Trustees Cover School Issues
New playground equipment for Northside and Southside schools are expected to arrive at the start of next summer.
“Playgrounds are a go for June 2023,” Shane Reed, facilities director for the school, said during the Wolf Point School board meeting on Monday, Oct. 10. “The equipment and labor for installation is paid for and we got it locked in on this year’s pricing.”
Reed said that the school district has received sample bottles from the state lab to test lead in water. He hopes to send samples in during the next two weeks.
Southside School principal Tara Thomas said she has recently contacted each family with 70 percent or less attendance to determine what the barriers are to school attendance. She plans to talk with the JOM committee to find methods to have families value education more.
Acting superintendent Kim Hanks thanked the district office staff for working to meet deadlines.
Five executive sessions were held regarding student discipline. Two of the students were expelled for the remainder of the year followed with a hearing required for readmittance. Two students were readmitted with a behavior contract. One student will have home based learning with strict recommendations.
Extracurricular hires included Leslie Larson as food pantry coordinator, Cristina Moore as high school assistant track coach, Eric Peterson as high school assistant track coach, Nicole Paulson as high school assistant boys’ basketball coach, Jared Smith as junior high girls’ basketball coach and Patricia Payne was junior high girls’ basketball coach.
A couple of audience members expressed their feelings that the community should have more of a role in the hiring of assistant coaches. The motion to hire the coaches was approved 3-1 with trustee Roxanne Gourneau voting against the motion.
Contracts for consultants Will Henry, Crystal Redgrade and Tawyna Houghton were approved by a 3-1 margin with Gourneau voting against the motion.
Gourneau noted that the school board isn’t just a consent board. She said she hopes to learn more through talking with the school’s attorney and also at school board training.
An update for Felt Martin for legal services was also passed by a 3-1 margin with Gourneau voting against.
Trustees approved paying $2,200 a month to Hanks for being acting superintendent through the end of this school year or earlier if a new superintendent is hired.
Hired were Tanager Jackson as assistant cook, Iva Ricker as assistant custodian, Javian Martell as student custodial worker and Macario Schindler as student custodial worker.
