HUMBOLDT — Monday’s Board of Education meeting began by picking up the discussion of teacher salaries for USD 258.
High school instructors Tim Osborn and Hailey Schoendaller were given a joint five minutes to address the topic.
Their focus was on the failure of the current salary schedule to reward fairly those teachers who have dedicated effort and expense to obtaining an advanced degree. This is a structure, Osborn and Schoendaller claim, which in turn has the effect of eliminating the incentive for young teachers who might themselves be considering such a degree.
“Advanced degrees,” Osborn said, “help keep your staff better qualified; it keeps them up to date on certain things, better trained and so on…. When you look at a flat-rate (salary increase), where you reward everyone the same — we look at that as almost an incentive not to go back (to school) to make yourself a better teacher. It’s our position and our view that we simply don’t feel that beginning teachers should receive the same increase as a person with a master’s degree.”
The board appointed Kim Isbell as district photographer and Brett Lisher as middle school girls assistant basketball coach.
Turning to the building trades projects, Superintendent of Schools K.B. Criss presented the board with the lowest subcontractor bids in three categories: heating and air, electric, and plumbing. D & J Construction, Humboldt, turned in the lowest bid for both heating and air ($6,056.70) and electric ($900.00). Sinclair Plumbing, Iola, offered the only bid ($9,900) in the third. All three bids received unanimous approval.
Rounding out the evening, the administrative reports were largely positive.
Kay Bolt, elementary and middle school principal, reported good attendance at parent-teacher conferences at both schools. She was pleased, too, with vaccination rates at the elementary school, where currently only 10 students remain out of compliance.
She also pointed to recent fundraisers, which have garnered the schools nearly $11,000. Discussions of how to spend the proceeds are in progress.
High School Principal John Johnson promised the school play this Thursday, Friday and Saturday “is going to be the best ever. But, if not, the food is always great.”
Raining on the parade slightly, Superintendent Criss pointed out the number of water leaks that were exposed during a recent storm. The leaks, though primarily in the technology building, were in evidence districtwide. “Hopefully we have those fixed, but you never know for sure until the next rain comes.”
Asked about the building trades program generally, Criss reported that progress was slow. “They’re just now getting the foundation completed. So we’re behind.” He was careful to stress, however, that the lag was “through no fault of our staff or our kids,” citing, instead, delays with the construction company.
Humboldt teachers sound off on salaries
