| Shelley Anderson accepts an award from Laurel Johansen. |
Emery County School Board President Laurel Johansen opened the board meeting at Green River High School recently by welcoming everyone and expressing her appreciation to Principal Nolan Johnson. Shelley Anderson, a teacher at the schoolwas asked to come forward to receive an employee recognition award for her outstanding commitment and dedication to her job.
“Shelley has chosen a very difficult area of teaching. It takes a special personality to, day in and day out, deal with the needs and attitudes of resource students. Shelley possesses that unusual mixture of caring, love and discipline. She works tirelessly with these students, giving them their best opportunity to find success. When other teachers have given up on them, Shelley refuses to throw in the towel. She looks for another way to reach the student. She is innovative and displays wonderful teaching skills. She is an example to the rest of our staff.
“Shelley gives in-service training to the language arts classes in the use of Pioneer and other effective research sites. She is willing to answer their questions and aid them as they do their research.
“She works to advise the senior class and takes our students to Washington as the advisor of the Close-Up group. It requires a great deal of time and fund-raising to achieve this goal but it is well worth the effort and Shelley is up to the task because she realizes the educational benefits of the program.
“This is a selfless teacher who has earned any recognition the district has to give. I highly recommend Shelley Anderson as a model teacher and an extraordinary individual,” Johansen read from the nomination letter.
Anderson accepted the award and thanked everyone for the honor.
Principal Johnson gave the board his report. He handed out binders which contained the school’s accreditation report and requested the board review these reports and feel free to ask him any questions they may have.
Superintendent Kirk Sitterud requested the board to consider donating an unused portable classroom to the Green River Community Center. He stated that Blaine Evans has asked if the district had a building that was not in use, if they would donate it to the center for use in the center’s educational projects. The center is in need of extra space.
Sitterud explained that he had investigated and located an unused building at San Rafael Junior High School. The building is in need of repairs but is usable. He recommended the donation. It was also explained that the district’s maintenance crew would loan the tongue and axles for moving the building and that the community center would be responsible for the expenses for the move itself. The board approved the donation.
Johansen presented the district’s audit report. She expressed appreciation to Ross Huntington, the district’s business director, and his staff for their diligence and commitment in preparing the district for the audit. She also stated that the audit went well and the report was favorable for the district.
Huntington recommended the board support the construction classes at Emery High School with the financial support for the coming year. The financing of the construction of a house for the class is needed. In the past, the Utah Housing Finance Agency has financed the construction of the houses for classes. As the house completed during the previous school year has not sold, the agency is hesitant to finance another house.
Huntington told the board that there is a budgeted amount of $140,000 for this purpose in the event that UHFA would not finance the project. Jim Keele, construction class teacher, has previously submitted an itemized budget for expenses in the amount of $93,750. The board approved to support and finance the construction project.
Superintendent Sitterud requested the boards approval for hiring three new employees. Deana Jennings, teacher, and Alton Hassell, aide, for the adult education program. Also, Jamie Jensen as aide at Cleveland Elementary. The board approved the hiring of these employees.
An early retirement request by district maintenance supervisor Mike Huntsman was also approved. Huntsman plans to retire in February 2005. Sitterud explained that the position being vacated by Huntsman is being advertised now. Interviews will be conducted and a replacement for Huntsman will be brought for approval at the November meeting.
The board then approved several small changes to the districts consolidated plan. This plan is required by the No Child Left Behind legislation and the changes were to update the demographics in the plan.
Mike Kava, Emery High’s automotive teacher, has requested board approval for he and five students to travel to New Mexico to a competition. Kava feels strongly that this group of students has a very good chance to win this competition. The College of Eastern Utah has provided a van for the travel and the expenses for the travel will be paid by the Utah College of Applied Technology. The board approved the trip providing there are two chaperones as per district policy.
Sitterud announced that the National Assessment of Educational Progress will be in the district this year doing testing. The students being tested this year will be San Rafael Junior High School eighth grades and the fifth grades at Book Cliff Elementary, Ferron Elementary and Huntington Elementary.
The Utah Performance System for Students reports are now available the Utah State Office of Education website at www.usoe.k12.ut.us. These reports can be viewed by school name. The adequate yearly progress reports will be released to the public on Nov. 1. Also noted was that National Principals Week will be Oct. 18-22
Huntington informed the board of the construction projects currently underway in the district. Roofing at Green River High School is expected to be completed this week. The roofing project at Emery High is 95 percent complete. Heating and air-conditioning projects at Emery High, Book Cliff Elementary and Green River High are expected to be complete in three weeks.
Christine Monroe from the Green River Community Center expressed her appreciation to the board for the donation of the portable classroom to the center. She stated that with the high number of registered preschool students, the building will be well utilized.
The next meeting of the Emery County School Board will be Nov. 3 at Ferron Elementary at 7 p.m.