Mitchell Board of Education to examine new high school design, discuss 2022-23 back-to-school COVID protocols

MITCHELL — The Mitchell Board of Education will get its first look at the plans for the proposed new Mitchell High School building next week.

The board will review the plans at its next regular meeting Monday, June 13, at 5 p.m. in Room 10 at the Mitchell Career & Technical Education Academy.

Robin Miller, an architect with the architecture firm Schemmer, of Omaha, Nebraska, is expected to present the initial plans for the proposed building, along with other information relevant to the project.

School officials have said the current building was built in 1962 and is beginning to show its age. A new building would allow for the construction of a modern facility that can accommodate students and staff for decades to come. The board has been waiting on details such as a specific design, cost and selection of location of the new building.

The new building has also been a point of discussion for the candidates in the recent Mitchell Board of Education election.

No firm timeline for construction has yet been established.

The board will also review and possibly revise a new set of back-to-school COVID-19 protocols for the 2022-23 school year.

The updated protocols are essentially the same as the protocols were at the end of last school year, Joe Graves, superintendent for the Mitchell School District, said in his meeting notes. With the cases of COVID-19 on the wane, the need for masks and other mitigating steps have lessened over recent months.

The protocols are being reviewed at the Monday meeting because of timelines required by the federal government. The review is mandated for various COVID-19-related funding programs, Graves said.

“(The updated protocols) basically reflect conditions at the end of last school year, as various protocols were relaxed according to the improving realities of the pandemic,” Graves wrote in his agenda notes.

Graves also noted that there will be a time for public input on the matter.

The board is expected to consider the following personnel moves:

• The new classified hires of Alfred DeLange, maintenance mowing, $15 per hour, 3-4 hours daily, effective Aug. 23, 2022; Samantha Suarez, data support specialist for food service, $18.25 per hour, effective May 25, 2022 and Laura Baus, special education paraeducator, 7 hours daily, Aug. 17, 2022.
• The 6th class assignments of Melissa Vatter-Miller, 1 semester; Ken VanOverschelde, 1 semester; Kaitlyn Huska, 1 semester; Steven Morgan, 1 semester; Gretchen Smith, 2 semesters; Nancy Leach, 2 semesters; Curt Smith, 2 semesters; Christina Siemsen, 2 semesters; Denis Hoffman, 2 semesters and Bruce Mastel, 2 semesters. All assignments are effective for the 2022-23 school year.
• The resignation/retirement of Debbie Garton, administrative assistant, effective June 3, 2022.
• The Mitchell Technical College resignation of Jenna Vavra, radiologic technology instructor, effective July 31, 2022.

Also at the meeting, the board is expected to:

• Canvas and certify the June 7, 2022 Mitchell Board of Education results.
• Approve prime vendor bid for food service purchases.
• Hear board member reports.
• Hear the superintendent report.
• Hear public commentary.

The meeting is open to the public. The Mitchell Republic will livestream the meeting on its website.