Two teachers, AD, football coach hired
Two new teacher contracts were approved at the Perkins County School board meeting on Monday, March 19.
Jeremy Struckman was hired as the Spanish teacher and athletic director for the 2018-19 school year. He’s currently teaching and helping with AD duties at Creek Valley.
Superintendent Phillip Picquet said Struckman has some good ideas and they are fortunate to have found someone who already has experience.
First-year teacher Johnathan Hunt will teach social studies starting this fall.
Picquet said while it may seem unprecedented, he offered Hunt the head football coaching position, and wouldn’t have if he didn’t think Hunt could handle it.
Superintendent salary
Last month, the board discussed working to bring Picquet’s salary within the middle of the array of comparable schools superintendents’ salaries.
At this meeting they approved his contract from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2020 with an annual salary of $135,000.
2018-19 calendar approved
With the 2018-19 school calendar approved, school will begin for students on Wednesday, Aug. 15 and end on May 15, 2019. Other significant dates include Christmas break, with a 1:30 dismissal on Friday, Dec. 21 through Wednesday, Jan. 2; holiday tournament, Dec. 20-21; prom, March 16; and graduation, May 11.
New behavior plan
Elementary Principal Nicole Long reported that the application for Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS), a new behavior program, has been submitted to the state.
Preschool through sixth grade staff visited Kimball Elementary School on March 12, which has been implementing PBIS K-12 for five years.
The program requires the commitment of at least 80 percent of the staff. After surveying the staff, 91 percent are committed to going through the process.
The leadership team includes Long, Jill Richmond, general education teacher; Jonette Kemling, special education teacher; Shelly Pollard, Title I teacher; Geraldine Walker and two parents.
New textbooks
Curriculum Coordinator Deanne Bishop said new textbooks and supplemental materials are being ordered for Kriss Krusinger’s construction management, wood/carpentry, small engines and basic electricity classes.
Bishop will work with Struckman and the new speech teacher to purchase new materials for Spanish and speech for this fall.
Bishop said everyone in the district is on a rotating schedule to purchase new materials for their classrooms every seven years if needed, based on when the new state standards are released.
Safety audit
Picquet reported on the district’s safety and security audit. Although they haven’t yet received the full report, he said the reviewer, who works with the Nebraska State Patrol, was pleased with the security entrances and name badges. One recommendation included putting numbers above each entrance on the buildings.
Picquet said she randomly chose students to answer questions involving whether they felt safe going to a teacher if threatened or bullied, and the school scored high with mostly fours and fives, with five being the highest.
“We can talk all day long about securing our building and doing all those things, but it really comes down to relationships. If kids trust us they’re going to come talk to us. So that was good to hear,” Picquet said.