News

School board holds special meeting

By Scott Wagar

08/19/2014

The Bottineau School Board held a retreat at Dakota College at Bottineau on Aug. 14 and discussed a number of items about staff, the special election and boardmanship.

The school district is still trying to fill positions before the school year starts on Aug. 27. During the retreat meeting the school board hired Kodi Bullinger for one of two elementary positions that are open.

The final position was also offered to a candidate, but that individual turned down the board’s request, which still leaves one teaching position opened at the elementary level.

There were also two teaching positions opened at the high school which were filled at the beginning of the month. Josieh Handeland was hired to teach Building Trades, while Marissa Pewe accepted a science teaching position.

Bullinger, Handeland and Pewe are all Bottineau High School graduates.

The special election on the bond issue was approved by the school board members. With the vote failing, the district cannot have another election on the bond issue for one year. It was decided by the board to take some time away from the issue, and focus on the upcoming school year.

Jon Martinson, executive director of School Board Association, attended the retreat to speak on boardmanship.

“As a district, we have had turnover on the board,” said Jason Kersten, superintendent of the Bottineau School District. “We discussed topics such as roles of the board and superintendent, open meeting laws, how to handle patron concerns or complaints, Roberts Rule of Order and procedures.”

School starts on Aug. 27 for the Bottineau School District.