The Salem Grade School Board heard only positive comments to make the transitional kindergarten program full-time.
Superintendent Dr. Leslie Foppe says the idea has been under consideration for at least the last five years and she feels now is the time to make the change.
“Just to give them that extra time, to be here all day and get acclimated to the routine like other kindergarten students are. And also to provide transportation. One of the problems that comes to us is that because it’s only a short period of time it’s hard for parents to pick up and drop off. So if we went 8:15-1:50, we can have transportation, have them here and they can eat with their peers. We feel it will just help them grow more.”
Retired teacher and school board member Lynette Dye agreed with the need, noting as an eighth-grade teacher she saw kids still struggling to catch up that first got behind when not doing well in kindergarten. Board member Brad Crow explained what a big difference the transitional class made for his granddaughter and he can’t wait to see how much more can be done with a full-time program.
No vote was taken at Thursday night’s meeting. Foppe wanted the board to think about the change in preparation for a vote at the April meeting.
Foppe announced earlier in the meeting the transitional kindergarten class would be moved from Franklin Park to Hawthorn Grade School to allow for it to be in closer proximity to the regular kindergarten classes. She reported the Regional Office of Education has agreed to move the pre-kindergarten program out of two classrooms at Franklin Park to give the school much-needed room. Foppe says the regional office has assured her that pre-K classes would still be held in Salem.
In other action, the board adopted the school calendar for next year with classes starting for students on Tuesday, August 15th.
The board also acted on a number of personnel issues. The board approved the resignations of Brian Hill as Cafeteria Manager, Christopher Smith as Band Teacher, Jan Hocking as Cook, and Ben Teriet as Assistant Boys Baseball Coach. The board hired Kristina Crane as a full-time cook and Brian Lipe as Head Boy’s Baseball Coach for the fall 2022 season.
The board placed the following teachers on tenure. They are Ashley Bolton, Ben Teriet, Marcy Gibson, Suzy Hope, and Erica Marcum. The board approved the renewal of the following non-tenured teachers to return next year. They are Kayla Cripps, Haylee Helm, Kim Shelton, Erica Nix, Elyse Caplinger, Denise McCormack, Tosha Lusch, Heath Kleiboeker, Cheryl Ice, Elizabeth Smith, Danette Wolfe, Stephanie Clark, Megan Green, Nicole Rexilius.
