High Plains set for new video board in Polk gym
Jason Brown accepted the superintendent position at HPC, announced at February’s regular monthly meeting.
Brown takes over for Kim Beran, who announced in December of last year she was resigning and taking the same job at Elm Creek.
Brown comes from Bertrand Public Schools and takes over the position July 1. Brown graduated from Pleasanton and UNK before beginning his teaching career.
After several teaching stops, Brown worked his way up the administration ladder before taking his first Supt. job at Maywood before moving to Bertrand for the same position.
Brown has been in education for 19 years, including the last nine in administration. Brown has a family of four, including his wife, Abby and two daughters, Emma, a senior-to-be, and Mykel, a seventh-grader-to-be.
During HPC’s regular March meeting Monday, the big topic of discusison was for a new video board for the Polk gym.
Activities director Greg Wood shared with the board three options, including Daktronics, Nevco and Digital Scoreboards.
While Nevco and Digital Scoreboards were similarly priced, the Daktronics board was upwards of $40,000 more than the other two.
One of the benefits to Nevco, Wood shared with the board, was that HPC’s scoreboards in the gym were already Nevco products.
If HPC was to go with another company for the video board, they would also need to get new scoreboards, too.
The HPC administration was hopeful the board could come to a decision on the comany for the board so the next step of sponsorships and fundraising can begin.
Ultimately, the board liked the uniformity of Nevco given its pre-existing relationship with the scoreboards, approving the purchase just short of $62,000.
While not official as of yet, it is expected the NSAA to approve a shot clock in basketball for all classes beginning next season, which will be an added expense. Classes A and B were the only classes this season where a shot clock was mandatory.
The board also discussed adding a secondary teaching position, one that could help in the vocational department with Tom Hofmann.
Principal Micah Fisher shared Hofmann’s teaching plate has become increasingly full, noting Hofmann being involved with multiple classes at the same time.
“From our five-year strategic plan, we want to give our kids more elective opportunities,” Fisher noted. “Tom is willing to take on multiple things to give kids opportunities. We have a need and want from kids. It would be a good use of resources.”
The board approved the addition for a new secondary teaching position.
In other items, the board approved
* the K-6 music curriculum for a three-year plan worth $7,500;
* resignation from counselor John Kucera;
* hiring of Kindergarten teacher Jacey Shenk.