Hibbing School Board prepares for summer school

HIBBING—The Hibbing School Board took action last week to prepare for summer school, approving teachers for seventh and eighth grade levels and ninth through 12th grade levels.

Hibbing High School Principal Ranae Seykora, on Monday, said the district has two summer school programs that run from June 10 to July 22.

The seventh and eighth grade summer school “allows students to practice skills and gain knowledge they missed in core subjects to be able to go onto the next grade level,” Seykora told the Mesabi Tribune via email.

Seykora went on to explain that the ninth through 12th grade summer school is a credit recovery program for students who did not pass a required course for graduation.

“This model allows students to take the course in the summer instead of having to redo it during the school year,” Seykora wrote. “It frees up their schedule during the school year to be able to take elective courses.”

Seykora noted students have access to free summer meals during the summer program.

Summer school teachers were approved by the school board at its regular meeting on May 8. For grades seven and eight are Kris Lindstrom, Sarah Houtkooper, and a split position with Franklin “DJ” Jones and Michele Johannsen. At the ninth through 12th grade levels, Shannon Rocco was approved for 30 hours, and Kaitlyn Schreiner and Stephanie Wesley at 60 hours each for summer school.

The district is still determining enrollment for seventh and eighth grade summer school, and the teachers approved at that level are contingent upon summer school numbers, according to unofficial meeting minutes.

The board took up the following other items at its May 8 meeting.

• Approved an award totaling $475,700 to Lenci Enterprises, Inc. for the toilet room improvements at Owens-Cheever Field.

Bonding money from Iron Range Resources awarded to the district for capital and facility maintenance projects is being used to fund the toilet room upgrade, according to Hibbing School Superintendent Rick Aldrich.

Work is set to begin on ADA compliant bathrooms sometime next month, and is anticipated to be completed before the start of fall sports, according to Hibbing School Superintendent Rick Aldrich.

• Hired Ali Sandberg as a 1.0 full time equivalent (FTE) Special Education teacher at Lincoln Elementary School effective August 26.

• Hired Spencer Shotts as a 1.0 FTE classroom music/band teacher, district wide, effective August 26.