NRHEG School Board
By REED WALLER
Staff Writer
Among the action items on the NRHEG school board’s agenda Monday evening was approval of a request for the NRHEG Marching Band to perform at the 100th American Legion National Convention in Minneapolis on Aug. 26.
The convention will kick off the American Legion’s 15-month centennial year celebration with special events, exhibits and more.
The American Legion’s first convention was also held in Minneapolis, from November 10 to 12, 1919. It was attended by 684 delegates.
Board approval was required to accept the request because the event will be held on Sunday, and it is District practice not to schedule school activites on Sunday without Board approval.
Young Writers and Artists Conference
Fifth-grade teacher Jessica Williams and five 3rd and 4th-grade students reported on their participation in the Young Writers and Artists Conference held March 6 and 7 at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato. The students attended classes and workshops on topics such as Storytelling, Character Creation, Writing and Selling, Communicating Through Illustration and Design, Homemade Cards, Journalism, Drawing in 3D, and meeting authors and artists.
Donations
For Clay Target Team 2018: Allen's Tow-N-Rent-Albert Lea, $100; Barta Machine—Warsaw, $200; Casey's General Stores, $100; Channel Seed-Mike DenHerder-Hollandale, $500; Colony Court, Inc-Waseca, $100; Dobberstein Backhoe LLC-New Richland, IN KIND; Fairway Ind. Mortgage-Tami LaCanne, $500; Geneva Lumber Co.-Geneva, $100; Golf Carts & More, Inc.-Owatonna, $200; Hartland Firefighters Relief Assoc-Hartland, $500; Lenort Construction-Albert Lea, $250; McClune's Tree Service-Waseca, $100; Misgen Auto Parts-Ellendale, $100; New Richland Area Sportsmen's Club, $200; New Richland Fire Department, $500; Nordaas American Homes-Minnesota Lake, $200; Raimann Farms-Hartland, $250; Roesler Seeds-Minnesota Lake, $100; Sequoia Landscape Co-Ellendale, $100; Soil Builders Inc-Ellendale, $100; TNT Body Shop-Hartland, $250; Todd Norton Construction-Waseca, $100.
NRHEG PTO: for High School Play, $2,200; for Artist in Residence, $8,541.59.
Total donations $15,291.59
To date the total amount in donations for the 2017-2018 school year has reached $50,803.08.
Workforce
The board approved the ongoing job share request for 2018-2019 for the team of Judith Tweeten and Lori Tomsche at the Secondary School.
A Letter of Agreement was approved for Norris Hemingway, for English Language Learner translator at $17.25 per hour for the remainer of this school year. This is a temporary position to accommodate a family who moved into the district with three students who speak very little English.
A resignation was accepted from Secondary FACS teacher Riley Holmes effective end of the year, and retirement was approved for Elmentary paraprofessional Clarice Clausen, after 11 years with the district.
Elementary Principal Doug Anderson was approved for another year as Title I Program LEA.
Salary adjustments were approved for winter coaches Drew Paukert (additional $1,000), Isaiah Lundberg (additional $750), and Pat Churchill (additional $250), in consideration for accepting the additional responsibility of coaching C-squad basketball. Last year the board approved additional compensation for coaches assuming additional responsibilities.
Technology expenditures
The board approved the purchase of a new Daktronics LED football scoreboard for the secondary school. The existing scoreboard, which is about 20 years old, has become impossible to maintain, with bulb sockets no longer working and an electrician judging that the board is no longer repairable. The cost will be $25,674.00.
Technology Coordinator Angie Aaseth received five quotes for a two-stage project. First would be moving the main wiring closet from the DMZ to Angie’s office. This will provide needed security. The second part of the project would be the replacement and upgrading of the access points and wireless controllers, which have reached “end of life” status.
The project was approved for $80,000, although depending on funding and state of equipment the cost could be as little as $73,000.
Faclities Planning
Supt. Carlson reported that facilities planning was going on schedule, and he was looking forward to an April 12 date for a first meeting of the Facilities Assessment Task Force.
Members are still being sought. “We have good representation for New Richland,” said Carlson, “but we’re still looking for more from the other communties.”
“Our goal is to have each community represented,” said board chair Rick Schultz.
Next meeting
The next regular meeting of the NRHEG Board of Education is scheduled for Monday, April 16, 2108 at the Secondary School Media Center, New Richland at 6:30 p.m.