The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

Two meetings in seven days and the Frenchman Board of Education tackled a number of agenda items in preparation for the coming school year. Board members in Fleming acted on a wide-range of action items including the purchase of a new utility car, hiring a new first grade teacher and agreeing to approve an elementary interventionist position throughout two separate meetings last week.

The Board met for their regular June meeting on Tuesday, the 21st and again in a special meeting a week later on June 27. The first meeting opened with reports from administration including Principal Kortney Firme and Superintendent Steve McCracken. Firme said over the past few weeks she’s worked to finalize ratings for teachers in Randa. Randa is the acronym for R&A Solutions, Inc., the company that created the software to manage the Colorado State Model Teacher Performance Standards. Additionally, Firme said the new student software program, ALMA, went live on July 1.

Superintendent Steve McCracken gave an update on summer projects going on around campus. He said some of the work includes installing new carpet in the library and the preschool classroom, installing new flooring in the kitchen, installing a new walk-in freezer in the kitchen, constructing a new concession stand and restrooms at the football field and replacing the football field lights.

“The maintenance personnel are also cleaning, painting, shampooing the carpets and getting our building ready for the start of the school year,” McCracken said.

While approving the consent agenda, board members approved the financial audit engagement letter and also a resignation from long-time teacher Krystal Stone.

In her letter, Stone said she has accepted a position at Lone Star.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching and being a part of the Wildcat family for the past 20 years,” she said in the letter. “I am honored to have had the chance to touch so many lives in this wonderful community. The memories made and lessons learned along the way will always be cherished. Thank you for the unending support of the students and staff at Fleming Schools.”

Stone said she would be happy to assist in making the transition as smooth and seamless as possible. “I will end with a special quote that sums up my feelings,” she said. “If something makes you sad when it ends, it must have been pretty wonderful when it was happening.”

Later in the meeting, board members voted to hire Tamra Ashburn as the first grade teacher in Fleming for the coming year. Previously, Ashburn taught second grade at Haxtun.

At the end of the regular June meeting, board members voted to enter into a closed-door executive session to discuss personnel matters regarding classified employees. In a later conversation, McCracken said the reason for the executive session was to update the Board on the status of two classified employees who are on medical leave.

In other business the Board:

• Approved the 2022-23 budget;

• Approved the purchase of a 2015 Cushman utility car for $5,495. McCracken said the car will be used for school employees including maintenance employees, athletic directors and also classes who are the running concession stand for football games;

• Hired Lynette Harms as the special education teacher;

• Approved a worker’s compensation quote from RAS for $7,184;

• Approved a CSDSIP quote for $91,913 for the school’s liability insurance;

• Approved Levi and Amanda Grove as sixth grade class sponsors;

• Approved an invoice from Park Place Interior for $47,311 for carpeting and flooring;

• Discussed the possibility of a girls’ wrestling program. The topic will be a line item under action at a July meeting;

• Voted to increase salaries for the principal and superintendent by four percent.