District hires health aide, accepts ag retirement

At their Jan. 27 meeting, Luverne School Board members unanimously supported hiring an existing employee to fill the newly created district health aide position.
Karen Hubbling works as a middle-high school paraprofessional and has worked for the local district since 2017. She is also a registered nurse.
Hubbling was one of 10 applicants for the $25-per-hour position.
“In our applicant pool, we had very good candidates,” said Superintendent Craig Oftedahl. “We had two other RNs and we had some LPNs also.”
Minimally, the District required a licensed practical nurse (LPN).
The district posted the position in December after a divided vote from board members to move forward with the added position.
At that time, Oftedahl was uncertain if anyone would apply for the full-time position, for which health benefits would not be offered.
The health aide will spend half the work day serving “medically fragile” students and the rest of the day assisting the district school nurse.
The health aide’s duties are subject to change as health needs change in the district.
Over the summer months, the health aide position reverts to part-time status.
Hubbling will become the district health aide once her paraprofessional position is filled.
 
In other news, board members:
•agreed to keep officers in the same position for 2022. Eric Hartman remains chairman with Tim Jarchow as vice chairman, Reva Sehr, clerk and Katie Baustian, treasurer.
•approved hiring Jon Schomacker as the 2022 summer recreation director with a salary of $9,400, a $200 increase over last year.
•approved hiring Peyten Elbers as the long-term substitute for elementary teacher Dana Wolf, beginning Feb. 24.
•accepted the resignation of Bill Thompson as the middle school Lego League adviser effective at the end of the current school year.
•accepted the retirement of agriculture teacher Dennis Moritz, also effective at the end of the current school year.