Dendinger is re-elected to lead School Bd.

HARTINGTON — Board members re-organized for 2012 at the Hartington School Board meeting Jan. 16.
Jason Dendinger will continue to serve as President for the Hartington School Board.
Dendinger has started his 11th year as a school board member and has served as the president for four years, now.
Colin Kathol was elected as vice-president and Brenda Steiner will remain as secretary.

Information just came out showing Boys and girls track at Hartington Public will drop from Class C down to Class D. All three of the school’s spring sports will be Class D this year as golf is already Class D.
Board members are starting to prepare for a federal mandate that may limit the radio system currently being used in the school buses.
Board members are looking at the possibility of switching to cellphones.
Dendinger asked if coverage for the cellphones would be an issue in some of the bus route areas.
Board member Doug Miller said a charger for the cellphone would be needed in each of the school buses if the radio system was done away with.
Costs for business plans which include “pay as you use” options will be looked at.
Principal Russ Flamig thought cellphones would be a good choice.
“Cellphones would be better than the radio service in my opinion,” Flamig said. “There would be better coverage and it would be clearer.”
Supt. Randy Anderson has met with Construction Manager Ed Bottolfsen, from RaDec and the architect on the Phase Two Improvement plan for the school building.
Phase Two involves rearranging classroom areas and putting in two new corridors, which will exit on the north side of the building.
Anderson wants everything in place so work can begin as soon as school is out in the spring.
“We walked through and reviewed where we wanted walls and how we want the traffic to flow,” Anderson said. “The pit in the commons area is now filled in. It is ready to be tiled. We are anxious to get it done.”
Some improvements may also be done in the locker and shower facilities.
There are a total of five tower stations in the boys and girls locker areas.
Anderson has asked the architect for cost estimates on upgrading the shower stations and installing a privacy wall in the girl’s area. The cost for an appropriate size water heater will also be checked into.
Flamig gave a report on absentee records for the first semester is the 2011-12 school year.
“This has been a good school year for attendance,” Flamig said.
A few students had gone beyond the seven-day limit for absentees but it had been due to medical reasons. Only one student did not meet the standard for absentees.
Next month’s board meeting was set for 6 p.m. Feb. 20, although the date or time may have to be re-scheduled due to a conflict with basketball sub-districts.