The Salem Grade School Board has given Superintendent Dr. Leslie Foppe permission to further explore the cost of constructing a separate administration building on property the school acquired in late 2022 north of Hawthorn School.
The board agreed they would only pursue the project if it could be completed with the remainder of the district’s federal Esser III COVID relief money and through the one-cent sales tax being collected for schools.
Foppe says the district has $223,943 in ESSER money remaining and has not planned for $240,000 that would be available through the one-cent sales tax next year.
“We’re looking at an administrative district main office. So we have the Superintendent, the bookkeeper, and another secretary in there. That’s what I know right now. We’re in the preliminary steps. I just wanted to make sure the board wanted me to move forward with it. The reason we can even entertain this is we still have ESSER grant money that if we don’t utilize we’ll lose it.”
Foppe is looking at a modular building for the possible administrative offices and hopes to have an answer for the board in March if the project is feasible.
Foppe says the administrative building would solve space problems at Hawthorn School.
“Two large offices would open up which would help us move transitional kindergarten [to Hawthorn] at first. It would also open up areas we can have meetings, that kids can go in and be tested, kids can go in and have title services, reading, and things like that.”
And moving transitional kindergarten to Hawthorn will also return space needed for programs at Franklin Park.
Foppe also announced at Thursday night’s meeting that the district has been awarded a $50,000 matching state maintenance grant to take out the old detiorated playground equipment at Franklin Park and replace it with new features.
“Climbing, swings, slides, things like that.”
Foppe says the new playground equipment should be installed this summer.
The board was told eighth grade graduation was tentatively set for Tuesday, May 21st.
The Franklin Park Student Council Food Drive for the Salem Ministerial Alliance is set for March 4th through the 14th. Canned goods and cash can be dropped off by members of the community to help. The goal is a combination of cash and food totaling $4,000.
The board acted on a number of personnel issues. They include the employment of Nicole Booher as an individual aid at Franklin Park. The board accepted the retirement of Melinda Stroud as a paraprofessional at the end of this school year.
A letter of resignation was accepted from Haley Metcalf as 6th Grade Science teacher effective March 1st. Two retired teachers will teacher her classes for the rest of the school year. Tonya Pryor has resigned as a paraprofessional at the end of the school year. Amber Cook has resigned as a cook. Heather Kleiboeker stepped down as Dance Team Coach.
Two volunteer coaches were approved. Sarah Buchanan for bowling and Taylor Jeffords for girls softball.
