Haxtun BOE hires Amanda Ridlen as Jr./Sr. High School Principal

A new junior/senior high principal, approval of upgrades to the preschool room and salary increases for certified and classified staff as well a hiring new staff and approving several resignations topped agenda items in a Thursday night, March 20 meeting of the Haxtun Board of Education.

Board members took action on several staff changes including hiring Amanda Ridlen as the Junior/Senior High Principal for next year. The position of Principal came open last month when Dustin Seger submitted his resignation to the Board.

Ridlen holds 16 years teaching experience, all of those in Haxtun’s third grade classroom, where she currently teaches. In addition to her teaching degree, Ridlen has two Master’s degrees, one in curriculum instruction and the other in human resources. She also has her administration license.

Ridlen will oversee the junior high and high school Principal role including students and staff in grades seven through 12.

In addition to approving Ridlen to the Principal position next year, board members also approved the 2023-24 Principal salary schedule. According to the document, the base pay for a principal, starting at step 1, is $65,611. The principal contract runs from July 1 to June 30 with five flex days in both June and July. Principals also receive a $25 per hour/admin on duty stipend for games and events.

According to Superintendent Marsha Cody, the principal’s salary schedule is the same as it has been in past years, but is now in a formal schedule using the current salary as a benchmark.

In addition to approving the Principal’s salary schedule, the local board of education also approved classified and certified salary schedules for the coming year. According to Cody, all staff members who fall into those categories received a raise for the coming year.

“We are comparable to the District’s in our region,” Cody said in later follow up regarding staff salary increases.

Base pay, step 1, on the recently approved salary schedule for teachers starting out with a bachelor’s degree is $36,000. The first step for a master’s degree is $38,547.

Aside from a new principal and salaries for the coming year, board members approved a motion to transfer $192,746 to the Capital Reserve Funds for upgrades to the existing preschool room. The funds are from the Buell Foundation as part of a grant application submitted by Preschool Director Paige Thompson.

Funds for the preschool grant will be used for classroom furniture and materials as well as electrical work, new cabinets and countertops, plumbing, painting, flooring, a new refrigerator and microwave and cordless blinds for the windows.

Work includes materials and labor to update the two existing preschool rooms and bathrooms including replacing light fixtures, replacing toilets and sinks in the bathrooms, sinks in the classroom, new fixtures on all plumbing and new paint throughout the entire preschool area. Plans are to begin work as soon as school is out in May.

During action items, board members approved two resignations including one from Hayden Hixon as secondary secretary/executive administrative assistant and Jessica Oliver, special education teacher.

The following staff members were approved for the 2023-24 school year and/or the remainder of the current school year: Lori Kramer as junior/senior high English teacher, Hailey Forry as a para-professional, Melyssa Nelson as assistant preschool director, Collyn Heinz as a substitute teacher, and Maria Thacker as a substitute teacher.

Staffing changes for the coming year, approved last week by the Board include: Michelle Henry as executive administrative assistant in addition to her current position as primary secretary, Sharon Seger to junior senior high counselor and Jeanna Clark as sixth grade teacher.

The Haxtun School District is currently hiring for a high school social studies teacher, high school English teacher, junior high science teacher, elementary teachers and a special education teacher.

In other business the Board:

• Approved Debbie Myers as Haxtun School District’s election official;

• Approved the purchase of new cafeteria tables and refrigerator not to exceed $35,000 from the Food Service Fund;

• Agreed to designate eight additional parking spots at the football field for football fundraising purposes;

• Approved the staff list for 2023-24 in addition to a revision to next year’s calendar to adjust professional development days in August. Cody said student contact days will remain the same, but recent changes allow for the same number of professional development days as the current year.