ELLSWORTH — The EHS Veterinary Science Future Farmers of America (FFA) team was acknowledged by the Ellsworth School Board for winning State. Individually, McKenna Edgar took first place, Peyton Berg took 12th, Maddie Bowen took 13th and Emma-Rae Hines took 32nd.

The four make up the team that was Ellsworth FFA’s first Career Development Event State winning squad. They will travel to Indianapolis from Oct. 29-Nov. 1 for the National competition.

“For starters it’s all them,” Coach Alyce Hines said. “I am above and beyond happy for them. I am so proud of them. Some of the stuff that we teach and they learn is truly technician level of a two-year degree.”

Because State winners are no longer allowed to compete in future years, if the team returns it will be a full new batch.

“They’re definitely utilizing what they’re taking out of this,” Hines said.

Hines is a 2009 graduate from Ellsworth and the number of opportunities currently available at the school has been amazing to see.

“We didn’t have these opportunities, so I want to give [Ag Teacher Katie Christenson] above and beyond credit too, because she’s giving these kids opportunities that were never offered before,” Hines said. “I wish I had these opportunities in general, because I think I would be lightyears ahead of the game going into college.”

Hines said the team often has to travel to compete in places including South Dakota, so they are excited to prove what the promotion of agriculture education in schools can do for the students.

“To be able to keep promoting agriculture in the Midwest is very important as well,” Hines said. “There’s so many job opportunities to do so, versus saying it’s not an opportunity anymore, which it isn’t in many schools around us.”

Hines asked people to continue cheering the team on through Nationals and to support Ellsworth FFA as a whole.

Agenda discussion

A month after elementary principals Mary Zimmerman and Travis Logslett discussed bottom line behaviors at the school increasing to 557 from 531 from last year with about two months of school remaining to further widen the gap, the board approved an elementary Dean of Students position.

“I don’t view this as being a long-term, as in maybe 10 years, but certainly right now they have a high need, there’s a lot of things going on that I think we need to attack and we need to address,” Board Member Mark Stoesz said.

The role will be to help address student behavior, allowing school counselors and teachers to return focus on other student needs.

“Listening to Mary and Travis talk about the needs that they’re currently dealing with right now at the elementary school, it just kind of makes your heart hurt,” Board President Julie Lundstrom said. “It’s just a plethora of different things that these teachers are being pulled in.”

Board members Gary Kressin and Steve Mark voted against the item, with Kressin citing excessive spending.

“A huge part of the principal’s job is to deal with discipline. Also, one thing I wanted to mention is Ellsworth Elementary School does have a behavioral specialist as well,” Kressin said. “I get a little concerned when I’m looking at the taxpayers’ dollars.”

Some members of the board viewed the growing need as too large to ignore at the current stage, ultimately voting in favor of the item. It has gone through committee multiple times, and Stoesz and Lundstrom each mentioned last month’s discussion influenced their decisions.

The board approved $340,765.32 in maintenance/transportation/curriculum during the May meeting. The district often brings a list of projects for board consideration so they can be completed during the summer months, and that time has come. Purchases from the approved list include a bus replacement ($136,100), two used mini-van replacements ($35,000) each, $42,000 in custodial equipment replacement and 50 classroom computers for the elementary school ($40,000 total).

“A lot smaller amount than we’ve had in the past quite a few years, so I think the Finance Committee did their job,” Kressin said.

Acknowledgements

Ellsworth honored Valedictorian Andrea Esterby and Salutatorian Mya Petersen. Esterby is headed to Iowa State University for aerospace engineering and Petersen plans to study chemical engineering at UW-Stevens Point.

With a goal to raise $10,000 for field trips and classroom supplies at the elementary school, the school raised over $60,000 and were matched by $6,000 in support of the Glow Run. The event was featured on KARE 11 Sunrise.

The Ellsworth Forensics team was acknowledged for placing in the top 6-10% at State.

Board reorganization

During a special board meeting prior to the regular board meeting, the board went through reorganization following the spring elections:

President: Julie Lundstrom

Vice President: Kurt Buckner

Clerk: Mark Stoesz

Treasurer: Michael Petersen

CESA Annual Convention Delegate: Kurt Buckner

WASB Convention Delegate: Gary Kressin

Alternate: Michael Petersen

Budget and Finance Committee: Michael Petersen (Chair), Gary Kressin and Charlie Kummer

Buildings/Grounds/Transportation: Kurt Buckner (Chair), Steve Mark, Julie Lundstrom

Communications: Michael Petersen (Chair), Kurt Buckner and Mark Stoesz

Curriculum: Steve Mark (Chair), Charlie Kummer and Gary Kressin

Personnel/Negotiations: Mark Stoesz (Chair), Julie Lundstrom and Michael Petersen

Personnel

The board approved the following personnel changes:

Hires: Leah Barr, speech and language therapist; Maysel Giebel, elementary counselor; Faith Iwerks, third grade teacher; Mara Kenall, elementary special education teaching assistant; Abigail Steitz, high school/middle school tech ed teacher; Ashley Syverson, fourth grade teacher.

Transfers: Amber Kruse, from district-wide substitute teacher to elementary special education teacher; Michael Rundle, from high school teaching assistant to high school alternative education teacher.

Resignations: Rebecca Hoyt, high school track assistant coach; Samantha Hunter, elementary teaching assistant; Christine Karlstad, elementary food service staff; Travis Logslett, elementary principal; Mitchell Smith, high school counselor.

Extra/Co-Curricular: Renee Helgeson, Middle School Guiding Coalition; Danielle Lewis, Middle School Guiding Coalition; Drew Pechacek, Middle School Guiding Coalition.