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By KARLA POMEROY
Editor 

Peterson stepping down at East Side

 

March 3, 2022



WORLAND — The Washakie County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees accepted the resignation of East Side Principal Chris Peterson at Monday’s regular monthly meeting. Peterson’s resignation is effective at the end of the school/contract year.

Peterson was a teacher in the district before being hired as East Side principal in the spring of 2017.

Peterson said Tuesday, “I feel it is best at this time to step down and return to the classroom. This will give me more time to spend with my family. I appreciate the school district for allowing me the opportunity to serve as East Side’s principal for the past five years. I love the students and staff I work with. East Side teachers do incredible things for our little kiddos. Go Eagles!”

He added he plans on teaching in the district next year.

During Peterson’s principal report he said students have surpassed their reading goals this year. They surpassed the goal of reading 3,000 books in January. They were on track to read more than 6,000 in February but he did not have totals yet. The March goal is 8,000.

PERSONNEL

In other personnel issues, the board accepted the retirements of Carla Bryant, East Side teacher and Worland High School teacher Stephanie Anderson Umphlett effective at the end of the school/contract year.

They approved administrative contracts for Worland High School Principal Wade Sanford, Assistant WHS Principal and Activities Director Aaron Abel, Worland Middle School Principal Ryan Clark, West Side Principal Bruce Miller, South Side Principal Brian Gunderson, Special Education Director Kim Sanford, Curriculum Director Jody Rakness and Business Manager Charlie Cauffman.

Board member Brett Argeris noted that “there may be some changes within those positions.”

The board approved the hiring of Stacy Kissner as the new K-12 counselor and Megan Truman as the new graduation coach. The two new positions will be paid for through Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief federal funding, according to Superintendent David Nicholas.

Five new classified staff members were hired — Evangelina Rodriguez and Monica Garay as part-time paraeducators at West Side; Morgan Davenport and Misty Davenport as part-time assistant middle school cook with Morgan working Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and Misty working on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and Kalee Emerson as head cook at West Side.

New coaches were hired as follows: Tanya Kienlen, head middle school track coach; Lisa Crawford, assistant middle school track coach; Brian Gunderson as assistant high school track coach and Connor Warner as assistant middle school soccer coach.

Nicholas said Gunderson would not head to track practice until 4 p.m. on school days. He said he will be a throwers coach and was a collegiate throwers coach so this will be valuable experience for the athletes.

He added that Gunderson would miss two Fridays for meets and a Thursday and Friday for State Track.

Nicholas said there were a few personnel issues that he would like the board to consider for action at a later time. He said with the new school calendar next year including a day off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day he would ask the board include that as a paid holiday for full-time 12-month employees.

Nicholas said he asked Cauffman to look at options for paying long-time employees for unpaid sick leave when they leave the district. Cauffman said he reached out to all other districts and received a lot of information back with every district doing something different.

His proposal is to pay $50 per unused sick day with a maximum of $4,500 for employees who have worked for the district for 10 to 15 years. For employees who have 16 to 20 years of experience he proposed $75 a day at a maximum of $6,700 and for employees who have been with the district over 20 years, $100 day at a maximum payout of $9,000.

He also proposed for part-time classified staff who work 12 months, $75 a day with three days allowed each year. Part-time employees do not get to carryover the sick time.

 
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