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McDonald schools strike up the band again
McDONALD
The McDonald Board of Education on Monday approved expanding the band director’s contract from a five-eighths-time contract to full-time, allowing music programs that had been cut due to the district’s state fiscal emergency to be restored.
The school district was released from fiscal emergency in February 2012, but cuts had to be made totaling more than $850,000 and a new levy was passed for 10.75 mills to generate $580,000 to help the district back to solvency.
Unexpected additional funds from the state came up, and the levy amount was reduced to 7.25 mills to generate $391,000.
Superintendent Ken Halbert noted that the board brought back two elementary positions and a bus driver for the current school year.
He said the board will continue to take a look at things that are “crucial,” noting that other plans are being considered.
The board approved increasing band director John Anthony’s high school teaching contract from five-eighths to full-time for the 2013-14 school year under a one-year limited contract.
The extra hours are intended for the fifth and sixth grade beginning band classes, high school Principal Gary Carkido said.
Anthony currently teaches one period at the elementary school for an introduction to music, as well as being high school band director and choir director.
The expansion of his time will also allow the high school to offer an elective on music appreciation of various types of music for sophomores, juniors and seniors at the high school.
Laurie Smith, high school computer and multiple- subject teacher, had her contract changed from three-eighths to five-eighths for next school year by the board as a continuing contract.
She teaches seventh through 12th grades and junior-high computer classes.
She will pick up a class on Computer Applications, a semester course, which will be added for ninth-graders with four sections for the entire ninth grade.
Expansion of Smith’s duties will allow Pam Ross, who teaches full-time media class and the ACT preparatory course, to teach a course on Intro to statistics, a college credit class.
Other teachers rehired are: Josh Krumpak, intervention specialist, special education, a continuing contract; Melissa Mills, art teacher from grades seven to 12, a continuing contract.
One-year limited contracts were given to: Jody Conway, high school teacher; Amy Dolsak, Dana Larson, Erin Rogers, all elementary teachers; and Laura Waldo and Danica Wright, high school teachers.
Certified two-year limited contracts were given to: Charles Mooney, high school; Katherina Sacco, half-time high school teacher; and Matthew Vukovic, elementary teacher.
A part-time elementary computer teacher, Katie Hart, was given a one-year limited contract.