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School will seek temporary replacement for principal
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By Craig Moorhead
Special for the Argus
At Monday’s meeting of the ISD #299 board, Superintendent Bruce Thomas told directors that he had recently seen Elementary Principal Connie Hesse, who has been on medical leave since the beginning of the school year.
“Mrs. Hesse came in to see me this afternoon, and provided me with the request that the board would consider the extension of her medical leave through the end of the semester,” Thomas said. “She is currently undergoing medical care.”
Director Spencer Yohe made a motion to approve the request, which Director Charlie Wray seconded. The board voted to approve the motion.
When asked how the principal’s duties were being handled. Thomas replied that extra responsibilities have been taken on by several people, but that only he and middle/high school principal Paul DeMorett are licensed to act as school principals. “Not all of the duties have been assigned at this point,” he added.
Mrs. Hesse not only acts as Elementary Principal, she also serves as Elementary Curriculum Development Coordinator, Title Grant Coordinator, and District Testing Coordinator.
One of the people who is taking on extra duties is Mrs. Julie O’Mara-Meyer.
Directors voted to ratify the memorandum of understanding which has allowed Mrs. O’Mara-Meyer to assist in administrative duties. The memorandum gives O‘Mara-Meyer .2 FTE (one day a week) of extra work for the school district. Thomas said that she is already in the building for the other four days, working under contract with Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center.
Community Education Director Nancy Runningen has been helping out with the title program and testing. She told directors that “the title program is up and running,” and that a title stimulus grant of “about $60,000” was in the works, to be spent over a two year period.
The problem is that the extra workload is affecting her community education duties, Runningen said. “This has taken a lot of my time,” she told the board.
“It’s an issue for the district,” Thomas said of the situation. “What I’m going to be looking for right now is a replacement, and that’s difficult to do knowing that you have this short window… but it needs to be pursued.”
The end of the semester is Jan. 22. Director Michelle Werner asked Thomas if he would try to find someone to cover all of the duties. He replied that he would attempt to do just that.
“I’m anticipating that I may be able to find someone who is working part time, or possibly someone who is retired,” he explained.
Leaving gaps in principal’s supervision in the elementary building is not good for the district, Thomas said. “To have a person come in part time really doesn’t create the coverage that you need… If you make the assumption that you don’t need someone to do the job, it’s a bad assumption.”
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