School board hears various updates

The Kimball Public School board of education heard various updates on students’ accomplishments at its Jan. 12 meeting.

Each board of education meeting reserves a time slot on the agenda to review what is called, “Pride in Excellence.” This agenda item allows students and teachers to inform the board of education what they have been doing to better the school and the community.

Patricia Sulu, Kimball High School Spanish teacher, and her students presented a video that they made. The video, roughly 12 minutes in length, is a sort of welcome presentation to future students. Several students were interviewed about Kimball Junior/Senior High School, and they were asked questions about what the day-to-day function of the school is like and what the benefits are. In between interviews, footage of the high school was spliced in with a bouncy soundtrack to show those viewing the film what the school is like.

The second project the students were involved in was painting a large board to look like a door. The students are planning to paint boards to look like doors and windows and donate them to be put up at the old Wheat Grower’s Hotel as a community beautification project.

The board also discussed the hours that para-educators work. The way the hours average out over the entire year mandates whether or not the para-educators qualify for medical benefits. Some discussion took place as to whether or not the para-educators should be working during the summer, Superintendent Marshall Lewis, along with board members, seem to think that an evaluation should take place.

“We want the people who are making the best use of their time to be getting all the hours. I don’t want to pay a person to sit in an office all summer and do nothing. We need to have a way to be sure that those working during the summer are being productive,” said board member Jared Hunsaker.

Lewis agreed with this sentiment, explaining that during the summer if a para-educator is working they help out with things like maintenance.

The board decided that it would need more information and would have to delve further into the subject during a work session or in the next meeting. No decision was made.

The next board of education meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9, in the city council chambers.