Altamont School Board Celebrates Lady Indians Championship

The Altamont Board of Education took time Monday night to celebrate the state championship win of the Altamont Lady Indians softball team over the weekend.

The victory was the first team sport state championship in Altamont school history.

The Board also celebrated the naming of Laura Arney as Altamont Teacher of the Year, an award presented annually by National Bank of Altamont.

High School Principal Jerry Tkachuk reported that all 67 students in the Class of 2014 made grades and graduated on May 31, and added two students that pursued their diplomas through the Pathways program also completed the requirements.

In the same remarks, though, Tkachuk said he would be working with staff members from Day One of the coming school year to enforce practice that reduces failures.  He reported that "we continue to have too many students who, for a variety of reasons, are repeating requirements instead of moving forward with their education."  

Tkachuk also reported on summer work underway throughout the high school building.  He said the cafeteria looks "weird", but being able to increase numbers in that room will make scheduling issues much better, as well as being another multi-purpose room available to staff and community.

Altamont board members discussed purchasing 475 Chrome books for use by students in grades 5-12 beginning in January 2015 as the next generation device, and discussed utilizing a lease purchase program to fund the purchases. The Board also:

--employed Melanie Thornton and Bonnie Lester as junior high Student Council advisors

--approved Wright Specialty Insurance's bid for property/casualty/liability insurance coverage

--approved an increase in the driver's education fee to $75 from the previous $50 fee

--discussed seeking a waiver to allow employed certified staff's children to attend Altamont public schools tuition-free