List of 59 staffing recommendations approved in Thermopolis schools

The April 16 meeting of the Hot Springs County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees resulted in a long list of staffing recommendations being approved by the board.

The following teaching contracts were approved for the 2024-2025 school year:

Danielle Hill-Kunkeld, daycare support staff; Riley Jeffs, high school English language arts teacher ; Madelyn Deeds, elementary teacher; David VanSlyke, high school/middle school band and choir; Kaitlyn Dudrick’s middle school teaching contract was continued;

The following resignations were approved: 

Katie Despain, middle school teacher; Rick Welfl, warehouse/custodial lead; Madison Thompson, elementary teacher; Aimee Kay, middle school teacher

Transfers approved were: Ashley Griffin, from elementary teacher to middle school special education teacher; Brittney Bowker, from business office to administrative assistant; Kathy Groh, from administrative assistant to business office.

Coaching and extra duty assignments were approved as follows: head high school football coach, Boone Bowker; assistant high school football coach, Dusty McLean; head high school volleyball coach, Shannon Hill; assistant high school volleyball coach, Larry Alwin; assistant high school volleyball coach, Erika Pehringer; head high school boys basketball coach, Shane Corpening; assistant high school boys basketball coach, Paul Collamer; head high school girls basketball coach, Steven (Tyler) Weinberger; head high school track coach, Boone Bowker; assistant high school track coach, Ryan Williams; assistant high school track coach, Darren Elder; assistant high school track coach, Elisa Daniels; head cross country coach, Stephanie Metz; head high school wrestling coach, Travis McDermott; assistant high school wrestling coach, William Faller; assistant high school wrestling coach, Chris Ryan; head high school golf coach, Brandon Deromedi; head high school speech coach, Lyle Wiley; assistant high school speech coach, Alyssa Brown; high school cheerleading sponsor, Cyndal Burrows; assistant middle school football coach, Andrew Ennis; head middle school volleyball coach, Desiree Egger; assistant middle school volleyball coach, Dani Jo Pebbles; head middle school cross country, Kaitlin Dudrick; assistant middle school boys basketball coach, Matt McPhie; head middle school girls basketball coach, Ashley Cleare; assistant middle school girls basketball coach, TJ Owsley; head middle school wrestling coach, Toby Emery; assistant middle school wrestling coach, Boone Bowker; assistant middle school track coach, Ashley Cleare; assistant middle school track coach, Drew Ennis; assistant middle school track coach, Aubrey Roybal; high school strength coach, Boone Bowker; FFA sponsor, Britton Van Heule; TMS FFA sponsor, Becky Martinez; high school robotics, London Jenks; Career Education Coordinator/Perkins Grant, Britton Van Heule; high school student council advisor, London Jenks; high school yearbook, Lyle Wiley; activities director, Brandon Deromedi; Foreign Travel Club advisor, Elisa Daniels; National Honor Society advisor, Erika Pehringer; high school concessions director, Cassie Owsley; Thermopolis Middle School concessions director, Jacob Strenger

PUBLIC COMMENT

There was one public comment during the meeting, brought by Jamie Stothart to address the district’s student handbook.

Stothart said that she has three kids going to school in Thermopolis, and she had made it this far with being only minimally familiar with the content of the handbook. She said that changed because of a recent event, and in an effort to familiarize herself with the content she found what she perceived to be an issue.

Stothart asked if the language used in the handbook was “appropriate for fifth and sixth graders.” Her concern was that difficult words used in the document would be hard for young students to understand.

“If they don’t understand the words, then how can they understand why they are being disciplined,” she asked.

She particularly took issue with a section of the handbook that states the punishment for “a flagrant, vulgar or deliberate action” was one to five days of out-of-school suspension, while the punishment for striking another student was one day maximum.

The board thanked her for her time, and for bringing a relevant topic that they could discuss further and possibly take action on in the future.

POLICY REVISION

Policy EEAEA – Bus Driver Requirements was approved for revision on third and final reading. Language improved.

Policy IHBG – Home Schooling was approved for revision on second and final reading. Removed a line that read, “Any instructional program provided to more than one family unit does not constitute a home-based educational program.”

The following policies were approved on first reading for revision:

Policy EF – Food Services. Renamed to “Child Nutrition Services”, changed language, removed mention of a fee to outside participants.

Policy EFA, Cafeteria Policy. Raised price of non-student breakfast to $2.75, introduced new debit system, removed procedure for reporting food allergies.

Policy EFAA, Use of Surplus Commodities. Changed wording.

Policy EFC, Free and Reduced Food Services. Changed wording.

Policy EFI, Food Service Records and Reports. Changed wording.

NEW POLICY

Policy KF-E, Facility Use Application was approved on first reading. Establishes conditions for use of school facilities as well as rental prices to rent school facilities.

OTHER

A fuel bid was awarded to Homax for the fiscal year 2024-2025 to provide fuel to the school district.

The preliminary budget was approved. Business manager Jessica Benefiel indicated that this is not a representation of the final budget and is for informational purposes.