Stew-Stras School Board Approves Agreements w/Neoga

The Stewardson-Strasburg school board Thursday followed the Neoga school board's lead from earlier this month and approved intergovernmental agreements between the two districts to share teachers.

Neoga Superintendent Chuck Castle was on hand for the meeting.

The Stew-Stras board approved sharing Matt Jones as Industrial Technology instructor, Jennifer Barker as Agriculture teacher and FFA sponsor, and Sherra Johnson as Business instructor.  The three teachers will work half the time in each district.

The Board also approved a contract to share a School Social Worker with Neoga.  Neoga will use the social worker four days a week, Stew-Stras one day a week.  The Board also approved an agreement where Stew-Stras students involved in the Early Childhood Special Education program will be instructed at Neoga.  Superintendent Steven Harsy explained that the Early Childhood students would go directly to Neoga each day and be returned home; there will be no switching from building to building.

Harsy is pleased with the arrangements and thinks it will expand in years to come.

He and the Board also got a report from Athletic Director Matt Shoaff that the co-operative baseball team between Stew-Stras and Windsor districts is off to a good start, both on the field and as far as bonding of players from both districts.  The districts anticipate co-operating in additional sports next school year.

The Board reorganized in the wake of the school board election earlier this month.  Randy Porter was elected the new Board President and Jennifer Burton was again chosen secretary, but the vote on a vice-president ended in a 3-3 tie because newly-elected member Rob Quast was gone on a vacation scheduled prior to his election.  The vice-president will be chosen at the Board's next meeting.  The Board also recognized Leroy Helmuth for his 10 years' service to the district.  Helmuth did not seek re-election.

The Stew-Stras Board accepted Tim Bishop's notice of retirement as a teacher after the 2015-2016 school year, and agreed to retain FGM Architects to help develop a health/life safety amendment to pay for work on the high school roof.