Seeley Lake Elementary School Board
SEELEY LAKE – During their monthly meeting April 19, the Seeley Lake Elementary School Board decided to postpone updates to their 3000 Policy Series as well as their 2021 summer lunch program for their next meeting in May. Superintendent Josh Gibbs also provided updates on the School Improvement Plan and other aspects of the school during his report.
The board decided to table their summer lunch program until they can obtain additional information from the Montana Office of Public Instruction. They tabled the 3000 Policy Series because one member was not present and a few of the others felt like they needed more time to review the changes.
For the School Improvement Plan, Gibbs said they hope to have their math curriculum organized by May 1 although that deadline is adjustable. The board will then vote over its approval at their meeting in May.
The School Improvement Team has decided to move their technology inventory and priority list to summer so they can get an accurate count of pieces of equipment like Chromebooks and teacher computers when they are not in use.
Gibbs said they intend to do some cleaning over the summer including getting rid of unnecessary items in storage. The school hopes to hold a surplus auction in late June or early July. The list of items up for auction will need to be approved by the board before it takes place.
The board also discussed the Missoula City-County Board of Health’s recent decision to shift the countywide face covering requirements to recommendations on or after May 11 once 60% of county residents have at least one dose of the vaccine. If this happens then the school board will have a special meeting to decide if they want to make masks optional for the end of this year or the beginning of next year.
The board hopes to start having their meetings in person in June. There have been no COVID-19 cases in school although there was someone who tested positive over spring break resulting in no close contacts.
Currently the school has multiple open teaching positions for next school year.
The board received resignation letters from physical education teacher Julie Haines and junior high teacher Heidi Sawitzke. Both are resigning at the end of this school year. Haines will be taking a special education teacher position at Seeley-Swan High School for the 2021/2022 school year. Sawitzke said she will be focusing on her master’s thesis but she would be happy to work as a substitute for junior high classes to make the transition easier. If the position is available in 2022-2023 and her master’s work is complete, she wrote she will consider reapplying.
While no official resignation was provided to the board, Gibbs mentioned that Patti Bartlett, junior high math and science teacher, would not return for the next school year. Bartlett and Sawitzke’s positions will be filled by current fourth grade teacher Chantel Thornsberry and fifth grade teacher Erika Pitman, leaving these positions open for next year.
In other business the board unanimously approved the following:
• Certified teacher contract for music teacher Janet Morgenstern for half time.
• Hiring assistant track coaches Lisa Maughan and Patti Crum.
• Hiring Summer Outdoor Adventure Club supervising leader Locke Hassett.
The next meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. May 17.
Reader Comments(0)