Lake Holcombe School Board; Porter retires after 21 years with the district
After 21 years with the Lake Holcombe School District, principal Mark Porter submitted a letter of resignation, which was approved at a regular meeting March 22, following a closed session hearing.
Porter stated in his resignation letter, that he feels it is time for the district to transition to a new principal and his plan is to retire from Lake Holcombe School, effective June 30.
I have enjoyed working at Lake Holcombe School, and I appreciate the support and trust given to me over the past 21 years, wrote Porter. I will miss working with the staff, but, most of all, will cherish the interaction and time I spent with the students.
Porter recalled sending his application for the principal position back in March 2000, with the plan to stay three or four years, before finding a job closer to home. Instead, the district became a place his family called home.
If I can be of any assistance in the future, please let me know, wrote Porter. I’d be happy to provide whatever assistance I can, to provide a smooth transition to my successor.
The district plans to post for the position immediately.
Looking ahead, the board also approved a school psychologist contract for the 2021-22 school year.
“Marissa Warren, our school psychologist, will come back for a second year with us,” said Kurt Lindau, district administrator.
Lindau says, this time, Lake Holcombe will share her services with the Bruce School District. Lindau says Bruce already approved the contract.
Members voted in favor of the psychology contract with the Bruce School District.
Lisa Spletter, district accountant, says she received two food bids for the 2021-22 school year. Spletter says Reinhart Foodservice came in a little cheaper than Indianhead Foodservice, using the market basket approach. However, the delivery costs were cheaper under Indianhead.
“It’s basically a wash, it’s like $300,” said Spletter, of when the market basket and delivery costs are combined.
Overall, Reinhart was the slightly cheaper option. Spletter recommended the board continue to work with Reinhart, which members approved.
Members also approved Early College Credit Program (ECCP) and Start College Now (SCN) requests for fall 2021. Lindau explained the programs allow students to take university and technical college classes.
Anneleise Willmarth, board treasurer, asked if the classes are student-led, without a teacher.
“These are all real-person, in-time,” said Lindau.
Members also approved letting the Emergency COVID- 19 Leave sunset at the end of March, after the board’s voluntary extension of the leave was set to end.
“That means that staff would need to used their own banked leave days, if they were to get COVID or be quarantined, due to being in close contact,” said Lindau. “It seems like our COVID activity has subsided, as of late.”
Board member Jamie Morfoot asked what the negative of letting the COVID leave run through the rest of the school year would be. Lindau says it would be additional days the district is paying for.
Members also accepted gifts and donations of $46.80 from Eastbay, to the music department; a chainsaw valued at $270 from Lake Holcombe Sales & Service, to the maintenance department; $5,000 from PRIDE, to the Fab Lab; $250 from Citizen’s State Bank, to the weight room project; $500 from Marshfield Clinic, to the weight room project; an anonymous $200 donation to the auto shop/small engines program; and $150 from the Northwestern Bank School Mini-Grant Fund, to the Math/Writing Individual Student Lapboards project.
Members also approved the resignation of Kathleen Eddy, after-school site coordinator.
I have enjoyed the challenge and feel like I have been able to make a difference in our program in the three years I’ve been with you all, wrote Eddy in her resignation letter. It’s been a pleasure to work with all of you and of course, the children, too.
Lindau also shared information with the board on the ESSER II Funds the district is expected to receive and how it can be used.
“We’re slated to get $347,000 in ESSER II Funds,” said Lindau.
He also says the district is expected to get roughly double that in American Rescue Plan funds, to be used over the next three school years. He says 20 percent of the American Rescue Act Funds need to be used to address learning loss, and says he has already begun to discuss positions and programs with others, for once the funds become available.
Lindau says he is also working with others to brainstorm one-time projects they could do with the funds, such as digital controls for the boiler system and finishing some roofs.
Lindau also invited everyone to download the Lake Holcombe app on their smartphones.
“Our website is up, our app is live,” said Lindau.
Lindau says work will begin in the boiler rooms soon.
“We’re talking about mid-May, trying to do some demo in there,” said Lindau.
Lindau also says the roofing contractor asked if they could order roofing materials now and house them onsite, since costs are on the rise. He says the insulation should be delivered within the next month.
Porter also reported that student schedules for next year, should be put together within the next couple weeks.
As a notice to the public, the next regular meeting date for the Lake Holcombe School board, is Monday, April 26, at 6 p.m.
