School Hires New Staff
The GCISD School Board, meeting in regular session June 9, voted to hire Laura Caswell as the school counselor, and Rusty Hollingsworth as the vocational shop teacher, both on 11-month contracts. After accepting Librarian Karen Rasco’s resignation, the board hired Shelly Chudej as librarian aide, with the understanding that a certified librarian be hired under a yearly contract to oversee operations on a monthly basis. The board spent two hours in closed session before voting on personnel. [We will try to have more information on new faculty in the July newsletter.]
The board voted to bid $13,000 for the total band inventory from Aspermont ISD, which is doing away with its band program. The entire package (valued at a new school price of $100,000) included 94 horns, 14 percussion instruments, two podiums, a 1,000-arrangement music library and 60 complete uniforms (red and black) with two coats (concert and marching). Band Director Robin Gray said the instruments include some we don’t have now because they are so expensive. He said the GC band’s uniforms are 10 years old and need replacing (a $12,000 expense), and that he will spend most of his budget this year ($15,000) on instrument repair. Gray said if Garden City gets the Aspermont equipment, he would keep most of the instruments, which are better than his existing ones, and sell the others, possibly for up to $4,000, helping to defray the school’s cost. Gray said the uniforms could also be sold, if the lettering on them can’t be easily changed.
Board member Carl Hoelscher said given how old some of GC’s instruments are, and the annual cost of repairs, it would be foolish to pass this deal up. “It’s pay me now, or pay me later,” he said, “and there’s a high probability of recouping some of the school’s money.” Although School Superintendent Steve Long said the package might well go for as little as $10,000, the board decided on the $13,000 figure, trying to insure that it would be the winning bid.
Danielle Halfmann spoke to the school board in its open forum regarding what she considers to be too many students in one class. She said, for example, Carla Hirt’s sixth grade class of 26 students, including 5 or 6 special needs kids, was too large for one teacher and the room size was too small. She said that extracurricular activities always seem more important than education, and that teachers are reluctant to address the problems for fear of reprisal from the administration. She said Elementary Principal Brad Jones is doing his best, but the school needs more teachers.
The board voted to keep the First National Bank of Sterling City, Glasscock County Branch, as its depository. The other bidder was the State National Bank of Big Spring. Board President Jimmy Eggemeyer said that State National beats the local bank on interest, but on the “whole ball of wax,” including scholarships, convenience, etc., the local bank is the better choice. Board member Tibby Niehues said both are equally qualified, and great banks, but the local one’s ease of use wins out.
The school board meets on the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the administration building. All meetings are open to the public.