Also learns funding is in place for greenhouse equipment
Christmas came early to Greene County students with an announcement at the Dec. 10 school board meeting.
At the November meeting high school agriculture Steve Kehoe gave a presentation on the status of the greenhouse, which has not been used since the new school building opened. The greenhouse lacks a ventilation system, and temperatures in it surpassed 120 degrees into October. Kehoe had obtained a quote of $63,500 to make the needed upgrades, and proposed using the entire $40,000 available from the Max Johnson Educational Fund and using funds of the Greene County FFA chapter to make up the difference.
Karen Shannon told the board at the December meeting that the Max Johnson Fund is willing to cover the full quoted cost of greenhouse upgrades.
She commended Kehoe, who came out of retirement, having retired from Southeast Valley and then filling a one-year interim in Ogden, to work for one year at Greene County. “He’s spearheading a lot of really great things in our community and rallying a lot of community support, setting it up for whoever is next,” Shannon said.
Superintendent Brett Abbotts presented information provided by activities director David Wright about starting a girls’ wrestling program. The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union officially sanctioned girls wrestling for the 2022-23 school year.
Wright surveyed girls in grades 6-11 about their interest in wrestling competitively. A total of 44 girls who responded to the survey said they would be interested if the program is a Greene County program. Significantly fewer said they would wrestle if Greene County entered a sharing agreement with another district for girls wrestling.
A middle school girls wrestling season would likely be after the holiday break, as the girls basketball season finished before the break. Girls would be able to do both as middle schoolers. A high school girls wrestling season would be concurrent with the boys’ season, overlapping with basketball.
Cost for a head coach and assistant coach at both levels (four positions) is estimated at $21,674 total, including benefits. That would come from the general fund. Transportation costs and entry fees for tournaments would come from the activity fund.
Board member Tim Riphagen said he knew of many middle school girls wrestling in other programs, and Katie Nelson added that the park and rec wrestling program has many girls participating.
Shannon said the school has singlets or other suitable garb for girl wrestlers. Middle school principal Cara Pederson said there are more middle school girls wrestling now in other programs than there are boys.
Board member Megan Holz pointed out that it could have an impact on girls basketball at the high school because girls would need to choose one or the other sport. “Keeping the sustainability of all the programs … you split them up so many times, it’s tough, but you want to give kids a pathway for their interest, too,” she said.
The item was informational on the agenda. The board asked Wright to get information about the potential for wrestlers coming from Paton-Churdan. The board will make a decision before the end of the wrestling season (mid-March).
The board approved an At Risk/Dropout program plan and requested $470,571 in state funding for the program. The program provides mental health services at no cost to students or their families.
The board approved two new policies for the use of artificial intelligence and six new policies regarding access to education records.
Abbotts reminded teachers and parents that students will be dismissed at 1:30 pm Friday, Dec. 19, for winter break. School will reconvene Monday, Jan. 5. The board agreed to hold a work session to discuss the November Iowa Association of School Boards convention, but didn’t set that date during the meeting. They agreed to use email to set the date.
