The LCSD2 Board of Trustees retreat is rapidly approaching. This year the board and administrators from the schools will all meet in Albin to discuss topics like facilities, academic progress and promoting unity within the district.

One of the ways suggested to build unity in the district is by getting the LCSD2 puzzle piece logo embroidered into a patch for new team warm up outfits. Superintendent Jack Cozort mentioned a price estimate of $4 a piece. Trustee Lee May suggested looking locally for someone to do the patches. Davison agreed and names like Alice Krakow and Carleen Graves were brought forward as possibilities. Davison urged other ideas be brought forward at the retreat.

Another project that requires school administrator input is a new brochure planned by the district. The brochure would be provided to realtors to highlight all four schools in the area.

“Some people don’t know Carpenter school is there,” Davison said, explaining realtors push Burns or Pine Bluffs not knowing the other schools in the region. The board requested administrators from each school write ideas to promote their school.

Trustee Jeff Kirkbride noted the importance of the roundtable discussion held yearly at the retreat and asked it be kept on the agenda for this year. Kirkbride called it a “heads up, honest format.”

LCSD2 chair, Esther Davison explained that since the bond did not pass, the board must discuss prioritizing facility maintenance and repair, which will be a key discussion piece at the retreat.

One resignation has been presented to the board, Michelle Davies-Kelley a special education teacher. Davison said the resignation was gracious and noted the great experience Davies-Kelley had with Carpenter elementary.

On the hiring side of things, for the Pine Bluffs secretarial position Jennifer Heithoff was officially hired during the regular board meeting on Monday. The position requires a third of their time be spent on the grant secured for Pine Bluffs school and two thirds the time on school paperwork.

Tyler Kimzey was recommended for the Pine Bluffs basketball C team coaching position. Cozort explained Kimzey has already been functioning as the coach and has not been allowed in isolated space with athletes or allowed to travel alone to games until official hire is approved. Only one C team game falls outside the validity period asked about by Julianne Randall.

Two new positions are being advertised for the district. One is for an additional para-educator for Burns High School’s learning lab and the other is for special services-high needs.

Special services director Brent Bacon explained, “More students need one-on-one supervision at all times. It happened very fast.”

When questioned by the board, Bacon said there are some new students but also some protocol made other students upgrade to needing a higher level of supervision. The cost of the positions is covered by special education funding, Bacon explained.

A debate had begun at Laramie County School District No. 2. How do the schools follow state guidelines and not cause a loss for teachers that are retiring or leaving for new employment?

Cozort brought forward the problem that an employee must be paid off within five days of them ending their contract. Sounds reasonable enough, but the issues that created a stir were on insurance and retirement. Teachers are hired on for a year contract, once summer hits do their benefits disappear because they got a new job? Board members debated the issue for a good portion of the Committee of the Whole meeting. Many revealed a belief that three months coverage should not vanish from a year contract.

The issue will be explored further before any new work contracts are drawn up with altered language.

A policy on inspection and copying of public records is set to receive its second and final reading. The policy sets rules that restrict who can request records and establishes a fee for copying records. Cozort said the timing of this policy is good because of issues LCSD1 is having that relate to record copying.

Also coming up for the board of trustees is discussion on how to handle when employees dip below the 20 weekly hours required to receive benefits.

Cozort reminded the board that it was again time to start drafting the calendar for the next school year, which was a process last year.

The next COW meeting will be held in Burns on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. The next board of trustees meeting is Monday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. in Carpenter.