By Jeff Vorva

At most Beecher 200-U meetings, toward the end of the gatherings, the board acknowledges retirements and departing employees while voting in new employees. They are routine items of action, and usually the board makes its vote and moves on without comment.

But at the August 14 meeting, the comings and goings were a cause for smiles and celebration, and Superintendent Jack Gaham was relieved once the newcomers received the green light from the board.

He knocked on the wooden table he was seated at and said, “We are fully staffed with all of these hires.”

After one board member let out a “Yaaay,” he said, “That’s huge for a board of education.”

One of the key hires was high school math teacher Jennifer Munson. During the July board meeting, Gaham was getting nervous about the possibility of starting the school year without a math teacher at the school.

The board also approved the hiring of elementary school teacher’s aides Michelle Diaz, Allison Kerr and Rebecca Imig, high school teacher’s aide Ryan Rosenbrook, full-time bus drivers Maria Carrera and Maricela Bivian, full-time bus monitor Rachel Felts, junior high/high school instructor Martin Gianotti, high school junior varsity coach Jeff Borst and high school bowling coach Terri Waterman.

Trustees also acknowledged the resignation of high school drama sponsor Josie Hurling and the retirement of elementary school teacher Kathy Stolarek.

Fixing the bus

Prior to the regular board meeting, there was a transportation committee meeting to approve bringing an item to the board regarding fixing a bus.

“It needs some significant repairs in the range of $7,500-$8,000,” Gaham said. “That’s outside of my scope to say, ‘go ahead and purchase it.’ But it is a bus that is a part of a route, and it’s required to be on the road.”

He said the bus is aging, but the district hopes to get two more years of full-time service before using it as a substitute bus. 

Enrollments

Preliminary enrollment figures have been released.

In the elementary school, there will be a projected 375 students, down from 437 on August 31, 2022.

The junior high enrollment was 259 as of August 9.

The high school enrollment was 339 as of August 9.

Other items

•A budget hearing and special meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on September 25.

•A finance committee to finalize the budget will take place after the September 11 regular school board meeting.

•The board approved an agreement between the district and Teamsters Local 777, plus a contract with GDI, for the janitorial services of the elementary school and junior high for $17,691.59 per month.