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Interim Superintendent Bruce Thomas is hired by ISD #299
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By Craig Moorhead
Special for the Argus
The ISD #299 Board of Education voted to hire Bruce Thomas of St. Paul to the post of interim superintendent at their July 20 meeting. The motion, made by Director Matt Hendel and seconded by Director Charlie Wray, was to approve a one year contract for Thomas at a salary of $100,000 “pending licensure from the state”.
As reported in last week’s Argus, Thomas is a retired school administrator who has served as a school superintendent in Worthington, St. Cloud, and Wheaton, Minn.
“I thank you very much,” Thomas told directors. “I’m looking forward to working with the board.”
In other personnel business, the board accepted the resignations of Mitch Mullins as junior high girl’s basketball coach and Judy Von Arx as part-time elementary school special educational assistant. Both resignations were effective immediately.
Borrowing
Directors voted to take out a general obligation anticipation certificate against anticipated revenues.
“This is something that we have done last year and other years too,” Board Chairperson Naomi Fruechte explained, “because it helps with cash flow. Otherwise we’re not going to be getting payments from the state and other places until later than normal.”
Without the funds, Fruechte explained, the district could run out of money in the middle of the year with no other means to borrow. The resolution was made by Wray and seconded by Hendel. It states that the principle amount will not exceed $2,215,000.
Coaching contracts
The board approved fall coaching contracts for football, boys’ soccer, and volleyball. The girls’ soccer contracts are to be presented at the Aug. 17 board meeting. All of the football and volleyball positions are the same as last year. The boys’ soccer positions were approved at previous board meetings, and listed Chris Jandt as head coach and Dustin Moburg as assistant coach.
Co-curricular coaching contracts were also approved. These included 16 positions such as school musical, band, knowledge bowl, and student council. All positions remained the same as last year with the exception of the school newspaper position, which will be taken by Jason Cognac.
Volunteer coaches
The board agenda called for directors to approve fall sport coaching volunteers as well. However Athletic Director Dave Meyer objected to the way that this would be done. “Where did this come about that we now have volunteers be approved?” he asked the board. “This is the first that I’ve heard about this. I was not asked (for) any opinion.”
Meyer said that he had been fielding calls from coaches who were upset over the change of policy, and that “I’ve had no answers for them.”
Directors said that volunteers must pass background checks before they can work with students, and Meyer agreed. He said that coaches normally have the athletic director do the checks, and approve volunteer coaches. “There might have been a couple that slipped through last year,” he said of the process.
Meyer asked the board what guidelines he was to use in the future for volunteers. Directors voted to table the issue until Superintendent Thomas, Middle/High School Principal Paul DeMorett, and Meyer could meet and discuss it.
Parent-student handbook
Directors discussed the parent-student handbook for 2009-2010, the draft version of which was handed out to attendees. The new handbook gives detailed guidelines, especially with regards to school discipline.
The board asked DeMorett to adjust the language of the document so that it is aimed more at parents and students, and less at teachers. They approved the publishing of the document once that has been done.
Bids reviewed
Bids for bread, dairy products, and fuel were reviewed by directors. Of the two bread bids, the board chose to accept that of Interstate Brands Corporation, a company headquartered in Davenport, Iowa, which they decided to be lower overall than that of Sara Lee Bakery Group of La Crosse. Only one vendor chose to submit a dairy bid. Ziebell’s Foods of Winona won the bid by default when Kemp’s LLC of Rochester decided not to bid due to “the high cost of fuel and labor”. Only one fuel vendor chose to bid. Kwik Trip of La Crosse, offering lead free gasoline and No. 2 fuel in tank wagon delivery.
School van purchased
Bids for a new school van were evaluated. Directors voted to purchase a 2008 Chevy Uplander LS from Pladsen Ford of Caledonia. The seven passenger van was described as having 21,731 miles on it. The purchase price was $13,500. The used van will replace one the district currently owns that has so many miles on it that it can no longer legally be used to transport students.
Crossing guard
A school crossing guard agreement with the City of Caledonia was approved. The terms state that the school district agrees to hire “an adequate number of responsible adults to staff two crossing guard locations”. The city pays 50 percent of the wages for “up to and including two” crossing guards under the agreement.
Contracts approved
Directors approved contracts with the Hiawatha Valley Education District and Winona State University. The contract with HVED provides for a continuation of services for special education students. The contract with Winona State provides clinical experience for college students in the field of nursing and health sciences.
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