School board approves food, principal contracts

The school board voted Monday 3-2 to approve a contract for an interim principal for the rest of the 2013-14 school year.

Board members Krissy Smith and Cyni Waddington voted against the proposal.

Deidre Jenson, formerly of Thorne Bay, started at Evergreen Elementary School Tuesday morning as the first in a series of administrative changes proposed in the wake of the resignation of Superintendent and Elementary School Principal Rich Rhodes, approved in early December and set to take effect June 30. Jenson, who was on hand Monday to introduce herself to the board and Evergreen staff. Jenson has been a teacher for 13 years in various parts of Alaska.

Jenson said she was happy to take the position, and hoped to stay on as a principal when the interim position had expired.

During the public comments section, Brian Merritt, a teacher at the elementary school, said teachers were surprised to hear about the hiring of the interim principal.

“The idea of an interim principal for the rest of the year kind of came up on the radar screen unbeknownst to the staff,” he said. “We generally, when administrative changes are coming to the school, normally we have a teacher’s meeting or two and kind of hear what’s going on. This kind of caught us off-guard. I think, instead of spending 40 to 50,000 for an interim principal — it’s a good idea, I think — but I also think we can save that money and make it through the school year and possibly hire a full-time principal for next year.”

Teachers have been working to implement a learning center, Merritt said. The center and volunteer help from Merritt and teacher Jenn Miller would reduce the time Rhodes spends on disciplinary issues, allowing the school system to survive the year without the expense of an

interim principal, Merritt said.

“We’re hoping that this can kind of settle the friction that’s going on in certain cases and certain classrooms,” he said. “I think this is not a good use of $40 or $50,000.”

“I think we can cut that number in half at least by staffing the learning center with a number of staff we already have,” Merritt added.

The board also voted 5-0 to approve a financial proposal from NMS food services to provide meals for the school system. Public school systems in Juneau and Sitka, as well as schools in northern villages use the same company, superintendent Rich Rhodes told the board.

The approved proposal estimates cost savings of about $55,718 over the 2012-13 school year, when the meal

program cost the school system $119,171. Figures provided by company estimate a potential cost to the district of $63,453. The company would retain current district food services employees at their current pay rates, said Business Manager Pam Roope. The company also doesn’t plan to raise rates, Roope said.

The estimated cost of the meals is $4.92 for breakfast and $7.21 for lunch. Those amounts are distinct from the price parents and students would pay for those meals, which would be set by the school board pending negotiations with NMS. The approval of the proposal is not a contract approval, which would be set at a later date.

The board also voted 4-1 to deny a grievance filed by the teacher’s union on behalf of teacher identified only by employee number.

Board member Cyni Waddington cast the lone assenting vote.

Teachers and staff from the school system packed the school board’s meeting rooms, making the meeting standing room only. School officials and present teachers declined to identify the teacher. Representatives from the Wrangell Teachers Association declined comment Tuesday.

A grievance is typically a written complaint filed by a union.

Attendees said they had come to support all teachers, and avoided referring to the grievance in specific terms. Many attendees were school system staff. They waited for at least an hour for the board to return from executive session to issue publicly the results of executive-session deliberations.

“All of ‘em,” said Sig Decker, when asked if he was supporting a particular teacher. “My wife and I have the utmost respect for the staff and the teachers here at school. We’ve had two children in the school system for ten years now. The few times we’ve had controversies, they were taken care of in a very professional manner.”

First grade teacher Arlene Wilson attended “to support every teacher,” she said.

Wilson disagreed with recent public comments referring to a morale program at Evergreen.

“I think we teachers work really well together,” she said. “We work together, we back each other up.”

Board members also said they supported Wrangell teachers.

The Board also presented the report card to the public in a public hearing. More details will follow in next week's Sentinel.