Frenchman BOE approves salaries & contract

In preparation for the school year ahead, Frenchman Board of Education members voted on salary schedules and approved the principal’s contract for the 2021-22 school year. The short, March meeting was held in the Fleming School/Community Library on the 16th and opened with staff reports from Band and Music teacher Laurianna May as well as Administrators Kortney Firme and Steve McCracken.

May, who is in her first year at Fleming, talked about ongoings in within the Fleming music program. She said she is currently teaching students to play musical instruments and that students are also learning to write songs and create music. The third and fourth graders, May said, are learning to play the recorder.

May also teaches a drama class at Fleming and plans to host a performance with an audience before the end of the year.

During her report to the Board, Principal Firme said she continues to conduct a second round of staff evaluations and that she has begun work on the class scheduled for the coming year.

Firme said she is working with staff members to select a new English/Language Arts curriculum. The new curriculum will serve all Fleming students, including those in grades Kindergarten through 12th.

Superintendent McCracken said the District has wrapped up the third quarter of the year and as the fourth quarter gets underway, the District is currently hiring for a Title 1 teacher, a custodian and business manage for the coming year.

“It is a busy time of year for student activities, including state basketball and prom and the CHSAA season C has started,” he told the Board. Fleming’s prom is slated for April 10th.

McCracken told board members that the program that controls the card reader, which allows staff to enter the building, has been installed. The changes included an upgrade to the exterior locks on the building, he added.

To kick off action items, board members approved Firme’s contract for the 2021-22 school year as the District Principal. Firme is currently nearing the end of her first year as an administrator; beforehand she taught first grade in Fleming for five years.

Board members also approved the 2021-22 certified, classified and extra duty salary schedules in three separate motions.

Carmen Vandenbark abstained from voting on the classified motion and Board President Randy Kirkwood abstained from the motion on the extra duty salary schedule. Vandenbark serves as a substitute teacher and Kirkwood is a coach.

According to McCracken, the certified salary schedule for the coming year did not change, however, changes were made to the classified and extra duty schedules to reflect the new minimum wage amount of $12.32.

“We also raised the pay to $100 per day for substitute teachers,” McCracken said.

The next Frenchman Board of Education meeting is slated for April 19 at 6 p.m.