Tea Area School board approves therapy dog policy

The Tea Area school board met Oct. 11 and approved the policy for a therapy dog.

The policy will allow for an educator to bring a therapy dog into the school to assist students.

Business manager Chris Esping provided information on the levy trend. Esping noted they were conservative on their projections when they were building Venture. The bond redemption fund levy is lower than expected when they were building Venture.

Esping said they had three bid packages for the band room at Legacy. They received bids on earth work and steel material, but none for concrete. The board accepted the steel bid for $76,100 and rejected the earth work bid.

The board moved their December meeting to Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m. due a number of events on the regularly scheduled date of Dec. 13.

Superintendent Jennifer Lowery said the Covid response team suggested to keep moving forward with the plan since numbers are staying down.

The board approved the resignation of Samantha Ralph as paraprofessional. They approved the new hires of Corbin Gunderson as paraprofessional, Matthew Ernster as custodian, Mary Jo Jouvstra as transportation, George Beeler as part-time maintenance, Nik Andrews as custodian, Michelle Mitchell as middle school life skills paraprofessional and Michaela Timmerman as paraprofessional.

They held a first reading for the open enrollment policy. The policy update addresses children of substitutes. They do not qualify for open enrollment. And, if a staff member leaves prior to completion of their third year of employment, their children will not be eligible for continuing open enrollment for the following school year.

The board acknowledged nine students for early graduation.

They surplussed a 1999 Plymouth Voyager minivan after it was in an accident. They rejected the bid for a mini bus for $352.

Lowery thanked Frito-Lay and Costco for donating hand sanitizer. She also thanked the First National Bank in Sioux Falls for their donation of $2,500. She also thanked TAPTO for meals.

Lowery updated the board on Continuous School Improvement in committee reports.

The board adjourned at 6:57 p.m.