Falls School Board selects superintendent candidate

The chosen candidate and his contender, Kevin Abrahamson of District 2142, both received favorable reviews from board members. But in the final analysis, Peura’s experience both as a superintendent and in school finance put him ahead of Abrahamson in the match.

Board members Darrell Wagner and Stuart Nordquist traveled to three regions in which Peura has worked and came away impressed with their discoveries. Nordquist said retrieved information on Peura’s financial adroitness and experience was extremely positive. Some negative comments regarding inevitable budget cuts are common to all districts, he said.

Similarly, Peura’s involvement in schools and communities ranked high with board members. Board member Willi Kostiuk said that not only is Peura’s financial acumen a plus during an ailing economy, but his relationship skills would also be a positive thing for the community.

The board has scheduled a closed meeting to discuss the superintendent salary at 5 p.m. Monday in the Falls High School library. Board member Darrell Wagner expressed his skepticism, in light of recent financial cuts, on the district’s ability to offer a salary which will be favorable to Peura. “We may not be able to afford one of them (the candidates),” Wagner said.

“I doubt he’ll take a cut,” said interim Superintendent Kevin Grover, who previously served the district as assistant superintendent — a specially created position which will no longer exist. The target date for a new superintendent to be in place is June 30.

When Grover served as assistant superintendent, the district was paying his salary as well as a half-time salary to Don Langan, who acted in a part-time superintendent role while also serving the Ely school district.

Peura’s current role (since 2006) in District 2580 serves the communities of Sandstone, Askov, Bruno and Kerrick. Prior to that, Peura was superintendent of the LaPorte School District 306 and the Evansville School District 208. He has licensing credentials for the positions of superintendent, K-12 principal, elementary teacher for grades one through six, and coaching. He once taught for District 363 Indus and Northome schools.

Several new District 361 faculty members, with more to follow, as well as a bus driver were approved for hire Monday.

In other business, an item regarding a recommendation to reinstate an expelled student was removed from the agenda.

Members of the public were in attendance to speak to the issue of hiring a local photographer for the district’s yearly student photos (see separate story in this edition).

The board adopted the 2010-11 tentative expenditure budget for the district, as well as an authorization to enter into a line of credit agreement with a financial institution, a foreseeable circumstance due to the state’s delay in monthly state-aid payments.

Andy Fougner, coordinator for the district’s new Response to Intervention program distributed handouts and gave an oral report on the progress of an RTI three-tier reading initiative intended to help raise student testing scores.

“We’re showing some great successes,” Fougner said, adding that staff members have been asked to be on a panel as a model for other schools currently not in the program. “Because we’re making a difference,” he said. The 2009-10 program only implements reading initiatives, and math may be included in the future, he added.

Grover gave a review on the implementation of child-nutrition initiatives, and the potential for an elementary transportation drop-off zone.

Approved added items to Monday’s agenda were the acknowledgement of Kellye Remus as a volunteer girls track coach; and the resignation of Ashley Lillemoen as an early childhood special education teacher.

For a report on bullying in local schools presented to the board by LeeAnn Meer of Friends Against Abuse, see Saturday’s Journal.