Cadott School Board; Staffing sorted for the upcoming school year

Director of special education Deb Delyea (front) and incoming elementary principal Brad Rogers, tell the Cadott School Board about their goals, to help reduce gaps in student achievement, during the upcoming school year. Photo by Julia Wolf

By Julia Wolf

Staffing was a focal point for the Cadott School Board, during a regular meeting June 12, as they looked ahead to the upcoming school year.

Board members approved the resignations of junior and senior high principal Caleb Hundt, elementary paraprofessional JoDean Kendall, special education teacher Kathy Hamilton and high school assistant basketball coach Nathan Hager, along with the retirement of food service staff Kris Sonnentag.

Cadott has great kids and there are some really remarkable people teaching them, wrote Hundt. Leaving the students and staff made resigning a difficult, and hard, decision. However, after talking things over with my family, this is the right choice for us.

I have enjoyed the last eight years, and have made lasting friends, wrote Hamilton. I appreciate everyone who I have had the opportunity to work with over the years, and hope you all have a great year ahead.

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities that I have been given, wrote Kendall. I value the insights that I have learned.

I would like to thank everyone for making this job so special throughout the years, wrote Sonnentag.

The board also approved the hire of high school special education teacher Maygen Palecek, high school special education teacher Dennis Tolle, elementary special education teacher Megan Henning, administrator Nathan Steinmetz, second-grade classroom Josh Tumm, third-grade classroom Sarah Rogers, high school business education teacher Erin Pilgrim, high school science teacher Ashley Blaeser and high school math teacher Adam Kaszubowski.

Similar to what they did for the elementary position, incoming superintendent Josh Spaeth says they would like to have some teachers, staff, board members and administration involved in the interview process, for the junior and senior high principal position.

Starck says the current policy does not allow people to be involved in the interview process for people who would supervise them.

“But, the board can approve an exception to that,” said Starck.

Board members voted to approve that exception to the policy, to allow teacher and staff involvement in the interview process.

Spaeth reported they already have some interviews lined up for the position.

“We thought we’d want to move on it pretty quickly,” said Spaeth.

The board also approved a number of policies, which were discussed at previous meetings, including a change to a policy on Employment of Professional Staff, striking a line that says the board will not employ (but may continue to employ) the spouse or child, of any board member or administrator. The purpose of the change is to keep the district’s options open, when considering candidates.

Also on the consent agenda, board member Rod Tegels questioned what the line item titles insurance and judgments for $128,000, is on the financial reports. Sue Shakal, director of finance and human resources, says that is the budgeted amount and they spent $122,859, for the year.

“Insurance can’t cost $122,000, can it?” asked Tegels.

Shakal says that encompasses the district’s property insurance and liability insurance.

“That’s what it comes to,” said Shakal.

The Achievement Gap Reduction (AGR) report was also shared out, during the meeting. Starck says they bring the information to the board twice a year, to look at student progress in reading and math. She says the district receives money from the state, to help keep class sizes smaller in the elementary.

Starck also says a child needs a higher score in the spring, than in the fall, to make the 30th percentile measurement, plus they want more students above that mark.

“We expect that they’ve already learned,” said Starck.

Tegels asked, for grades that saw a slide, what they are changing moving forward. For reading, Starck says teachers are doing professional development. With math, instructional coaching is in place.

Tegels also asked what monitoring is in place, so they can catch areas where students need more help, sooner. Starck says they have regular “data days,” with students monitored every week or every other week.

Deb Delyea, director of special education, says they did well doing weekly progress monitoring, who are in Tier 3-type services, with some teachers expanding that progress monitoring to students in Tier 2 services.

Board member Brad Sonnentag, asked what they will do differently, in the future. Delyea says they are going to more clearly define when Tier 2 progress monitoring will occur and require it for those students. Incoming elementary principal Brad Rogers says their goals for the next year are to clarify what each of the tiers means, as well as who will intervene at the grade and foundation levels.

“I think there are some kids who are missing intervention, for other intervention,” said Rogers.