School Board names 14 to committee

Talk about it

The Jamestown Public School Board designated 14 people for a committee that will create a strategic plan for improvements in the school’s activity program.

The Strategic Plan and Action Team will focus on turning the 100-plus page Athletic & Co-Curricular Activity Committee report produced by the Activities Committee Study Group into a coherent strategic plan.

They will be led by facilitator Jim Boyd, and have been tasked to complete their objective in time for spring budget discussions in March.

“That’s a focus of this committee, to cover all the areas, and try to determine what’s in the best interest of all the sports,” said Greg Allen, board president.

The committee will also examine the other extracurricular activities.

Members of the team will be: Jim Roaldson, Mark Stilwell, Terry Anderson, Dustin Jensen, Erin Lamp, Tom Boerger, Mark Wiest, Jon Hegerle, Julie Bennion, Jim Holben, Taylor Barnes, Micheal Grounds, Mark Sherfy, Kristen Allen, Darin Peterson and Walt Nieland.

Anderson, Hegerle and Peterson were also members of the Activities Committee Study Group.

The School Board voted to accept the list of names 7-2, with Tanya Ostlie and Roy Musland dissenting.

Ostlie objected to at least one person on the list of names, but gave no specifics, only stating that someone on it was “clearly a big part of the problem.”

Musland said he believed it was important to get a fresh perspective from the committee. He also believed the committee should meet on an ongoing basis and continue its work after the strategic plan was formulated.

Board member Gail Martin said she hoped people on the committee will consider all the sports and activities rather than championing a particular program.

Gary Peterson, School Board member, said he thought it was “great” to have 14 people in the community who want to take some time to be involved. “There’s a lot of super good people on this (list) and I think they should all be on this list.”

Superintendent Bob Toso said the group’s first meeting or two would likely revolve around a detailed study of the ACAC report.

In other business, the School Board discussed how to react to the news that Jamestown will not host the state boys swim meet this year.

Reasons the North Dakota High School Activities Association gave for moving the state tournament to Mandan included limited hotel rooms in Jamestown and limited seating at the school’s pool.

“What’s going to be done? Basically nothing. And we lost another tournament,” Musland said.

The board will draft a letter to the Activities Association to protest the change.

In other news, the School Board:

* set the school calendar for 2012-2013, after receiving 102 responses to a survey asking parents’ opinions. School will begin Aug. 23, and seniors will graduate on Memorial Day weekend.

* recognized Jamestown High School boys and girls cross country teams for being named recipients of the North Dakota High School Activities Association 28th Annual Team Scholar Award.

* recognized Ben Smith, head girls swimming coach, for being named West Region Coach of the Year.

* recognized two girls swim team members, Alex Lind and Erin Hart, for winning the state championship in swimming events.

* recognized JHS sophomore McKayla Orr for winning All State Volleyball.

* heard an update from the Parent Awareness Center from Kayla Eslinger. Recent speakers at PAC meetings have given presentations on drugs and alcohol, as well as sexual assault and the bully-busters program. The next presentation will focus on the DARE program. Nellie Degen said the group intends to present each school with a banner highlighting the positive things it was doing and honoring the schools, principals and students.

* approved the hiring of Chris Jahner as construction technology teacher at the Career and Technology Center, and the addition of Elizabeth Bellefy to the substitute teacher list.

* approved removing journalism from the course offerings at Jamestown High School for the next year, at an 8-1 vote, Roy Musland dissenting. A teacher would have had to be pulled from core instruction in order to teach the elective class.

* heard from Toso that a teacher compensation committee is discussing changing principal and teacher evaluations in order to make them more effective.

A second committee is focusing on reducing the dropout rate.

Sun reporter Kari Lucin can be reached at 701-952-8453

or by email at

klucin@jamestownsun.com

Tags: news, school, education