Meeker Board of Education actions last week

MEEKER | In addition to accepting a check for $10,000 from Chevron, primarily for furthering Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, and recognizing partners in the School to Work Program run by Rio Blanco County BOCES, the Meeker Board of Education last week approved a new hire, coaching assignments, a couple policies and set their reorganization meeting.
The new hire approved was Laura Koenig as an elementary school para-professional. Coaching assignments made for middle school basketball included Samantha Wilson, eighth grade, Paulette Hanks, seventh grade, plus Holly Knowles, Tom Knowles and Cassie Hobbs as volunteer girls’ assistants, and Brandon Gorney as an all around middle school boys and girls basketball volunteer assistant coach. Brock Campbell was approved as the high school boys basketball C-team coach.
The board celebrated 2016 graduates Jamie Moyer and Jake Smith having traveled to Indianapolis, Ind., to receive their FFA American Degrees at the National FFA Convention. Only 1 percent of all FFA members qualify for this degree and it’s very rare that two members from the same chapter qualify. Jake traveled from his college studies at Oklahoma State University.
Also celebrated, in person, was senior Sierra Williams for the success of the Meeker High School softball team, and for her personal achievement of being nominated as the Western Slope Player of the Year for her outstanding batting average, on base percentage, and being in the top ten for stolen bases. Williams expressed appreciation on behalf of the whole team to the board and the community for the continuing support of softball.
Board vice-president Tom Allen reported that the Meeker Education Foundation, on whose board he also sits, due partly to the success of their September golfing benefit tourney, has increased their per teacher application grant limit from $400 to $500. The golfing event cleared $7,800.
The board also approved the expenditure of more than $105,000 for a new 65 passenger International school bus from McCandless Truck Center in Denver. District transportation director Roy Wedding confirmed he is quite excited by this, saying, “Whenever you can replace members of an aging fleet, it’s good!”
Revised policies approved on third and final reading were regarding the suspension and expulsion of students and the related procedures. Another policy regarding unnecessary paperwork for staff use of private vehicles to transport students was repealed.
Needing to be responsive to the late return of school board election results that had been too close to call, the board set their reorganization meeting for installing the newly elected members and electing officers, and making other assignments for Thursday, Nov. 16.