kirkpatrick as library aide, Judy Versch as junior class sponsor, and Mike Norris as yearbook sponsor in the consent agenda. Bob Good was approved to replace Seadeck as head bus driver.
Homestead Affordable Housing Association
Leiker discussed the possibility of the district cooperating with the Homestead Affordable Housing Association on MHS construction class projects.
The non-profit organization, out of Holton, has proposed purchasing land and paying for tools and materials for the project. The association, with the assistance of federal grants, would sell the house and work with local banks to set a low interest rate.
According to Leiker the association has worked with schools in Holton and Hiawatha. Leiker said that he would pursue this option as well as the possibility of involving the association with the house that MHS has already constructed at the corner of Denver and Eisenhower streets.
Yearbook printer may change
MHS principal Brenda Odgers proposed the possibility of the high school changing yearbook providers.
Prestige Publishing has offered the school a deal for $6,000, which is $10,000 less than what the school pays to Jostens. One drawback is that the 2010-11 school year will be the first year for Prestige to be in the yearbook printing business. Board members were also worried about a change of software for an incoming yearbook sponsor and yearbook students.
Norris said Jostens design program was user friendly and helped him his first year on the job. Prestige has already been contracted by Inman High School.
“I want to see how Inman fairs,” board member Keith Collett said. Odgers is set to meet with a Jostens representative and the board will continue to weigh options.
In other business:
- A trip for Marion High School FFA to Colorado this summer was approved. The district will cover transportation costs and the cost of a female sponsor.
- Students grades ninth through 12th will not have to take computer applications as a graduation requirement. The class was moved to an eighth-grade requirement for the 2010-11 school year. High school students can still take the class as an elective.
- An out-of-district request for a family from Peabody was approved. The student will enter fifth grade for the 2010-11 school year.