Huron School District board approves personnel slate, child-nutrition plan and raises sports-medicine contract rate

The Huron Board of Education on Sept. 8 adopted a consent agenda that included 16 new hires, two resignations and several contract adjustments, unanimously approved a recruitment plan for child-nutrition programs and approved policy CDB (organizational chart). The board separately approved a sports-medicine physical-therapy contract with HRMC that raises the hourly rate from $40 to $45; that motion passed with four votes in favor and one abstention.

The approvals took place during the district's regular meeting, which chair Van Berkem called to order and which included members Garrett Bischoff and Shelley Simmons participating by phone. The consent agenda was moved, seconded and approved on a roll call vote recorded as unanimous. The board recessed after completing business and moved into a board-goals work session; no additional formal action was taken during the work session.

Why it matters: the consent agenda and policy approvals cover personnel, vendor contracts and program recruitment that affect daily operations and budgeting for the coming year. The sports-medicine contract increase affects athletic medical support pay rates; the child-nutrition recruitment plan governs staffing and outreach for school meal programs.

What the board approved and discussed

Consent agenda and personnel: The board approved the consent agenda as presented. The agenda packet listed 16 new hires to be covered by the district's workers' compensation plan and two resignations requiring board acceptance: Linda Halter, a teacher at the Washington 4-5 center with 18 years of service, effective at the end of the school year; and Susan Kaw, a middle-school dishroom assistant with one year of service. The consent agenda also included three contract revisions for staff members Lacey Wilde (revised contract; degree update noted), Jeremy Sopko (revised CTE teacher contract) and Darren Berg (revised middle-school teacher contract); a Delta Dental 2025 renewal; an open-enrollment request (2025-11); and a letter of agreement described in the packet as between "Let's Go Herein" and the Huron School District.

Child-nutrition recruitment plan and policy CDB: The board approved the Huron School District recruitment plan for child-nutrition programs and approved policy CDB (organizational chart). Both items were presented for board approval; the board voted on each by roll call and both passed unanimously.

Sports-medicine contract: A sports-medicine physical-therapy contract with HRMC was pulled from the consent agenda for separate consideration. The board approved a motion to raise the contract rate from $40 per hour to $45 per hour. The motion carried with four votes in favor and one abstention (the transcript records the tally as "pass 4 with 1 abstention" but does not explicitly name which member abstained).

District financial and construction updates: Business manager Kristofferson reported the district is two months into the fiscal year and had collected $3,369,000 — about 12% of budgeted revenue — and expended $2,211,000 (about 8% of budgeted expenditures). "We are 2 months of the way into the fiscal year, so that is 17%," Kristofferson said in presenting timing and percent-of-year context. He said year-to-date revenue is slightly behind last year's collections for the same period and that some figures remain low because teacher-contract expenses will begin in September.

Kristofferson also updated the board on construction work at the high school and middle school. He said the middle-school roof replacement is ongoing, water intrusion over the summer caused gym-floor damage and crews are using drying tents. "It can take weeks. Like, maybe 4 to 6 weeks to draw all the moisture out," Kristofferson said, explaining the drying process and monitoring. He said portions of the middle-school locker rooms and main gym remain blocked while drying continues. The high-school addition remains on track for a projected Nov. 1 completion, he said, and the district has lost about 13 parking spaces at the high school because of construction.

Superintendent's report and budget planning: Superintendent Dr. Steinhoff previewed a busy school year and upcoming board work. He said administrators will present board goals connected to the district strategic plan, training on the K-12 behavior system and reunification protocols, and await an announcement on a science-of-reading grant. The South Dakota Department of Education opened the ESSA 2024-25 report-card review window Sept. 2'15 for districts to check for errors; Dr. Steinhoff said the district is reviewing its data and will report when the state portal is open. On budget planning, Kristofferson is drafting a general-fund projection to identify potential shortfalls for 2025-26; the superintendent said the district will collaborate with the board on any recommended reductions and that hiring freezes in the general fund and for certain supplies will remain until the budget is sustainable.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (personnel, contracts, Delta Dental renewal, open enrollment, letter of agreement): Adopted unanimously (roll call recorded as unanimous). - Huron School District recruitment plan for child-nutrition programs: Approved unanimously (roll call recorded as unanimous). - Policy CDB (organizational chart): Approved unanimously (roll call recorded as unanimous). - Sports-medicine physical-therapy contract (HRMC) — rate increase from $40/hr to $45/hr: Approved, outcome recorded as "pass 4 with 1 abstention"; transcript does not identify the abstaining member.

Next steps and scheduling

The board recessed and reconvened for a board-goals work session with the full administrative team; no further formal actions were taken during the work session. The board noted its next regular meeting is scheduled for Sept. 22 at 5:30 p.m. and mentioned upcoming parent-teacher conferences and homecoming events listed in the agenda packet.

Sources: meeting transcript of the Huron Board of Education regular meeting, Sept. 8; statements by Business Manager Kristofferson and Superintendent Dr. Steinhoff as recorded in the transcript.