No applications filed for school board vacancy
No applications for the Holyoke School District Re-1J school board vacancy were received by the Jan. 6 deadline. An appointment to fill the position vacated by Trampas Hutches is required to be made by Feb. 8, if there is an interested candidate.
At the Jan. 7 school board meeting, Superintendent Kyle Stumpf reported that no applications had been picked up. Moving forward, the board can appoint a new member. The board vacancy appointment is on the Jan. 21 board meeting agenda as a report by the superintendent, and discussion pertaining to potential board members will be held.
The person appointed to the position will serve until the next regular school election in November of 2021. Interested persons should contact a board member or call the administration office at 970-854-3634.
To be eligible to serve, one must be a registered elector of the school district for at least 12 consecutive months prior to the date of appointment and must not have a conviction of sexual offense against a child.
Coaches salaries under review
A preliminary look at coaching/extra-duty salary revisions was reviewed at last week’s board meeting.
Stumpf pointed out that within the past five years, the district has looked at and revised certified staff and paraprofessional salaries. The only salary that hasn’t been adjusted at all in a very long time is the coaching stipend.
In looking to recruit and retain coaches, athletic director John Baumgartner gathered information for the board to consider. He cited the number of weeks that each high school and junior high sport competes and based potential salary options on percentages of the base salary.
He also addressed that consideration for salary adjustment be given for the athletic trainer, HS/JH cheerleader coach, play director, musical assistant, band director and choir director.
Additionally, Baumgartner brought up the idea of increments like what are used for staff salary schedules, adding a certain dollar amount for each year of coaching.
Stumpf emphasized this is just an attempt to get the coaching salary conversation in the forefront. He noted that they will need to see how the suggested salaries impact the budget before making any decisions.
Other business
In other business Jan. 7, the school board:
— Approved the retirement of transportation director Kim Young, effective June 30, noting she may continue as a route driver.
— Reviewed the first-semester random drug testing report by JR/SR High Principal Shane Walkinshaw. With 188 students enrolled in RDT as of Dec. 16, 2019, 95 tests were given in the first semester. One tested postive for meth/amphetamines, but it was found to have been based on a prescription drug taken by the student.
— Received information on revised Colorado Association of School Boards policies on the topics of staff conduct, professional staff recruiting/hiring, support staff recruiting/hiring, primary/preprimary education and public’s right to know/freedom of information.
— Made the annual designation of the administration office as the official posting location for board meeting notices.
— Tabled Stumpf’s evaluation to the Jan. 21 board meeting.