Two administrators at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School will be leaving the district at the end of the 2020-21 school year.

Mark Dorhout, who has been middle school principal at H-M-S since 2004, has accepted a middle school science teaching position at the Panorama Community School District in Panora. Dorhout had been a science teacher prior to becoming an administrator.

Elementary Principal Cathy Jochims is retiring at the end of the current school year. She has served in that role at H-M-S since 2014, and was an elementary classroom teacher in the district for 22 years prior to that.

According to Superintendent Patrick Carlin, the administrative team and board personnel committee were to conduct virtual interviews with eight applicants for the middle school principal position on Wednesday. Face-to-face interviews with three or four finalists are scheduled for March 20.

Carlin said the timeline for filling the elementary principal position had not been finalized by the time of Monday's board meeting.

• Additional resignations

Nicole Dorhout's resignations as language arts teacher, cross country, girls' track and middle school fitness club coach were also accepted. She will be teaching middle school language arts at Panorama next year.

Other resignations were received from Natasha Adrian, elementary associate; Mark Petersen, head varsity boys' basketball coach; and Stephanie Bronstad, assistant varsity softball coach.

Elementary teacher Karen Hielkema is retiring at the end of the school year, as is elementary associate Sue Getting.

• Contracts, shared positions approved

The personnel committee's recommendation that certified staff salaries increase by $1,000 next year was accepted by the full board. The committee also recommended that current staff members who sign their 2021-22 contracts receive a $250 bonus.

Contracts were also issued to Carley Sievert, Family and Consumer Science teacher; Morgan Hoaglund, middle school language arts teacher; Melinda Glackin, elementary associate; Stephanie Bronstad, head varsity softball coach; and Barb Haag, assistant varsity softball coach.

Principal Nate Hemiller said only one application has been received for the Spanish teaching position. That person will be interviewed later this week. If that applicant is not hired, Hemiller said it will be "quite tough" to fill the position.

The district has applicants for other coaching vacancies but according to Hemiller, contract offers will not be made until May when H-M-S has filled its certified vacancies.

H-M-S will continue to share a school counselor on a 50-50 basis with Sibley-Ocheyedan and a school nurse on a 90-10 split with Clay Central/Everly. A cooperative agreement for the placement of student teachers from the University of Northern Iowa was approved.

• 2021-22 calendar finalized

The final version of the 2021-22 calendar includes the board's suggestion that Dec. 22 be designated as a snow day.

Classes will begin on Monday, Aug. 23. A total of 180 classroom days or 1,080 instructional hours are scheduled, with May 19 being the final day of school for students. Additional snow days listed are May 19-20 and 23-26, and April 18.

In other business, the board discussed setting a threshold amount for donations that require their approval. A small donation for elementary classroom art supplies this month prompted Board President Scott Heetland to raise the question.

SENTINEL-NEWS FILE PHOTO

H-M-S Elementary Principal Cathy Jochims helps a student on the first day of school this year. She plans to retire at the end of the school year.

"It would make sense to put on a dollar amount so that Mr. Carlin can accept them," said Board Member Dave Vander Broek.

H-M-S has two buses to retire. Carlin said the board could accept sealed bids, as it has in the past, or the buses could be listed online through Klaassen Auctions. A minimum bid amount could be set, based upon what the district would receive if the buses were sold to a salvage yard.

"I think it would be a good idea," said Board Member Chad Lyman about the online option. "We would get more exposure."