H-W Board approves calendar

CRESCO - The 2022-2023 Howard-Winneshiek CSD calendar was approved at the April 11 board meeting.
Supt. Ted Ihns said, “It is very similar to what it has been in the last five years.” School will begin on Tuesday, Aug. 23 and end on Monday, May 23, unless there are make-up hours.
There should not be make-up hours, though, as the calendar has a total of 1,152.4 total hours for the school year — 536 in first semester and 616.4 in the second. That includes 72.4 hours built-in for cancellations or late starts and early dismissals. 
Ihns said there are currently 42 built-in hours left for this year. “Since I started, the built-in hours have had about 40 left, except one year that we went over and had to make up hours. This year, we haven’t had the snow or fog for late starts.”
Not every district has 70 hours built in, but this usually assures families the calendar dates for vacations, etc. will stay intact. 
The first semester ends Dec. 20, before the winter break.
• In other business from the meeting, the school board voted to go with the superintendent’s recommendation to remove Waverly-Shell Rock from the Northeast Iowa Conference. 
Ihns said, “If we remove Waverly from our conference, we need to see if we can get other schools to join. There’s been conversations with other districts, but they won’t join if Waverly-Shell Rock is in it.
“It’s been a good fit for a long time. I wish the conference could continue. It will be a lot more traveling for Waverly, plus they have been good rivals in the conference.”
W-SR’s association with the conference would be done at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, possibly on June 30, 2023.
Ihns ended by stating he would like to see at least seven teams in the conference when everything shakes out. That compares with 10-20 in other conferences.
• Construction on the new addition is on schedule, with plans to stay that way, unless weather causes some delays.
Board members asked to come in early for the next meeting on May 16 to tour the construction progress.
• Elementary Principal Doug Sickles reported a group of staff members worked on developing a K-12 computer science plan, which is a new requirement from the State of Iowa.
The kindergarten concert was held on April 5 and the 3-4 grades concert was held on March 22.
On April 29 is the TK-K roundup, and on May 10 is the all-school band concert.
• Chris Rogne, 7-12 principal, stated John Derryberry will be speaking to seventh-12th graders about mental health, suicide prevention and recognizing and overcoming adversity on May 4.
Ninth graders went to the NICC Campus in Calmar to build awareness on the variety of careers available at a community college.
On April 27, there will be a Respect Retreat for all 10th graders. It is usually held for ninth graders, but COVID put a halt to the program for a year. Next fall ninth and 10th graders will attend another retreat.
• The district’s certified budget was approved.
•  A new high school gym video and sound system will be purchased.
• Staff handbooks were all approved, with only a few changes from last year.
• Wage increases were approved for employees.
• Bills for Emergent Architecture and Cresco Building Service for the high school and K-8 addition and updates were approved.
• New hires included Alisha Carolan, 0.8 FTE Preschool Teacher, Lorrinda Kisley, 1.0 FTE PK-12 ELL Teacher/Coordinator, Savannah Slafter, 1.0 FTE sixth Grade Teacher, Taylor Youngblom, 1.0 FTE fifth Grade Teacher, Laken Lienhard, Volunteer Softball Coach, Catherine Meinecke, Large Group and Individual/Small Group Head Coach, Renewal coaches: Chris Sullivan, Head Boys Basketball Coach, Rick McCarville, JV Boys Basketball Coach, Kolby LeFebvre, 9th Grade Boys Basketball Coach, Dale Dennler, Head Girls Basketball Coach, Darin Ferrie, JV Girls Basketball Coach, Brett Daley, ninth Grade Girls Basketball Coach, Keith Slifka, Head Wrestling Coach, Justin Denner, Assistant Varsity Wrestling Coach, Hunter Slifka, Assistant Varsity Wrestling Coach, Kalley Cunningham, High School Winter Cheerleading Coach, Summer Seasonal Buildings and Grounds employees:  Dawn Shackleton, Bryer Thompson, Mason Peter, Carter Henry and Kyler Curtis.
• The next board meeting will be May 16 at 5:30 p.m. at the board room at the high school.

Cresco Times

Phone: 563-547-3601
Fax: 563-547-4602

Address:
Cresco TPD
214 N. Elm Street
Cresco, IA 52136

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