School board to consider new hire, proposed audit costs

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook Board of Education will be asked Monday night at the regular meeting to approve the two-year proposal for an audit, a contract for a seventh-grade science teacher and the school calendar for next year. The meeting is Monday, 6:30 p.m., at the McCook Junior High conference room.

There will also be a presentation from the Industrial Arts program and reports given by committee chairs and the superintendent.

The school board was first notified of the increased costs of an audit at its February meeting. At that meeting, a letter from KSO CPAs and Advisors, the company the McCook School district has been working with, cited additional time spent documenting procedures and financial statements. The school district’s contract with the audit firm ended in August 2022. The proposed audit fees would be $32,600 for 2023 and $33,100 for 2024.

The board will also be asked to approve a contract for Sara Ripp as a seventh-grade science teacher. Ripp will graduate from the University of Nebraska-Kearney in May and is currently student teaching at Kearney Catholic High/Middle Schools.

The school calendar for next year is much like the calendar this year, Superintendent Grant Norgaard told the school board at its February meeting. Graduation next year will be Friday, May 10th. The first day of school for kindergarten-sixth grade and ninth grade would be Tuesday, Aug. 16, with the first day for grades 7-8 and 10-12 on Wednesday, Aug. 16. Last day of school would be Thursday, May 16th. Christmas break would be Thursday, Dec. 21 through Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024.

The superintendent will also update the board on recent safety training with school staff, parent-teacher conferences and a number of proposed bills in the Nebraska Legislature concerning public schools.