Colfax school board sets summer school dates, hires new baseball coach

by Marlys Kruger

COLFAX — With only one item on the agenda that needed approval, it was a relatively quiet night for members of the Colfax School Board at the monthly meeting held Feb. 15 in the high school library.

With baseball practice set to start March 21, hiring a new head coach was a priority after long time coach Tim Wilson resigned the position this past year. Kirk Secraw, the new third grade teacher for the district applied for the job. In Secraw’s Letter of Interest, he stated he has played baseball through the Colfax summer program since he was seven years old and moved on to four years at the high school level for the Vikings. He also took 19 credits at UW-Stout of coaching classes which included Coaching Principals in Baseball and believes his experience at every level makes him a good candidate for the job. The board agreed and approved him as the new coach for the upcoming season.

With school ending before Memorial Day this year, summer swimming lessons will take place for two weeks, June 6-17 at the Elk Mound pool and summer school classes will be the following two weeks, June 20-July 1.

The total pupil count for pre-school special education through grade 12 is 861 after the second Friday in January count which is just one student different from the September count.

During the Old Business, three board members including Jodi Kiekhafer, Ken Neuburg and Joel Hilson enlightened the rest of the board and administrators on several different meetings they attended during the Wisconsin Association of School Boards state convention, including topics on strategic planning, conducting surveys, and referendums. As a voting member for the district, Neuburg also presented a list of the 16 resolutions that were voted on which showed 15 of the resolutions passed. The one that did not pass dealt with prevailing wages and it created a lot of debate, according to Neuburg.’

During the visitors time, Terry Nichols, a member of the community, asked a few questions regarding the survey that had been sent out to residents of the school district. Nichols asked how they came up with the cost for the 4-6 classrooms that were part of the survey questions and District Administrator Bill Yingst explained SDS Architects from Eau Claire did the estimate. Nichols also wanted to know how up to date the school’s technology program was and stated he thought it was very important for a small school district to be as up to date as schools in bigger cities. An explanation of several new programs the district provides as well as some new programs coming in the fall was given by Yingst and high school principal John Dachel,who is also the school’s technology advisor.

Administrators’ reports

Dachel congratulated the Dance team for their fine performance at the state competition, the three wrestlers who advanced to the sectional meet and FBLA members who competed at the regional competition. Adam Pretasky will advance to the FBLA state competition in April in the Securities and Investments category. The Forensics team also competed in a meet in Menomonie in which Grady Gibson and Napoleon Nosker each scored a perfect 25 in one of the rounds. Colfax will host the sub-district forensics meet on February 29.

Basketball and wrestling are winding down with tournament action in the next couple of weeks and spring sports practice will all begin in March.

Youth Options applications for fall classes are due March 1, and mid-quarter progress reports will be mailed out February 19.

Elementary principal Trevor Hovde presented updates on reading programs and testing that has been taking place and Read Across America Week begins February 29 with several events being planned in the elementary library.

Special Education Directory Polly Rudi reminded everyone of important test dates coming up throughout the district and the Resource Fair that will take place February 22. The Elk Mound and Boyceville School Districts will be bringing students to it to talk to representatives from over 30 agencies.