Arlee board stays busy

ARLEE — This month the Arlee School Board met and reviewed agenda items.

As the elementary school construction is complete, discussions of possible planning options resulted in the hiring of Eddie and Brad Ivanoff to screen the soil, level the grounds and spread top soil. Trustee Roger Christopher said it is more cost efficient to plant grass as opposed to sod. A motion was made by chairman Hank Adams to hire the Ivanoffs on a contingency basis, their work not exceeding $20,000, carried unanimously.

The new gym floor is fairly thin, and Adams said he doesn’t want it to be “trashed.” Floor covering runs at about $10,000, as quoted by Sirius Construction. Principal James Taylor found a floor covering under the high school stage. Trustee Doug Lefler said it is the responsibility of the coaches to make sure students do not damage the floor while pole vaulting or doing other activities.

Superintendent John Jay Miller said the district is getting ready for budget cuts in the general funds and impact aid categories as legislative decisions and a decline in student enrollment has made it necessary.

Several teachers within the district will attend the Montana Indian Education Association conference on April 16-19. Mary Parker received the Montana Indian Education Association teacher of the year award for kindergarten through eighth grades. American Indian Cultural Day is tentatively scheduled for May 13. The annual Arlee Indian Club Dinner is at 6:30 p.m. on May 21, as announced at the board meeting by Willie Wright.

Miller said the employee schedules for the four-day calendar are coming along well and the calendar will be on the May agenda for approval, as well as the junior and high school academic schedule for 2010. The leadership committee will review the calendar one more time before the board sees it. Miller said paraprofessionals are comfortable with the coming schedule and said there is excitement about the change.

The board unanimously carried a motion to hire Clint Rice as the transportation director for the district. Miller interviewed Rice and recommended him for the position. The resignation of music teacher Kristin Zschaechner was unanimously approved and carried.

A motion to hire summer instructors carried unanimously. Last year none of the summer instructors went through the interview process, except for Scott Palmer, and Adams said the process is similar to coaching rehiring. New approved instructors were: Joyce Auer, Anna Baldwin, Susan Carney, Jill Couture, Carrie Drye, Gary Drye, Sue McCay and Scott Palmer. 

Substitute teachers Katherine Groves, Jennifer Sturgis and Harmony Lesch will be hired as soon as all paperwork and background checks are completed.

The first classified union negotiations meeting will take place on Wednesday. The next board meeting is on May 12.