GFW Elementary teachers start unpacking and organizing their rooms
by Doug Hanson
The GFW Elementary staff were allowed to start getting ready for the new school year on Tuesday. Unpacking boxes and organizing desks were part of the schedule. However, this was still a construction zone with teachers asked to wear hard hats and bright vests while moving around. Also workers could be entering the rooms to finish last minute details.
Teachers were allowed to work Tuesday through Thursday to prepare for the first day of classes. Actual teacher workshop starts next week. The first day of school for the middle/high school is Tuesday, September 2nd. The elementary school will hold its teacher parents conferences that day with the first classroom day starting on Wednesday.
Superintendent Allen Berg had some good news for the School Board at its regular August meeting. With last spring’s graduating class at over 50 and the kindergarten estimated at 40, the District conservatively budgeted for 15 less students this year. However, Berg stated that currently there are 568 students enrolled kindergarten through twelfth grade, an increase of 12 students from last year.
Also new business manager Todd Netzke gave his first report with a positive note. The District had budgeted a deficit for this past year, however as the year end totals came in, the District had a positive bottom line. More on the budget next week.
Berg also reported that the District will increase its two days excused absences for students to visit colleges up to four days. And students can have up to four days to job shadow a profession to check out their interest in that career.
Finally, Middle/High School Principal Erin Jacobson stated that more college classes have been added to the curriculum for the coming year.
There are still a few headaches for the Board. A change order for electrical in the gymnasium was presented for $56,527.39. The change order had been reviewed by Kaus Anderson representatives and former interim Superintendent Kelly Smith. However, the Board had questions mainly on a line item that read 111.91 hours for miscellaneous. That portion of the order was $13,317.29. After a discussion the Board sent the change order back, asking for more details on what the miscellaneous was. The Board will review the request next Monday at a short special meeting.
Also the District was waiting for the new elevator to be inspected, the football turf to be installed and the fiber optics to be connected to the building.
More on the August board meeting in next week’s News.
