3 new teachers hired
Personnel was the key focus of a short meeting of Holyoke School District Re-1J Board of Education Tuesday, May 2.
Three new teachers were hired for the 2017-18 school year, contracts were approved for returning teachers, classified staff were recommended for employment, and a preliminary list of extra-duty assignments was approved.
New teachers for the upcoming school year are James French, JR/SR high math; Karen Ortner, family and consumer science and FCCLA adviser; and Tina Young-Rana, kindergarten.
French earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and computer sciences from Amherst College in Massachusetts in 2011. He then spent six months working as a contracted freelance SAT prep lesson writer, and for the past five years, he served as a resident parent at Happy Hill Farm Children’s Home at North Central Texas Academy in Granbury, Texas.
Ortner previously held the FACS position at HHS from 2011-15. She left the position with mixed emotions because of lack of time for her young family. She served as a reporter at The Holyoke Enterprise for the last two years and noted in her application that she’s gained a great deal of perspective, maturity and organizational skills that will only better her as a teacher and adviser.
Young-Rana has been teaching in Hemet, California, for the past 16 years and looks forward to returning to her hometown of Holyoke. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1999 and her master’s in elementary education in the fall of 2001, both from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.
While not all extra-duty assignments were made for the 2017-18 school year, a number of them were approved at Tuesday’s meeting.
Stipends are listed as $3,102 for head HS coaching positions and the play director, $1,861 for assistant HS coaches, $1,825 for head JH coaches, $1,241 for assistant JH coaches, $5,583 for athletic trainer and $932 for musical assistant.
Extra-duty assignments were made as follows:
Dusty Sprague, head HS football; Russ Sprague and Billy Sonnemaker, assistant HS football; Scott Dille, head HS boys basketball; Keith Pocock, assistant HS boys basketball; John Baumgartner, head HS girls basketball; Ben Rahe, assistant HS girls basketball.
Dusty McConnell, head HS wrestling; Luke Garrett, assistant HS wrestling; Sherman Kage, head HS girls softball; Kendra Schlachter, assistant HS girls softball.
John Baumgartner, head JH football; Sam Distefano, assistant JH football; Michelle Vieselmeyer, head JH volleyball; Hillary Heier, assistant JH volleyball; Scott Dille, head JH boys basketball; Keith Pocock, assistant JH boys basketball; Jesus Hermosillo, head JH wrestling; Andrew Colglazier, assistant JH wrestling.
Kendra Schlachter, athletic trainer; Bret Miles, play director; and Pat Wiebers, musical assistant.
Three probationary teachers were recommended to move to nonprobationary status. They are Sam Distefano, Cody Jiru and Cristine Mallari.
Probationary teachers were approved for 2017-18, including Shauna Brown, Stephanie Chaney, Brittany Dirks, Joann Goss, Kaitlin Hansberry, Chris Lampkin, Christina Lucero, Lori Nelson, Kareen San Jose, Andrea Schlachter, Amber Schroetlin, Josh Schroetlin and Melanie Wheeler.
Nonprobationary teacher renewals were made for Cynthia Bahler, Allie Balog, Nic Balog, John Baumgartner, Cindi Beavers, Yesenia Bencomo, Kimberlee Bennett, Stefan Betley, Heather Bieber, Ashley Clayton, Marcia Dalton, Carly Daniel, Scott Dille, Kerri Gardner, Wendy Grothman, Maury Kramer, Laura Loutensock, Nancy Miles, Angela Powell, Tarah Priddy, Sandra Rahe, Crystal Rigel, Kari Sandquist, Lynn Schneider, Rhonda Smith, Theresa Tharp and John Zilla.
Classified staff employment recommendations for 2017-18 were made for Brenda Krueger, district administrative director; Joan Price, HR/payroll director; Ben Rahe, budget and finance director; Perry Ingram, director of technology; Chandra Paker, district technology instructional coordinator.
Stan Kreider, maintenance/repair; Dusty McConnell, maintenance/grounds; Kim Young, transportation director; Stacey Krogmeier and Tancy King, secretaries.
Griselda Carrasco, Guadalupe Montes, Albino Nuñez, Rosa Ronquillo and Juana Ruiz, custodians; Mark Groshans, Fletcher Hinck, Dave Johnson, Helen Miller and Scott Murray, transportation.
Terri Biersdorfer, Soleda Cezares, Tracey Cordova, Yazmin Diaz, Natali Goytia, Melisa Hunter, Jessica Johnson, Aydaly Juarez, Sasha Lopez, Johana Nevarez, Leticia Penzing, Christy Shafer and Ana Trejo, paraprofessionals.
Other business
In other business at last week’s meeting, the Re-1J board:
—Approved First Pioneer National Bank as the financial institution for the lease-purchase agreement for the BEST grant.
—Heard board policy changes recommended by the Colorado Association of School Boards. Some may return for first reading. Policy topics dicussed were school wellness, school meal payments, civil rights complaint procedure for school nutrition program, free and reduced-price food services, nutritious food choices, healthy beverages standard for schools and graduation requirements.
—Approved to continue the 2016-17 meal prices for the coming year. They are $1.75 daily or $33 for 20 meals for K-12 breakfast; $2.25 daily or $43 for 20 for K-6 lunch; $2.50 daily or $48 for 20 for 7-12 lunch; and 40 cents daily or $8 for 20 meals for 6-12 reduced-price lunch. Daily costs are 30 cents for extra milk, $1 for additional breakfast, $1 for additional lunch entree and 50 cents for items not on the salad bar.
—Acknowledged the donation of a wheelchair from the Holyoke Lions Club for the JR/SR high school.