Resignation leaves vacancy on Frenchman BOE

Just two months after board elections, the Frenchman Board of Education has declared a vacancy and is accepting letters of interest from community members to be a school board member in Fleming. The vacancy comes following a resignation from Nick Wernsman. Wernsman was appointed to the Board in November.

Wernsman presented a letter of resignation in a mid-January board meeting. He cited a recent move outside of District lines as his reason for the resignation.

According to Superintendent Steve McCracken, the first step to fill a school board position is to officially declare a vacancy, which the BOE did in a Jan. 19 meeting. The following step will be for the local school board to accept letters of interest from people who meet qualifications to be a school board member.

“We have 60 days to complete this process,” McCracken said.

The qualifications include being a registered voter in the Frenchman School District for 12 consecutive months prior to the appointment and to not have been convicted of a sexual crime against a child.

McCracken said the local school board will accept letters of interest until Feb. 15. The board plans to appoint a new member at the regular meeting next month, slated for Feb. 16.

During action times on the Jan. 19 board meeting agenda, members voted to bring back girls golf for a spring 2022 season. Fleming Schools, has in the past, had a girls golf program, however, due to a lack of interest the program was eliminated following the 2013 season.

McCracken said recent interest from Fleming students sparked the discussion to bring back girls golf and thus far, more than a handful of students plan to participate in the sport this spring. Fleming Schools is currently advertising for a girls golf coach.

Board members also approved the purchase of new curriculum, including Write Now and Into Reading. McCracken said he expects to receive the new reading and writing curriculum this spring. Teachers will attending training this spring and then implement the curriculum next fall when school starts in August.

“These programs will provide whole group lessons on a daily basis for grades kindergarten through fifth in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, word study and fluency,” Superintendent McCracken said.

BOE members also voted to schedule school board meetings on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

At that start of the meeting, staff members Christy Stumpf and Karl Donnelson presented their annual reports to the board. Stumpf, who has taught in Fleming for the past 23 years, talked about the curriculum she uses to teach math and also announced that Fleming plans to host a Spelling Bee for sixth through eighth grade students this spring.

Donnelson, the science teacher in Fleming, showed several projects his students have been working on. He told board members he has been gathering information on textbooks that he is considering for purchase for the science department.

Donnelson also serves as the Knowledge Bowl sponsor and told Board members he is looking forward to the league competition this week.

In her Principal’s report, Kortney Firme to the BOE that she is conducting a book study with 12 members of the teaching staff. This experience, she said, will help teachers complete a portion of their new licensing requirements. Firme also told board members that she is working to draft a survey for students, staff and parents.

In his brief report, McCracken to board members to expect an increase between two and four percent for employee health insurance premium starting next year.

In other business:

• Board members approved Bailey Chintala as a substitute teacher;

• The Board ratified the decision to cancel school at 1 p.m. on Jan. 5 and all day on Jan. 6 due to hazardous weather conditions.