Ronan BOE ends issue
New trustee Roger Romero is sworn in by Lake County Superintendent Gale Decker at Monday's school board meeting.
RONAN - After questions of incompatible office were raised during June's Ronan School District No. 30's Board of Trustees meeting, an apparent resolution during Monday's meeting led to the hiring of Gale Decker as high school assistant boys basketball coach.
In a 6 to 1 vote, with lone dissenter Tom Anderson, the board moved to hire Decker to the position. The vote followed a tumultuous June meeting, when the board approved sending a letter to Lake County Attorney Mitch Young regarding a potential conflict of interest between Decker's position as Lake County Superintendent of Schools and athletic coach within the Ronan school district. Young forwarded the letter to the state Attorney General's Office on July 15 and received a reply on Aug. 2 stating that in an unofficial opinion, the two appointments did not pose a conflict. Decker had served in both positions previously but the board said in June that they wanted to make sure they were in compliance with state statute.
Earlier in the meeting, the board interviewed and hired Roger Romero for the vacant District 30-2 trustee position. Romero was the lone applicant for the position left open after the resignation in July of former trustee Jim Blow.
After being unanimously approved for hire, Romero took the oath of office from Decker and assumed the position effective immediately.
Blow had served as vice chair on the board and his departure left the position open. Trustee Carmel Couture was nominated and voted to assume the title.
Indian Education Coordinator Leslie Caye announced the official publishing of the biannual Indian Education Report. Released in February and August each year, the report is open for a two-week public comment period on the statistics included, Caye said.
He said in three years of publishing the report, he has never received a written comment within the two-week period. Caye plans to have a public meeting to discuss the report within the comment period to get public feedback.
After approving the second reading of various district policies, the trustees approved three overnight trips for the Future Farmers of America in Oct. and Nov. The trips include Ag Days in Bozeman and the FFA national conference in Indianapolis, Ind.
The board of trustees will next meet Sept. 13.