HURON — As the clock ticks down toward the first day of the 2024-25 school year — which is next week on Aug. 20 — the Huron School Board heard an upbeat report on the summer ESL (English as a Second Language) program from ESL director Jolene Konechne at its regular bi-weekly meeting Monday night.

“This year’s ESL summer school ran from May 20, to June 14,” Konechne told the board and administrators who attended the meeting. “Last year, we did K-7th grade and had all the kids mixed together and this year we only did K-5 and held the classes in the respective buildings.

She said that a total of 422 students attended classes, which were overseen by 33 teachers, 35 para-educators, as well as a handful of student volunteers and bus monitors.

“We did the busing of students just the same as in school and the monitors helped make sure the kids got to the right places,” she added.

Much of the remainder of the meeting was occupied with things associated with the imminent beginning of a school years. For instance; 19 new hires were approved by the board, a necessary step to having the new employees covered under the school district’s workmen’s compensation insurance. There were two resignations and a total of 16 contracts for approval, many of then revised contracts because of extra classes being taught by the respective instructor.

Of note was the contract revision for Marianne Trandall, who will add the duties of Huron School District Foundation executive director to her ‘to-do’ list.

The board approved second and final reading to Section B of its policies, which governs the school board and its operations, and also approved second readings of policies regarding background checks, use of computers and networks and the school district wellness policy.

A resolution with both the Iroquois and Wolsey-Wessington School Districts for school bus pickup points was approved, as was a transfer agreement that will return the former bus barn on the S.D. State Fairgrounds to the Department of Ag and Natural Resources. Business manager Kelly Christopherson said since the school district had acquired the Souled Out Center, storage of items normally at the fairgrounds had been shifted.

After an extended executive session, the board returned to vote unanimously to deny a leave of absence to Lin Lin Li, a Special Education paraprofessional at the Madison 2-3 Center.

The next board of education meeting is 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 26, in the IPC room on the second floor of Huron Arena.