Maki's contract officially approved on 5-2 vote

In a 5-2 decision, the Libby School Board on Tuesday approved Superintendent Kirby Maki to a contract extension with the district.

Voting in favor of Maki were trustees Lee Disney, Tony Rebo, Jerry Frament, Tracy Comeau and Bruce Sickler. Gela Koehler and Paula Darko-Hensler cast dissenting votes.

Trustees agreed at the meeting to re-evaluate their evaluation form for the superintendent as well as themselves.

Disney said they have been using the same evaluation form for over a decade and it is time to revisit and revise it.

In other news from the meeting, the school board election will be held later this spring. Seats up for a vote include Disney, Frament, Koehler and Sickler. The board agreed that it would be a good time to do training and protocol procedures for trustees as well as Comeau’s suggestion for team building.

The Central School Technology Program made a presentation on its computer restoration project.

They have been taking in computers, as well as purchasing them at minimal prices from the state. After wiping the hard drives clean, students install a new operating system on each of them.

“This is an example of hands-on learning,” said Jael Prezeau, district curriculum director. “It is an extension of service and community involvement.”

Alex Lipinski, Central School student, informed the board that many of the scrapped parts are donated to Kootenai Pets-4-Life and a lot of the community is utilizing the program.

Lipinski said the program saved the district more than $6,000 in computer and program purchases.

“This is not the first time Central School has gone beyond the call of duty,” Frament said.

Also on Tuesday, the board voted full support of the Libby Educational Enrichment Program recommendations proposed on April 15 and Nov. 3.

As its philosophy reads, LEEP is a service for gifted and talented students “to maximize their potential … with a diversity of options through a flexible learning environment.”

The LEEP debate has been one of the more lively board discussions with concerns for tightening budgets as well as the district’s mandate to service all children’s needs.

LEEP is currently utilizing two periods at the middle school and should see greater implementation in the elementary and high schools next fall.