The Oakes satellite program of the Farm Business Management Program will not continue past June, but the Jamestown program will after a vote by the Jamestown Public School Board Tuesday.
Robert Lech, superintendent of Jamestown Public Schools, had recommended to not renew the contracts for both programs because of a lack of funding and uncertainty of future funding. The Oakes program is offered through the James Valley Career & Technology Center.
The Oakes program was reimbursed by the state for $63,322 of its $95,225 budget in 2015-16 and was subsidized $31,902 from the Jamestown Public School District. The program has lost $97,023 since 2010, Lech said.
The Jamestown program was reimbursed by the state for $90,585 of its $117,966 budget in 2015-16 and was subsidized $27,381 by the school district. The program has lost $150,593 since 2010, he said.
The School Board voted 7-1 to not renew Lance Brower’s contract as instructor of the Oakes Farm Business Management Program. Steve Veldkamp voted to keep Brower.
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The School Board voted 4-4, with rural board member Greg Allen not present, to not renew the contract with Virgil Dagman, instructor of the Farm Business Management program at James Valley Career & Technology Center in Jamestown. Without a majority decision, the School Board agreed 5-3 that the reasons for nonrenewal of Dagman’s contract were not substantiated.
