School board discusses high school expansion progress, approves resignations

The Tea Area School Board met Oct. 15 with three board members present.

Operations manager Wayne Larsen updated the board on the high school expansion project. The structural crew is installing the catwalks in the performing arts center. They are close to getting everything enclosed. The plumbing, HVAC and electrical on the south end of the project are for the most part complete. The new gym has been used for some freshmen volleyball games. Concrete crews have been pouring some of the sidewalk areas and final footings behind the stage. The glass company has most of the windows installed. Progress is a little behind where they want to be.

The board approved the resignations of Kaylee Anderson as Middle School paraprofessional, Megan McKim as Middle School paraprofessional and Joe Jones as maintenance. There were no new hires at this meeting.

They received updates from the TASK and Sprouts programs.

Business manager Chris Esping gave the board a report on the trust and agency report. That report showed them what the different groups are planning to do for fundraising and what they plan to use the money for.

Esping also reported on the levy trend. Superintendent Jennifer Lowery said their goal is to have their levy per $1,000 decrease for the district’s taxpayers. The half penny sales tax has helped with that.

Esping said they had to purchase a grand piano for the performing arts center. It went out for bid and they received one bid from Popplers in Sioux Falls for $76,067 for a Yamaha Silent Grand Piano. 

The board voted to recommend the opposition of initiated measure 28, the removal of sales tax, and support the Associated School Boards of South Dakota in the opposition due to no alternative revenue source to replace sales tax revenue.

They held the first reading of policy EGF, a policy to update federal purchasing guidelines. This policy will more closely follow ASBSD’s policy.

Lowery noted that 19 students have applied for early graduation at the end of the first semester. She thanked Johanneson family for donating a miter saw and the Bennett family for donating tables constructed from the old gym floor.