School board purchases bus, invests in kids

By NEIL O. NELSON
Hillsboro’s school board members were in a generous mood last week.
Accommodating, even.
Paula Pederson, elementary principal, came to last week’s school board meeting hoping she could convince the education board that the purchase of a $3,000 Smart Board for the grade school would be a wise investment for next year.
Board members Paul Fossum, Tracy Buzick, Dr. Tim Luithle, Stacey Riemer and Don Hanson, Jr., needed little convincing.
In fact, they determined the school needed the Smart Board this year. 
Pederson is hoping the latest in advanced electronic teaching tools will arrive at the elementary school in early December.
Sherry Anderson, Hillsboro’s new third grade teacher, worked with Smart Boards at Northern Cass, Pederson reported. The Smart Board will be placed in Anderson’s classroom.
Pederson, meanwhile, is grateful the board decided to purchase the teaching tool this year.
“The school board has been very good in recognizing the students’ needs.”
Supt. Mike Bitz said Smart Boards are “appropriate” for any grade level.
The high school already has two Active Boards in use.
Board members Buzick and Hanson wanted the Smart Board part of the elementary school.
“I feel strongly we’ll get a huge return out of the Active Board in the elementary school,” said Hanson.
Still in a generous mood, the board agreed to purchase a new 66-passenger school bus for $70,600 from Trucks of Bismarck. The Thomas school bus will arrive around Christmas.
Dennis Duval, bus supervisor, lobbied for the Thomas model bus.
The Bismarck company accepted one of the Hillsboro school’s older buses as a trade-in for the new bus.
The school has a fleet of eight buses. Four are used every school day on regular routes. The bus fleet is needed, indicated Bitz. For extra curricular activities, he explained, and when other schools have their vehicles in Hillsboro’s bus garage for repair, Hillsboro buses are offered on a loan basis.
Meeting last Thursday (Nov. 8), the board also accommodated the request of four students.
Two juniors have asked to graduate early.
And two seniors want to participate in more than one sport this winter.
The two juniors who have requested early graduation simply must meet the minimum credit requirement to graduate, according to Bitz, who in his nine years here has had only two students graduate early.
The school discourages the practice of graduating early, said the Hillsboro administrator.
“It’s not that unusual,” said Bitz, “but we do advise against it.”
The students, he said, want a “jump start” on college.
The two seniors hoping to play two sports this winter are Jake Olsen and Bill Breen. The two basketball players want to “help” the wrestling team, Bitz reported to the school board last week.
There’s nothing in the school policy that disallows students to participate in two sports simultaneously, Bitz explained. Again, he said, it’s not unheard of or unique, he added.
The two basketball players will participate in the team’s dual matches and in tournaments at the end of the season.
Athletic director Mark Rerick and the coaches involved will advise the students on the issues the two athletes are likely to encounter, including classroom obligations of the two students.
In other business, the board accepted the resignation of girls volleyball coach Jamie Rerick. She has been the head volleyball coach the last two years.
In her letter to the board, Rerick, who has a full-time job on the campus of the University of North Dakota, said she had a difficult time this year  “balancing work, family and coaching.”
Jamie Rerick was the coach of Hillsboro’s 2006 state championship team.
School board members also adopted the 2008-2009 calendar. Classes will start in the fall of 2008 on Monday, Aug. 25.
Supt. Bitz also informed the board of the scheduled visit of U.S. Sen. Bryon Dorgan.
The North Dakota Senator will talk to HHS juniors and seniors Monday morning. Dorgan will address the students at 11:15 a.m. in the high school auditorium.