School board prepares for 2016-17

Lincoln County treasurer and superintendent of schools Nancy Trotter-Higgins attended Monday evening’s meeting of the board of trustees of Libby School District No. 4 and administered the oaths of office for the three members elected May 3 by the voters of the district. 

Incumbent John Carlson was re-elected with 1,074 votes. Alida Leigh, also an incumbent who was appointed to complete the remainder of former trustee Susan Monahan’s term, was elected with 936 votes. Wayne Baker, a newcomer to the board but long a fixture in Libby schools, was elected with 1,216 votes. Jason Harmon received 825 votes and Roshaun Valentine garnered 420.

The first order of business on Monday’s meeting agenda was the election of board officers for the year. In a unanimous and uncontested vote, Ellen Johnston was re-elected as board chair. Board member and former educator Bgee Zimmerman was elected vice chair. The board then voted to confirm Leslie Forster as the board clerk for the coming year. Higgins then administered Forster’s oath of office.

The board approved the contracts for the district’s certified and classified staff, with the exception of one non-tenured teacher, Jennifer Roberts, whose contract was not renewed without cause. The district also approved a contract for Els O’Rourke to function as the district’s physical therapist for the coming school year and the hiring of one new teacher at the elementary school. The district office personnel were also approved for 2016-2017, as were the temporary seasonal maintenance personnel. 

In school sports changes, Wally Winslow was approved as the 2016-2017 girls basketball head coach and the board accepted the resignation of Kyle Hannah as assistant football and seventh grade basketball coach.

School superintendent Craig Barringer also reported on the status of the school’s building reserve levy, which was also passed during the May 3 election. After the final canvass was completed, the vote tally was 953-903 in favor of the $4.1 million, five-year levy.

Barringer said he intends to “make a concerted effort to keep the public informed” about the status of the levy and the projects it will fund. First up, he said, will be this summer’s projects of resurfacing the school parking lots and repairing and replacing the school sidewalks. 

Barringer reported preliminary work has already begun on some of the larger projects. Libby High School assistant principal Jim Germany has begun searching for a contractor to replace the high school’s gym floor and Barringer and other staff members have begun the search for contractors for the roofing projects and the replacement of the lights and lockers.

The board also approved next month’s meeting schedule. The board’s agenda meeting and work session are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. June 6 and the regular board meeting is set for 7 p.m. June 13. All school board meetings are held in the K.W. Maki Theatre in the Central Administration Building.