HUMBOLDT Scott Murrows resignation Monday creates a vacancy on the USD 257 board of education. Murrow resigned to lead the Humboldt High Schools building trades program.
Murrows term expires the first of 2019. The position will be up for election in November 2018.
Murrow also served as the boards vice president and representative to the Humboldt Recreation Committee.
The building trades program allows students to learn construction skills by building a house in Humboldt. Murrow has experience in construction and a bachelors degree in wood technology but does not have a teaching license. He was granted a provisional license and will have up to four years to complete educational requirements. Superintendent Kay Lewis said state education officials allow those types of arrangements in areas where its difficult to find a qualified teacher.
Murrow will take over teaching the program in August for the 2018-19 school year and will receive a base salary of $37,795.
Murrows hiring comes at a time the district is expanding its building trades program. The district found it difficult to build a house in one school year, so they transitioned to a two-year plan. That gives students more opportunities to learn skills, allows the class to bring in local business experts and involves students in other classes. For example, the horticulture class will work on landscaping and the journalism class will work on marketing the house to sell. The current project will wrap up at the end of this school year; a site already has been secured for the next house and Murrow will help plan that project.
Lewis said she plans to advertise the position in the newspaper. The board expects to interview candidates at their May 14 meeting.
IN OTHER business, the board:
Approved a plan to offer drivers education through the Greenbush education center for one year, to be reevaluated next year. The program will cost the district more than previous drivers education programs, at $240 per student, but students will pay the same amount, $130.
Approved a calendar for the 2018-19 school year with a similar schedule as last year, by adding an extra 20 minutes to each day to shorten the school year by four days. That will end next year unless the board decides otherwise. The board said they wanted another year to see if the longer days and shorter calendar benefits students, staff and parents.
Lewis gave the board an update on the school finance plan recently approved by the state legislature. Because an error was found at the state level, its difficult to know how the new funding plan might affect the district financially but it appears the district might get about $24,400 in new money, Lewis said.
Learned about community service projects at each building. Projects at the high school included community cleanup projects, with more community-oriented work planned at the end of the school year. Projects at the middle school included recycling, delivering Christmas cards and singing carols at senior care facilities, adopting a child for Christmas and a fundraising project for the ACARF animal shelter and the Ronald McDonald House. Projects at the elementary school included a recycling program, adopting children at Christmastime, visiting senior citizens and various fundraisers to benefit ACARF, a local cancer organization and Wounded Warriors. Students also plan to create signs with positive messages and will post them throughout the community.
Heard a report from Lewis about a recent fire inspection. A few minor changes will need to be made, such as limiting the paper and decorations on doors and ceilings, and having an inspection of new water heaters. Lewis said she would talk to county commissioners about safety-related issues, including asking the county to help purchase cameras at the elementary school. Shes also looking at purchasing blood clotting kits and adding a school resource officer in a year or two.
