Students at Clay Central/Everly Elementary will now be able to participate in more extracurricular activities.

The school board on April 28 approved a proposal from Assistant Superintendent Jeff Scharn that will provide a small stipend to teachers who want to start after-school clubs. Scharn said clubs would center on "teacher passion areas" like STEM, dance, sports or anything else that sparks student interest.

Teachers who lead after-school clubs will receive a stipend of up to $600, depending on the amount of hours they dedicate to their group.

"We didn't want to say just every group gets $600, because each group will meet differently with different hours and expectations," said Superintendent Kevin Wood.

Director of Student Services Heidi Vasher noted a short basketball camp Scharn held for CC/E students this year. She said it created "a big buzz" in school and gave children something to look forward to each day it was held.

The school board approved the stipend on a 4-0 vote and supported the creation of more after-school clubs at CC/E.

"We need positives like this," said Board President Allison Goyette.

• Spencer calendar adopted

With the exception of one change, board members voted to adopt the Spencer Community School District's calendar for the 2021-22 school year.

Unlike its counterpart to the east, CC/E will not have school on Good Friday next year because the district traditionally has not held classes that day. Other changes were discussed, but ultimately the board felt it was best to follow Spencer's calendar as closely as possible since CC/E has a 7-12 grade sharing agreement with the neighboring district.

"That's where a majority of our kids go and I think that's best for those families," said Board Member Brian Schmidt.

Wood noted that if CC/E's calendar differs too much from Spencer, it could cause a "scheduling nightmare" for some families. Vasher also shared that some families have had problems with their elementary-age children when their older siblings don't have school and CC/E still does.

"As a father of four, I certainly know it would cause a disruption in my house," Wood said.

Classes will begin on Aug. 24 and end on May 25 next year. Winter break will run Dec. 20-Jan. 3, with spring break slated for April 4-8.

• Personnel

The board accepted resignations from sixth grade teacher Hannah Geer and third grade teacher Tayla Coady. New staff were also hired for next year: Michelle Huntress, director of student services; Terri Rivera, SPED teacher; and Gillian Herrera, elementary teacher.