Desjarlais keeps seat on school board
Karen Peterson photo
Rick Desjarlais takes oath of office for Arlee School Board.
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ARLEE — It was time to reorganize the board of trustees during the May school board meeting after Rick Desjarlais’ three-year term was up, although nothing changed. Desjarlais was the only person to apply for the open school board position, so he was re-appointed as chair, and Kris Gardner was voted in again as vice-chair. District Clerk Lonnie Morin was also sworn in for another term.
Superintendent George Linthicum presented a possible budget for the next school year with a focus on filling the funding gaps created by a deficit in the high school due to low enrollment numbers, although the elementary isn’t facing the same problem.
In the high school, Linthicum proposed cutting the Alternative Learning Center and reducing the special education teacher to halftime. He said that creating a multidistrict agreement between the high school and the elementary was also something the board should consider to help balance the budget. He is recommending that the board elect to hire an additional special education teacher for the elementary school.
“My number one objective is to maintain talented people in front of our students,” he said with hopes that high school classroom teachers didn’t need to be cut due to the smaller budget.
Two non-tenured teacher contracts were not renewed, without cause, leaving the home economics and math positions open. The board approved contracts for the remaining teachers and the summer staff.
Dr. Vernon Grant from the University of Montana was at the board meeting to present the research he did last fall with Arlee elementary students. Grant wanted to know if student structured activity affected how active students were on the playground. He painted lines on the playground for various games and provided equipment. He set up a video camera to see if student activity levels changed.
“The purpose of this study was to identify strategies to get kids physically active during the day,” he said.
His main goal is to help prevent problems associated with obesity. His results showed an increase in activity when children were given structured activity on the playground. After the study, the videos were destroyed.
Hot lunch prices will increase by 15 cents in the next school year to help with the increased cost of food. Students in the elementary school will continue to receive free lunch.
