H-BC approves teacher salary increases, modifies superintendent contract

Hills-Beaver Creek School Board ratified a two-year agreement with the H-BC Education Association during their regular meeting Monday night.
All teachers will receive salary increases of 3.05 percent for the 2019-20 school year and 3.79 percent in 2020-21.
The agreement also clarified the leave of absence policy.
The negotiated agreement also removes the salary step increases based on years of experience in the district. Previously step increases were capped at 23 years.
“I think it is better,” said board chairman Arlyn Gehrke.
The agreement offers salary step increases to educators who earn additional formal education degrees.
Board members also approved an amended two-year contract with Superintendent Todd Holthaus. Board member Blake Wysong was not at Monday’s meeting.
Secondary principal duties were removed from Holthaus’ contract and were replaced with those of elementary principal. Molly Schilling was hired earlier this month as the district’s secondary principal.
In addition to being the elementary principal and district superintendent, Holthaus will also have new duties with community education and district curriculum. He will receive an additional $1,860 for 2019-20 and $2,885 in 2020-21 for these duties.
He will also receive $200 in monthly travel expenses to and from the district office in Hills and the elementary school in Beaver Creek.
Holthaus’ total salary for 2019-20 is now $128,500.
 
In other business, the board:
•was informed that elementary and secondary open houses are from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28. This is a change for the elementary where no back-to-school parent-teacher conferences will be conducted.
•accepted the retirement resignation from Mavis Schmidt, a paraprofessional in the district for 22 years.
•hired Dalton Bass as a part-time assistant football coach. The $1,696 stipend will be shared with current assistant Eric Harnack. The hiring fills the fall coaching assignments of Rex Metzger, head football coach, Jason Rauk, assistant football coach, Scott Harnack and Dan Ellingson, junior high football coaches, Amanda Rozeboom, head volleyball coach, Stephanie Bass, assistant volleyball coach, and Darin DeBoer, junior high volleyball coach.
•hired Kirsten Kooistra as an interventions paraprofessional and April Prohl, special needs paraprofessional.
•changed the meeting time for the next board meeting on Aug. 26 to 7:30 p.m.