Kimball BOE faces tough hiring year and dual credit courses

Administration at the Kimball Public Schools anticipate difficulty hiring for the upcoming school year with the acceptance of high school English teacher Erin Aerni’s resignation and the retirement of language teacher Pat Sulu.

“Replacing both of them will be very difficult,” Superintendent Marshal Lewis said. “Just to my knowledge, there is at least three English teachers that have been hired in the last three weeks (in the area) and I know of a couple more postings out there. I did follow up on a lead for a foreign language teacher. For just a couple of positions we have open, this will be a tough hiring year.”

Because Aerni’s position had been reduced to a part-time position last year at her request, the board approved replacing the position with a full-time hire once again.

“It is going to be hard to find a good, solid, full-time English teacher that fits our philosophy and what we want to have,” Lewis said. “It is going to be twice as difficult, if not more, to find a half -time person to fill that role.”

Distance learning and dual credit opportunities were discussed as well. While these opportunities have been available, students and parents have not been as aware of the availability.

“It is available right now. It is just not highly publicized to our student body to this point,” Lewis said.

WNCC does allow a reduced cost for credits taken by high school students, and Lewis believes more students do not follow through with some of those due to the out-of-pocket cost.

“It (education) is a culture, how we look at it and what we want to do with it. Right now we look at our brick and mortar structure, that is where our education comes from and we haven’t really gone past that,” Lewis said.

While the possibilities are there, Lewis said that students should not take courses through a college that are offered locally, such as algebra.

Rather he would like to see students expand their knowledge with courses the district cannot offer and gain experience with a “college mentality”.

The board considered the availability of these courses for accelerated learners and those with specific interests for which classes are not offered locally and planned to increase awareness of those opportunities.

After the board rejected lawn maintenance bids previously received because the bids did not meet the the district’s requirements they instead sought quotes or proposals from two companies.

To that end, the board heard from the building and grounds committee, comprised of Lewis, Director of buildings and grounds, Gregg Fossand and board members Brad Reader and Lynn Vogel and Heather Norberg, regarding the proposals.

The committee was tasked with weighing the benefits of each company against the cost of the services, and after extensive conversations regarding lawn maintenance and much consideration, they reached a recommendation for the board, according to Lewis.

“The recommendation in front of the whole board tonight is to select Premier for lawn care services this upcoming school year,” Lewis concluded.

The board reviewed the proposal for lawn maintenance from Premier Land Management Services together along with the committee’s recommendation and approved the proposal for the upcoming school year.

The total cost for the program is just more than $15,500 and includes treatments on the lawns at the elementary school and the high school as well as both football fields. The lawn care program will further include treatment of windmill grass and Canada thistle, a noxious weed, as well as treatments for growth on sidewalks.