Contract with resource officer leans more toward reality

Lake Holcombe School Board

After several months of back-and-forth discussions, there may be an end in sight for a proposed school resource offi cer (SRO) contract through the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Department. Lake Holcombe superintendent Kurt Lindau reported to school board members at a regular meeting Feb. 17, that he and the department came up with a memorandum of understanding.

Through the understanding, the school is requesting 10 hours a week of service to the Lake Holcombe School District, for an officer to be on-site to build relationships with students, staff and community members. The district will use Fund 80 to pay for the services and while the board approved the memorandum, the district will have to wait to hear if it has been approved on the department’s end.

Lindau also asked the board to replace the kindergarten through fifth-grade social studies curriculum, for $11,428.29 from McGraw Hill. The middle and high school curriculum was changed out in the fall, using the same company.

The board agreed to the purchase of the materials.

“So, we will now have a brand new K-12 aligned social studies curriculum,” said Lindau.

The board also, with reluctance, accepted the retirement of phy ed teacher and athletic director Tim Sime, effective in June.

When I was hired at Lake Holcombe Schools, it was one of the happiest days of life to come back to the school that I graduated from, wrote Sime in his resignation letter. It is with sadness that I will be leaving a school I truly enjoy working for, but I am also looking forward to the next chapter of my life.

See LAKE HOLCOMBE SCHOOL BOARD/ Page 3

“Of course, I just got to know Tim since this summer…he does put a lot of work into this place,” said Lindau. “He’ll be big shoes to fill.”

Looking to fill proverbial shoes, is Amy Lorenzen, who currently serves as an elementary AGR teacher and high school phy ed instructor, and had a full-time contract approved as a phy ed teacher by the board. Lindau says teacher contracts are not required until May 15, but he wanted to ensure Lorenzen knew she did not have to look elsewhere and can slide into the position when Sime’s time is complete.

Members also approved fourth-grade teacher Brandon Baldry as the 2019-20 head baseball coach, taking over for John Lee, who stepped down last year. Baldry was also approved as the 2020-21 head football coach, taking over for Troy Story who decided to turn the coaching duties over to someone else after the end of last season.

The board also accepted the resignation of Becky Hartzell as the middle school volleyball coach, and agreed to raise the JV basketball/volleyball officials compensation to $65 and the middle school officials to $70.

Also accepted, were donations of $39.55, from Eastbay Lodge to the music department; and 1,000 coffee cups/lids from Jenny and Jake Effertz, Red Cedar Country Store-Mikana, to the high school student council.

To keep the board updated, Lindau reported that the Grab and Go second breakfast chance is a big success, with an average of 73 middle and high school kids utilizing the service in February.

“That is super,” said board president Brian Guthman.

Board member Anneleise Willmarth asked if the second chance had affected numbers at the regular breakfast served in the cafeteria, but Lindau said numbers were already so low with the breakfast program, there wasn’t much to affect.

“A lot of kids are now eating breakfast that never ate breakfast before,” he said.

As a notice to the public, next month’s regular meeting has been changed to March 23, with the time set for 7 p.m.