Lowery to receive Innovator Award from Superintendents Association

The Tea Area School Board met April 11, where board president Kristen Daggett announced that superintendent Jennifer Lowery will receive the South Dakota School Superintendents Association’s Innovator Award in July.

In the business manager report, Chris Esping reviewed the five-year capital outlay plan. She brought forward information on upgrading the air conditioning system in the old part of Legacy Elementary to a central AC system and information on replacing the window air conditioning units in that section of the school. The two plans vary from $150,000 for replacing the window units versus $1.2 million to create a central system. Board members were given the information for review. No action was taken.

In new business, the board approved the resignations for Jenna Ayotte as special education paraprofessional and Matt Ernster as high school custodian effective immediately. They also approved resignations from Heather Parmeter as Legacy first grade teacher, Krista Schock as Legacy third grade teacher, Melissa Dancler as middle school teacher, Sandy DeJong as middle school social studies teacher, Janice Hotchkiss as special education paraprofessional, Kelly Binder as assistant/JV volleyball coach, Mari Mehlbrech as Frontier administrative assistant, Jill Thompson as ESL teacher, Alexa Nelsen as SPED teacher and sideline cheer coach and Joy Schreurs as Tea Sprouts preschool effective at the end of the school year and Eric Thien as 2023 middle school track and field coach and Brooke Palleschi as 2022-23 yearbook/journalism.

They approved the new hires of Keri Hovaldt as non-CDL driver, Mason Scheidegger as Legacy fourth grade teacher, Mahyle Hausman as technology teacher, Whitney Rosebrock as middle school SPED resource teacher, Samantha Jennings as middle school SPED resource teacher, Samantha Smith as Venture SPED early/autism teacher, Macey Mathis as SPED speech language pathologist, Robin Hollinger as middle school science teacher, Sydney Graver as Legacy first grade teacher, Allyson Turek as TASK student aide, Kaden Hansen as TASK student aide, Sarah Bernhardt as yearbook, newspaper, Anthony Eknitphong as SADD, Ryan Decker as CTE education/training cluster (half position, co-adviser), Heather Herman as CTE education/training cluster (half position, co-adviser), Jordan Rohrbach as FBLA/DECA, Clayton Sorum as FFA and Shane Ludens as service tech (April 25 start).

The board approved the adoption of a new math curriculum for 6-12 grade from Savvas EnVision.

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