School Board hires additional special ed staff

The Luverne School Board approved hiring an additional special education teacher to assist current and future students in the district.
Currently the district has seven full-time special education teachers working with students in grades 1 through 12.
The district also has three speech/language teachers and one developmental adaptive physical education teacher.
The new teacher would work in the special education department and would be hired as soon as possible.
School psychologist Renee Guy presented information for the additional special education teacher at the board’s Oct. 27 meeting.
Using a formula to calculate direct instructional minutes, Guy said based on the current teachers’ caseload they average 6,274 minutes. Compared to districts with similar staff structures, the average is 4,570, as of January 2016.
Besides instructional minutes, teachers are responsible for program planning, curriculum development and collaboration meetings. Some of the teachers also direct the work of the paraprofessionals.
Currently the district is serving 204 students on individual learning plans. Guy estimated that number could grow by almost 20 students as the district’s first quarter comes to a close and more students are assessed for additional help.
Another full-time teacher would split the current caseload work plus allow staff to service more students, Guy said.
The district currently employs 37 special education paraprofessionals.
 
In other business,
school board members:
•hired the following assistant coaches: Adam Ossefoort, boys’ hockey; Tanner Skattum, girls’ hockey; Jordan Kopp,  wrestling; and Christina Strassburg, girls’ basketball.
•approved the following as volunteer coaches/advisers: Shawn Kinsinger, fall play; Jeremy Kopp, wrestling; Matt Lais, boys’ hockey; Paul Erickson boys’ hockey; Lauren Gacke, girls’ hockey; and Maggie Siebenahler, girls’ basketball.
•granted the following classroom experience requests: Brandon Klein, South Dakota State University, nursing; Benjamin Henning, Southwest Minnesota State University, mathematics; and Olivia Weidert, SMSU, special education.