Swenson named president of the South Hamilton school board on Monday night.

Joely Swenson was elected president of the South Hamilton Community School Board at their meeting Monday evening in Jewell. Leigh Miller was elected board vice president for the 2022-23 school year. A contract was approved for Todd Coy as the interim junior/senior high principal beginning January 2,2023. Tiffany Meier was hired as a junior high/high school science teacher beginning in the second semester. She will succeed Craig Edmonson who will resign from his current position at the end of the first semester in January.
The South Hamilton school board approved the request for bids for the roofing project to replace the metal roofing at the elementary school building. Two packages compiled from Emergent Architecture will be sent out for proposals . Last December’s derecho caused an estimated $525,000 in damage to the roof. A hearing was set for the next school board meeting on January 9,2023 for input on the planned project.Bids will be due before January 19. The South Hamilton School Board will approve the roofing project bid at its February,2023 meeting with the work to start next summer.
The board approved keeping January 2 as a professional development day for active shooter training that is scheduled with Iowa State Patrol trooper Paul Gardner and Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputy Alex Pruismann,de-escalation and crisis management and bullying prevention . This day will not be used as a snow make up day.
The firm of Grundmeyer Leader Services was hired by the board to lead the search for a secondary principal for the 2023-24 school year..
A draft for the 2023-24 school year calendar was discussed by the board. Staff input will be requested and the calendar will be reviewed again at next month’s meeting.
The board approved a resolution adopting the plan to reduce from five director districts to four districts, adjustment of the director district boundaries and the method of election following the 2020 federal census numbers.
There was the approval of a professional development speaker contract for Erika McDowell. She will speak to the staff on August 17,2023. McDowell is with Inspired Minds Collide. She will talk about her work with school leaders, teachers and youth nationwide.
School Bus number 2 is now for sale. The South Hamilton School Board approved the sale of the bus that has an estimated value of between $500 to $1000. The bus will be listed for sale on the South Hamilton school Facebook page and school website. Bids can be submitted for the purchase for a minimum bid of $500. If the bus is not purchased, it will be disposed of at the salvage yard.