Board approves hiring to accommodate 29 preschoolers
Board approves hiring to accommodate 29 preschoolers Enrollment in K-12 may be down this year from last, but there’s good news for next year, as 29 preschoolers are registered. Superintendent Dale Ekstrom said Underwood School Board members approved hiring a half-time teacher at the Aug. 21 meeting, which allows Dawnae Lee to teach full-time preschool. Lee had split her time between pre-school and fifth grade. The school is currently taking applications for the part-time position. Ekstrom said the board reviewed preschool fees and voted to raise them by $10 per month. There will be a morning and afternoon preschool session Monday-Thursday, with a morning and afternoon session on Friday for 4 year-olds. “Since pre-school is not a requirement, there is a tuition charge,” said Ekstrom. Changing the transportation fee for preschoolers was tabled by the board to allow further discussion. The board briefly discussed the budget and anticipates they will levy about the same mills as last year. The final determination will be made at the September meeting. The balance in the general fund on June 30 was $165,146. Discussion took place regarding purchasing a used bus. The board determined they will wait to see how the budget looks and instead of purchasing a used bus, with quite a few miles on, they will consider purchasing a new one later in the year. The next regular board meeting will be on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m., however, the board and administrators will get together on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. for a retreat to hold general discussions. The meeting and retreat are open to the public. A location has not been selected for the retreat. In other business: *Approved naming the Underwood News as the official publication. *Approved substitute teacher pay of $84 per day.
