The Seeley Lake Elementary School board consented to a proposed levy at a meeting last Wednesday, March 15, before discussing issues of staffing, hiring, and a staff complaint involving unclear contract language.
The board voted in support of enacting a general operating fund levy for 2024 in the amount of $23,864.86 which will annual taxes on a $100,00 home by $3.21. and $6.43 for a $200,00 home. The levy will be on the ballot in May.
Janet Morgenstern submitted a letter of resignation. Morgenstern spoke about her resignation from the school’s music department at the end of the year, saying that she wished to make it clear that her reasons were not with the administration, staff, or students of the school.
Morgenstern cited a number of what she called “safety concerns” involving personnel employed by adjacent vendors and a lack of proper vetting before allowing those outside contracted employees to access the school grounds.
Morgenstern’s resignation creates a void which has thus far been difficult to fill.
“Music is kind of one of those weird positions because we share it with the [Seeley-Swan] High School,” Superintendent Josh Gibbs informed the board, adding that because it involved two different districts and they would likely not be able to advertise until after April, that put them in a challenging position.
Hiring one teacher has been difficult lately with a shortage of housing in the area, as this would technically be listed as hiring for two positions it is expected to be even more difficult.
“We’ve had our music position posted for a couple of days now,” Gibbs said. “I haven’t received any decent applicants.”
The schools will advertise their open music teacher positions and hope to find a suitable applicant who can cover both of them in a fashion to how things are currently conducted.
Apart from a music instructor, the Seeley Elementary School has also been seeking a track coach. A position for which they have received one applicant, Bradley Miller. The board held and passed a motion to hire Miller for the coming season but expressed that they still were seeking an assistant coach.
Gibbs recommended the hiring of Laura Devins for elementary teacher and renewed contracts for the following:
Non-tenured: Jona Bartlett, Darlene Hartman-Hallam, Cody Hartsoch, Alexis Higareda, Julee Samuli (who will be tenured with the contract) and Rospi Welter.
Tenured: Susan Bracha, Janina Bradley, Sheila Devins, Kristy Pohlman, Erika Pitman, Toni Sexton, Chantel Thornsberry
Gibbs also recommended the hiring of Bradley Miller as paraprofessional for the remainder of the school year.
In other news, Thornsberry, a middle school teacher, lodged a complaint regarding mandatory special education meetings being held outside of contracted school hours.
The meetings in question are held for each individual student with special education needs and as that amounted to a high number of unpaid work hours, Thornsberry was asking for clarification on these meetings being mandatory for the general education instructor, and also some direction on how and whether these meetings must be held after regular hours.
The board discussed the reasons and came to a consensus that it wasn’t meant to be a policy but had become a trend, and that Thornsbery’s concerns were valid but that they mostly stemmed from mis-communication and bad circumstances. They declined to recognize the grievance but promised to examine the issue and find a fair compromise for all parties in the future.
The next meeting is set for April 17, and any unfinished business will be examined at that meeting.
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