Frenchman BOE accepts resignations from Hawthorne and Clark

The Frenchman Board of Education accepted several resignations as well as approved a purchase for new technology equipment during a Sept. 15 meeting in Fleming. The hour and a half meeting also included action items for extra duty assignments and substitute teachers.

While approving the consent agenda, board members approved resignations from Linda Hawthorne and Carol Clark. Hawthorne, the District Bookkeeper, has been with Fleming Schools for 20 years, Superintendent Steve McCracken said. Hawthorne plans to retire on Sept. 30 and will separate from service for 30 days and return to work the first of November to finish the fiscal year. McCracken said her last day of work will be at the conclusion of the financial audit in August 2021. He said she plans to retire and spend time traveling with her husband, Ben, and seeing her grandchildren.

Clark, who is a custodian at Fleming, retired as of Aug. 28 and separated from her employment for 30 days. She will return to work on Oct. 1 and work the remainder of the school year. Her last day will be May 21.

At the beginning of the September meeting, board members heard from Cindy Johnson, Fleming Kindergarten teacher, during staff reports. Johnson said she has 13 students in her classroom this year and she is using some new programs for those students, including ABC Bootcamp and Numbers Bootcamp. She said she is also using the ESGI program for progress monitoring.

Stephanie Monroe and Samantha Neilson also spoke to the Board. The two oversee the lunch program at Fleming Schools and updated the BOE on the recent announcement from the United States Department of Agriculture’s program to fund all student meals through Dec. 31.

During his Superintendent report, McCracken said the financial audit for the 2019-20 school year is complete. He also said the District purchased two certificates of deposit.

Later, during action, items, board members approved the 2020-21 substitute teaching list with the following names: Jeri Anderson, Marv Conyers, Elizabeth Frye, Amanda Grove, Randy Henderson, Tom Hessler, Deb Japp, Gayle Japp, Dezarae Johnson, Jacinda Kruger, Jose Leon, Steven Lissner, Beth Monheiser, Gary Rich, Erin Schafer, Susan Sigmon, Kent Swedlund and Carmen Vandenbark.

The BOE also approved a purchase from KCI in the amount of $22,000. McCracken said Fleming Schools is purchasing new network servers as the existing server system is outdated, dangerously low on memory and is at risk of catastrophic failure.

In other business, the BOE:

• Approved a bid for bus #409 for $500 from Ben and Linda Hawthorne;

• Approved the 2020-21 extra duty assignment for all coaches, sponsors and other school organizations and groups.