CCS still looking for elementary school counselor

    Two more teaching positions at Chase County Schools were filled Tuesday night, while the school still seeks a guidance counselor for grades K-6.
    Board members approved the hiring of Susan Peoples for the elementary art position. She’ll replace Erin Sloan, who resigned last month.
    Lexter Solamillo, who now lives in the Philippines, was hired for the 7-12 English/Language Arts position, replacing long-time teacher Jill Bauerle.
    Supt. Adam Lambert said both teachers have experience in the classroom.
    Peoples is now teaching  at the Johnson County Central Public Schools in Tecumseh, and has three years experience. She is teaching art in grades 6-12 now, but Lambert said she wanted to be in the elementary art classroom.
    At CCS, she’ll be assigned art classes in grades K-6.
    Solamillo has 15 years teaching experience. For the past two years, he’s been a teacher at Baliwasan Senior High School. He also has experience at other schools and as a college instructor.
    He holds a BS degree in Secondary Education with an English major, as well as a Master’s degree in English.
    Solamillo will move here from the Philippines, Lambert said. The 9-0 vote for his hiring included that he meet all of his contract requirements, which includes acquiring a visa.
    The guidance counselor position remains open. Cathy Hanna is retiring from the position.
    Supt. Lambert said there remains a teacher shortage in Nebraska and across the United States.
    “It’s a struggle getting teachers,” he said.
    In other business, the board hired OPAA! for second year as the school’s food service provider.
    Supt. Lambert said they have approached OPPA! about adding a bigger salad bar option to some of the lower grades next year. He said those students can now access the fruit and salad bar, but this option would be a larger one and include protein foods. It would be charged as an entree to the student’s lunch account. He said it would likely start in grades 7-8 and possibly include grades 5-6, as well.
    With that discussion came a board vote to raise meal prices 4% across the board.
    OPAA! had recommended a 7.4% hike, but board members noted the profit the school made the past year in the food service account, and favored raising prices at the lower figure.
    Watch next week’s issue for more school board coverage.