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School board hears student achievements

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CHARLO – The regularly scheduled Charlo school board meeting started off on a good note on April 19. Superintendent Paul Jenkins began the meeting by introducing the students involved with Business Professionals of America. 

Chapter leader Spencer Shafter gave a brief presentation of the team’s broadcast news piece that they put together earlier this year. The news piece compiled events from the community and was edited to appear as a professional broadcast.

“We’re very proud of these guys and I appreciate their hard work,” Shafter said.

After BPA concluded their presentation, Shelby Mock gave a brief slideshow of her artwork, which is part of a project she is working on for a statewide scholarship called MT Gear Up Pathways. Mock explained that students from all over Montana are competing for this single scholarship, which is worth up to $22,000.

As she gave her presentation, Mock explained how she made her slideshow creative to stand out among her peers. 

“I’ve put a lot of time into this,” she said. “You had to be creative to brighten up your portfolio.”

Mock also showed fellow student Ashley Edwards’ photography presentation, as she was unable to attend. 

Students from Skills USA then presented some of their award-winning pieces from their recent trip to the state competition. Board members and the audience ventured to the shop room to take a look at what the students created.

Stephen Delaney presented a project that took first place at state. The piece was constructed from different woods from across the world, and displayed purple and blue face moldings of Skills USA students.

“All the faces have different perspectives,” Delaney said. “Each mold is of someone in our club.”

He then went into detail on how the moldings were made. 

“We had to figure out a way to have the eyes open and make it look normal,” Delaney said.

When someone asked why the piece took first, Delaney explained that most of the eyes in the face moldings have motion sensors, making the piece much more dynamic. Some of the eyes followed viewers as the audience walked around the exhibit.

Following the presentation, the board moved back to the library to discuss substitute teacher pay when filling in for someone who is on maternity leave. 

The board approved to pay certified teachers $125 a day, after 30 days, and to pay non-certified teachers $100.

In other business, the board approved to initiate activity participation fees for sports, along with BPA and Skills USA. With this being approved, each student who participates in one of these activities, must first pay a $30 activity ticket fee, and then a subsequent $35 for each activity.

“So if I have two children playing two sports that will cost me $200?,” an audience member asked.

“It’s the risk we take (that some people can’t afford it),” chairperson Dianna Kelley said, “either that, or we could cut the sport out.”

In other business, the board approved to not renew contracts for some teachers this coming school year.

“Unfortunately with the budget dilemma that we’re in,” Jenkins said, “I have to make recommendations that change people’s lives. We have to address this.”

Jenkins stated based on how things turn out in the legislature, there is always the option for them to be brought back, depending on how much funding they receive.

The next regular meeting of the Charlo School Board will be held May 17.

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