Luverne students to attend home activities at no charge

To encourage more Luverne students to attend games and activities at home, the Luverne Board of Education voted unanimously to waive the $4 student ticket fees.
The decision was made at a special Thursday night, Aug. 19, meeting, and the waiver of fees is effective immediately.
Adult single tickets remain at $6 and an adult season pass is still $85.
Board members discussed ticket prices and activity fees at an Aug. 12 workshop.
Board members were open to increasing school pride and students gathering at supervised events with friends and classmates.
“I want as many kids at every event as possible and not pay for it,” said board member Jeff Stratton.
Elementary students (K-5) must attend the home events with an adult.
All Luverne students will be issued an activity pass and are to keep a picture of it in their phones.
Luverne joins a growing list of Big South schools who waive entrance fees to home activities.
Worthington, Blue Earth, Waseca, Windom, New Ulm, Jackson, Fairmont, St. Peter and Pipestone already allow their students to attend home events at no charge.
While admittance to home activities is free, Luverne reinstated activity fees after waiving all fees last year due to the coronavirus.
High school students must pay $75 per sport and $45 for each fine arts activity. Middle school student fees are $45 per sport and fine arts activity. The maximum payment per family is $250.
 
School board approves hiring more personnel
In other business at the Aug. 19 special meeting, Luverne School Board members hired:
•Tyler Reisch as business manager effective Aug. 30 at a salary of $83,500.
•Krista Ahrendt as B-squad volleyball coach.
•Brandi Johnson, Rebecca Dunn and Tonya Honermann as food service workers effective Aug. 16.
•Meegan Ross as Early Childhood Family Education and Discovery Time paraprofessional effective Aug. 30.
•Eric Arnold as middle school girls’ tennis coach.
•Epiphany Knedler as long-term substitute for Nowatzki, who was approved for a four-week medical leave of absence beginning Sept. 1.
The board also accepted resignations of Wes Jansen, custodian, effective Aug. 13, and Lacey Sik, paraprofessional, effective Aug. 6.