August hail did $140,000 damage to school property

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The McCook School District sustained an excess of $140,000 in damages from the August hailstorm.

But the insurance reimbursement have been received and will repair the damage, Superintendent Grant Norgaard told the McCook School Board Monday night at the regular meeting.

Receiving much of the damage were the dome skylights in school hallways, the atrium at the junior high and the common areas at Central Elementary.

The way the buildings are designed, there are about 56 skylights in the district, Business Manager Rick Haney said.

Vehicles and three HVAC units were damaged along with district vehicles, he told board members.

Before the purchases are made, they will be brought before the board for final approval.

In other business, the board unanimously approved several items, including:

* Surplusing one hot water engine parts washer. Used in auto mechanic classes, the district has two other engine washers and did not see the need for a third, Superintendent Grant Norgaard said. The washer jets hot water into engines to clean them out.

* with gratitude for 36 years of service with McCook Schools, the resignation of Senior High Librarian Sharon Bohling

* the teaching contract of Sarah Knutson, beginning Jan. 4, 2012, as the new agricultural education instructor at the Senior High. Knutson comes highly recommended, Norgaard said, with an animal science degree and an endorsement in biology. This is her first teaching position and is now student teaching at Blue Hill.

Student Council members Kailee Kennedy and Drew Bredvick spoke about upcoming StuCo activities.

This includes a pancake feed for faculty on Tuesday morning, collecting toys for the Toy Box and a family the student council has "adopted" for the holidays, that was selected from the Wells Fargo Bank "Giving Tree."