The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
The La Harpe School Board met June 9th, in the School District Library. Board members in attendance were Ricky Johnson, Barbara Cox, Dan Horton, Lawrence Johnson, Mark Irish, and Ed Pence. Also present were Jo Campbell, Charles Apt, Charlotte Davis, Pat Deitrich, Tracey Anders, Lisa Trout, Tim Lafferty, John Quigle, and Stephanie Mencel.
Tracey Anders reported on the June 3rd meeting of the Parent Teacher Advisory Council. Tim Lafferty and Lisa Trout addressed the board in support of retaining the 5/6 grade boys' and girls' basketball program.
The board made several personnel decisions. They approved the employment of Stephanie Mencel as band teacher, Samantha Sullivan as high school math teacher, Andrea Ferguson as choral music teacher, Sarah Kerfoot as junior high special education teacher, Ellen Fark as a special education 4 hour aide, Virginia Taylor and Jenni Richardson as substitute cooks, and Glenn Gleason as Transportation Director. The board also approved the employment of the following sports coop coaching positions: Scott Sullivan as head boys' basketball coach, Dave Demler as assistant boys' basketball coach, Jason Finch as head girls' basketball coach, Jason Kilburn as assistant girls' basketball coach, Bonnie Yocum as head softball coach, Joy Pollock as assistant softball coach, Todd Porter as head baseball coach, and John Conner as assistant baseball coach. Resignations were accepted with regret from Sondra Mosley as choral music teacher, Melinda Smith as junior high special education teacher, Amy Coyle, Bobbi Melvin, and Paula See as teacher helpers, Kevin Peterman as 7/8 assistant boys' basketball coach, Krista Willdrick as 7/8 cheerleading sponsor, and Jay Jones as assistant football coach.
In other business, the board decided to continue the 5/6 boys and girls basketball program with volunteer help for score keepers, concession stand supervisors, and timers, and a raise in the sports fee from $10 to $20. They approved requests from Susan Bray, Jason Bronke, Carrie Finch, Jenni McCool, Lila McKeown, John Napolitano, Charlotte Davis, Todd Porter, and Melissa Sturlic for reimbursement for college courses. They adopted a resolution to refinance the building bonds to a lower rate with the Rural Bond Bank, approved raising the price for breakfast from $.75 to $.85 and the lunch prices from $1.15 for PK-4 to $1.25, from $1.35 for 5-12 to $1.50 and from $1.65 for adults to $1.80, approved requests from Bruce Goettsche and Pamela Myers for use of the high school gym, approved the renewal of the district's membership in the IASB and approved the first reading of the high school and the junior high/elementary handbooks for the 2003-04 school year. They approved adoption of the Prevailing Wage Law, and reviewed the closed session board minutes to decide if any could be declared open or need to remain closed.
High School Principal Charles Apt reported that a coop awards program was held on May 29th to recognize the baseball and softball players.
Elementary/Junior High Principal Charlotte Davis reported that registration packets for K-8 graders for next year were sent home with students on the last day of school. Class assignments have been sent home to students who do not owe any fees. Registration has been set for August 15th from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Teacher Institute will be August 20th and students will attend for 1/2 day on August 21st. Preschool students will begin August 25th.
The La Harpe Education Association sponsored a potluck for teachers and staff on May 28th. They presented Sondra Mosley a bouquet of flowers for her retirement. The new cafeteria software program was installed and ran the last three days of school. End of the year activities included plays performed by the second graders, third graders performed revised fairy tales that they had been writing, fifth graders put on a wax museum tied to their social studies lessons and elementary students in the After School Sign Language Program presented The Gingerbread Man to a school assembly in the afternoon and the families in the evening. The Kindergarten track meet was held on the last day of school.
Dan Horton read the Ag Report prepared by Mr. Mealiff. Austin Johnson, Jacob Markey, Mitch Worley, and Justin Mohr helped Greg Siegworth and Mr. Mealiff plant the soybean plot on May 13th. There are 30 bean varieties and 7 check strips. John Pittard, an Ag Education student from WIU, will be getting 10 days of summer pre-student teaching experience at La Harpe along with the State FFA Convention and Ag Teachers Conference. He may be able to student teach here next spring. Kayla Reische and April Horton were each presented a $200 FFA/Dannen Latherow Memorial Book Scholarship at the Awards Night Program on May 20th. Also on that day, FFA members in Horticulture class planted a Service Berry tree west of the new addition in memory of Kyle Johnson. This was a joint project between the La Harpe and Southeastern FFA Chapters. A marker to identify the tree will be added later. Those attending the State FFA Convention in Springfield June 10-12th were Isaac Rogers, Matt Swanson, Anna Ziegler, Kayla Reische, Cody McKeown, J.D. Hobby, Kelli Burr, and Mitch Worley. April Horton is completing her term as Section XI FFA President and went to Springfield early to set up the convention center. Isaac, Matt, and Anna received their State FFA Degrees at the final session on Thursday, June 12th. The Section XI Vo-Ag Horse Show will be on Monday, July 14th, at the McDonough County 4-H Grounds with other classes exhibiting on Friday and Saturday, July 18th and 19th.