G-E-T district receives nearly $37K in donations
The Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau school board approved nearly $37,000 in donations from two separate donors at their regular meeting Monday night.
The first donation approved was a $10,000 contribution from the Staley Family Foundation for interior aesthetic upgrades for the performing arts center.
In other center news, the board approved a $29,500 change order for chorizo flooring in the lobby. Funding for the floor change will come from the project’s contingency fund, which will remain in excess of $200,000 after the change order is fulfilled. District business manager Matt Wenthe said the contingency has been used minimally so far on projects ranging from railings to hand washing stations in the bathrooms. The project overall remains on schedule, despite the significant snowfall last weekend.
Also approved by the board were $26,675 in donations from Ashley Furniture Industries for various volunteer shifts worked by G-E-T students in the music and athletic programs during Ashley for the Arts.
The majority of those shifts came from members of the G-E-T wrestling program, to which Ashley donated $16,275 of the district’s allocated funds towards. The remaining $10,400 were allocated to various athletic and extracurricular clubs that also had members contribute shifts during the set-up, running and clean-up for Ashley for the Arts. As a district, G-E-T worked more than 150 shifts performing various tasks at the festival.
In employment action items, the district hired Melissa Olver as payroll clerk/human resources assistant, Kirsten Tenner as a special education teacher at Trempealeau Elementary, Renee Keenan as head cook at Galesville Elementary, Cindy Brenengen and Rachel McKay as paraeducators at Galesville Elementary and Trempealeau Elementary respectively, Anne Merry-Jumbeck as high school athletic/activities director secretary and part-time custodians Glen Brommerich and Besty Brommerich.
The transfer of Sheryl Byom to fill the counseling office secretary position vacated by Peggy Kirkey’s transfer to the district administrative office was also approved by board vote, as well as the resignation of high school girls golf coach Melanie Bawek in separate actions.
Extracurricular contracts for middle school activities including drama assistant director Sue Byom, musical play band director Kim Schacherl, musical play vocal director Brynn Dutelle, golf coach John Bergum and track coaches Doyle Schmidt, Jon Steffenhagen and Paula Gold were also approved, as were contracts for high school activities including a capella assistant Dutelle, power lifting coach Steffenhagen, trap club coach Cory Kemnitz, head softball coach Dan Stuhr, assistant softball coach Taylor Boe, head track coach Matt Wenthe, co-head track coach Ryan Mendez, assistant track coach Ben Johnson, assistant track coach Justin Waldvogel, head boys golf coach Rick Schmidt, JV boys golf coach Louis Hurd and head baseball coach Scott Hovell.
The board also heard reports on achievement gap reduction and after school programming, and met in closed session in regards to administrative evaluations.
