Haxtun BOE approves official school brand and a pair of resignations

As the current school year winds down Haxtun administration and board members are busy preparing for the start of another next fall. Along with that comes several resignations, the approval of salary schedules for the 2022-33 school year and an executive session that followed with a resolution for a non-renewal of a high school staff member during a recent April, 19 meeting of the local Board of Education.

In a busy, but rather short meeting, the Board also approved the official Haxtun brand while also voting to move forward with a name change for the elementary and junior/senior high schools.

Following the opening portion of the regular monthly meeting, including the pledge of allegiance and roll-call to which all board members were present, the Board as a whole voted to enter into a closed-door, executive session to discuss personnel matters specifically for high school English teacher Jessica French. The board spent a short amount of time in the executive session and upon exiting back into the regular meeting, moved onto the next line item on the agenda without action.

Later into the meeting, in the action items portion of the agenda, the topic again presented itself and at that time, the Board voted, unanimously, to approve a resolution noting that Jessica French would not be offered a contract for the coming year.

“The Board of Education of the Haxtun School District has reviewed the status of Jessica French and has duly considered the matter of re-employment of said teacher for the 2022-23 school year,” the resolution states. It was noted that the Superintendent, or their designee, has been directed to give timely written notice of said non-renewal to French.

In addition to the English teaching position, French also serves as the Yearbook Advisor and National Honor Society sponsor.

In prepping for the coming year, board members kicked off action items with approval of the 2022-23 certified salary schedule, classified salary schedule and extra duty salary schedule.

While discussing the schedules earlier in her report, Superintendent Marsha Cody said every step on the salary schedule represents one year, including that for teachers who have experience elsewhere and join the Haxtun District.

For example, if a teacher who taught 15 years in another school district is hired in Haxtun, they will begin their place on the schedule with the number of years of experience they bring with them.

With the approval of the salary schedule for next year, each teacher will advance one step, or year, on the schedule, which equals a one and a half percent salary increase for certified teachers for the coming year.

The extra duty salary schedule, Cody said, will change slightly for some sponsorship roles, including the junior class. While she said that position does not pay specifically for performance, it does include additional responsibilities such as prom and extra fundraising efforts. Cody said the impact on the budget from the increases will be minimal.

The Board accepted resignations from two staff members, both at the high school level, during the April meeting including those from Janet Brophy and Kaitlin Hiller. In a motion to follow, board members hired Debbie Meyers as the District Business Manager.

In her resignation letter, Brophy said it has been an honor to work in Haxtun for the past eight years. “I appreciate the opportunity you provided for me as an alternative licensure teacher; you took a chance on me and for that I will be forever grateful.”

Brophy, who also serves as the Future Business Leaders of America sponsor, said she would be willing to attend the National Leadership Conference with those who qualify even though her contract will expire at the end of June. She also agreed to assist with an already scheduled blood drive sponsored by FBLA in mid-July.

Hiller, who serves as the secondary secretary/administrative assistant will follow through with her contract and complete her employment at the end of the 2021-22 school year.

“I thank you so much for the opportunity of serving in this position and working alongside you and Dustin as well as the rest of the staff,” she said in her letter addressed to Superintendent Cody. “I greatly appreciate the time I have spent working in this capacity and the relationships built, however, with the anticipated arrival of my second child, I feel that it is in my and my family’s best interest to serve as a full-time parent for the foreseeable future.”

Meyers will fill a vacancy left by Lynda Firme, Business Manager, who turned in her resignation earlier this year. Meyers has experience in the business department at Woodlin Schools and most recently she serves in a payroll capacity at Fort Morgan School District.

Cody said the District had 10 very qualified applicants for the business manager position and interviewed three of them before deciding on Meyers to fill the vacancy.

Currently, the District has openings for a high school English teacher, bus driver, music teacher, high school business teacher, high school secretary and substitute teachers.

Towards the end of the Tuesday night meeting, the Board also approved the Haxtun brand. At the start of the school year, Haxtun FFA students created a brand to represent Haxtun Schools and presented several ideas to board members. Following feedback and discussions with administration and board members, those FFA students finalized the image and prepared proper paperwork to submit the brand for official designation.

The brand will be used for multiple things, including FFA members who wish to utilize it with specific animal projects. It represents Haxtun Schools as a whole and reads that the District is progressively moving forward. The brand’s approval will be good for five years.

In other business the board:

• Approved the name change to Haxtun Elementary, including grades preschool through sixth grade, and Haxtun Junior/Senior High School, to include seventh through 12th grades. The District piloted including the junior high with high school this current year and feedback was well received prompting the change to be made official. Paperwork will be submitted to the Colorado Department of Education;

• Approved the addition of Hayden Hixon and Kelcie Yockey as certified substitute teachers.