Hiring complete for Luverne Schools

The Luverne School Board approved the last of its teacher openings at its Thursday night, Aug. 22, regular meeting.
Classes for the district start Monday, Sept. 16, to accommodate the current building construction.
Among the employees approved were one teacher and four long-term substitute contracts plus one multi-district partnership agreement.
The multi-district partnership approved the hiring of Katie Baustian to lead the Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) course.
The partnership involves the districts of Luverne, Hills-Beaver Creek, Ellsworth, Edgerton, Southwestern Minnesota Christian, Adrian and Pipestone.
Baustian is being hired under a state licensure exemption for career and technical education instructors. Baustian will be an employee of Southwestern Minnesota Christian in Edgerton.
The exemption is the result of none of the CEO position applicants processed the appropriate licensure for the position.
“Katie was interviewed by members of the multi-school partnership and was determined to have the necessary skills and background to teach the course,” read school board chairman Jodi Bosch.
Baustian is also a Luverne School Board member.
She abstained from the voting. Board members Tim Jarchow and Eric Hartman were not present at the Aug. 22 meeting.
Also at the meeting, board members approved the hiring of the following personnel:
•Canaan Petersen as middle school social studies teacher and middle school baseball coach for a salary of $54,534. He replaces Christian Mader, who submitted his resignation effective July 31.
•Jodi Nelson as long-term substitute teacher for Brooke Van Essen from the beginning of the 2019-20 school year through approximately Oct. 24.
•Heidi Schacht as long-term substitute teacher for Alicia Reker from the beginning of the 2019-20 school year through Sept. 27.
•Wendy Peters as long-term substitute teacher for Julie Fettes from the beginning of the 2019-20 school year for 10 weeks.
•Nancy Hurley as long-term Early Childhood teacher for Rebecca Runnoe from Sept. 5 through Oct. 31.
•Volleyball coaching staff of Avery VanRoekel, B-squad, Samantha Steensma and Stephanie Roozeboom, both for middle school.
•Football coaching staff volunteers of Joel Evans, middle school, Josh Crabtree, varsity, and Dan Serie, C-squad.
•Paraprofessionals Macey Skattum and Jessica Knorr, both part-time Title 1, and as full-time special education Bonnie Behr, David Edwards, Kellsie Rivas, Thomas Milne, Lisa Turbes and Maryln VanGrootheest.