Superintendent search on track; interviews set for mid- January

    The search for a new superintendent to replace Joey Lefdal remains on schedule.
    Lefdal tendered his resignation last year, effective at the end of the present school year.
    That gave the board sufficient time to execute a search for his replacement.
    The application period closes Dec. 15. As of last week, the search firm, McPherson Jacobson of Omaha, reported they have received four completed applications with 13 others in the process.
    McPherson Jacobson reviews the applications and will forward six to eight to the board by early January.
    The board will then narrow down the field to three or four candidates they want to interview.
    Interviews are scheduled from Jan. 16-19. The board wants to reach a decision by their Jan. 23 meeting so they can make an offer.
    In other business at the Nov. 14 board meeting, the school will implement a new program to track visitors to the building beginning in January.
    A check-in badge will be printed for the visitor that will only be valid for a single verification swipe.
    The board also discussed installing monitoring cameras in one of the route buses to help determine if all buses should be equipped with cameras.
    Both K-6 Principal Becky Odens and 7-12 Principal Chad Scheel reported they’ve seen great progress with professional development among the teaching staff.
    There are good things going on at the school, Scheel told the board.     
    Lefdal reported the school received a $2,000 grant from Farm Credit Services of America.
    Lefdal said the application calls for purchasing drones to give students, particularly those involved in FFA, exposure to a new tool being used in ag management.