Decorah School Board approves contracts and salaries for administration, other personnel and new positions

At its special meeting on Wednesday afternoon the Decorah Community School Board approved salaries and contracts for school district personnel. Administration and Central Office staffs were all approved for a 3.25 percent total package increase.  Key administration salaries include: Middle School Principal Leona Hoth, $80,450; Associate High School Principal Adam Riley, $71,870; High School Principal Kim Sheppard, $98,630; Elementary School Principal Cheryl Sommers, $66,760; Elementary School Principal Rick Varney, $82,810; Technology Coordinator Kurt DeVore, $66,946; and Business Manager Cathy Dietzenbach, $67,780. The Board delayed action on the contract for Superintendent Mike Haluska pending annual review.

The Board also approved salary schedules for support personnel, supplemental positions and coaching contracts.

New positions approved include a Certified Macintosh Computer Technician. Superintendent Haluska said this position would not only provide efficiency, but would be revenue saving based on the current cost of repairs. A position for an English Language Learner/6th grade reading position was added. This was an increase of half a position to compensate for the discontinuation of a sharing agreement with South Winneshiek for the ELL position. A Media Specialist, grades 7-12, was added.  A 4th grade position was added, but related to that increase was a loss of 5th grade teaching position. Numbers and a teacher resignation dictated those classroom changes.