Softball, competitive cheer sanctioned for next school year
The Tea Area School Board met Feb. 14 and discussed new sanctioned sports for the 2022-23 school year.
With the South Dakota High School Activities Association sanctioning softball for the 2022-23 school year, the school board approved adding girls softball as a sanctioned sport for the next school year. The five-year capital outlay plan has accounted for the addition. Softball will be a spring sport.
The board also approved adding competitive cheer to their lineup of sports offerings for the 2022-23 school year. Competitive cheer happens at the same time as dance. The addition of the competitive cheer coaches has been accounted for in the five-year general fund plan.
The board approved the resignations of Kathy Killsahundred as custodian, Ashley Chaussee as nurse/paraprofessional, Heather Fortin as Venture Elementary administrative assistant and Jenna Whipple-Riley as technology effective immediately.
They approved the resignations of Brent DeBoer as activities director, Leah Seivert as Venture Elementary teacher, Justin Godwin as TAHS English teacher, Melissa Dancler as driver’s education instructor, Kelsey Holts as an elementary teacher and Jodi Rausch as TAHS paraprofessional, effective the end of the school year.
The board approved the new hires of Heather Myers as SPED elementary paraprofessional, Sarah Gullickson as ECSE autism paraprofessional, Kayla Miller as SPED elementary paraprofessional, Tami Feiock as foodservice, Tasha Weber as 12-month high school administrative assistant-emphasis activity, Bradie Timmins as TAHS English teacher, effective immediately, and Jason March as SPED paraprofessional for next school year.
Business manager Chris Esping updated the board on the change to the trust and agency report. Due to a federal change, those accounts will be called custodial accounts now. Those funds are for sports or clubs that are student-led.
Superintendent Jennifer Lowery updated the board on the COVID-19 task force. The committee was appreciative of the community wearing masks for the two weeks they set out in the response plan. Today, Lowery reported they were at a minimal amount of positive cases. As they move forward, the task force will move to a committee report instead of old business.
They approved the second readings for Policy JEC - school admissions and Policy JDG/JGE - student suspension/expulsion. They held the first reading for Policy ADA - continuous school improvement.
They approved the architect contract with Koch Hazard and tabled the construction management contract.
Esping presented the Legacy band and choir room bids. They currently have $732,000 in capital outlay certificates that can be used for the construction. The project cost came in at $953,000. The project will span over two fiscal years and Esping projected they will have money left in capital outlay yet this year. The board approved the bid.
In her report, Lowery recognized high school principal Collin Knudson as South Dakota Principal of the Year. She recognized the board as part of school board recognition month and thanked HyVee and Fareway for their donations to the district in the form of sanitizing wipes and cookies.