North Winneshiek merger and fast growing student needs drive multiple position additions for Decorah Community Schools.

There was a lot of discussion at the Wednesday night  Interim School Board meeting about additional positions in the district. Several presentations came from building administrators who had made previous "wish lists" known to the School Board last fall.

Growing special education needs, mental health issues, medical needs, behavioral issues, and inadequate staffing levels to meet those needs drove the School Board to approve multiple positions:

• A half time Level 2 special education teacher and half time instructional interventionist at Carrie Lee Elementary School.
• A Level 1 (or Level) 2 special education teacher at Decorah Middle School.
• A Decorah Middle School instructional interventionist (this position is mostly a shuffling of positions with little financial impact).
• A Level 1 special education Decorah High School teacher combined with a social studies teacher. This position  absorbs a North Winneshiek teacher and addresses the ability to assure graduation for special education students.
• A Level 2 special education teacher at Decorah High School. Although a new position, this position had essentially been vacant for a couple years, with the expectation that the position would need to be filled again.
• An additional school nurse. That would add one RN to the staff, but decrease by one the nurse-associates to two positions.

In addition, these positions were approved:

• Assistant Transportation Director/Mechanic. This position will help meet the need with expanded bus routes, aid in mechanical work on the buses and also be a substitute driver.
• An additional custodian. The schools are already at their reasonable staffing limits, with little flexibility, but this position will also address a daily need for monitoring water quality, boiler operation and building security at the North Winneshiek School building. While no classes will be held there, it is possible the building could be used for other community purposes, or for gym space.