Pony Pride Award goes to Newbauer

At their monthly meeting Tuesday, the Havre Public Schools Board of Trustees heard an update on an upcoming needs assessment of the district, presented this month's Pony Pride Award to Bob Newbauer and, in a split vote, approved a prorated payment to an employee who had to leave before their contract was up.

The bulk of discussion at the meeting was held on the matter of a long-time employee, who was not named at the meeting, of the school who Havre Public Schools Superintendent Brian Gum said had to leave before her contract was up due to extenuating circumstances and was hoping the board might waive part of the penalty due to said circumstances.

Gum said the employee in question was planning to leave for a new job after their contract was up, but a unique family situation required them to leave after the first quarter of this school year.

He said the employee has been at the school for over a decade and, given their longevity and the unique nature of the situation, he recommended that the board waive part of the 10 percent penalty to reflect the quarter the employee was able to work.

The matter sparked a fair amount of disagreement among board members, with some saying the request is reasonable given the circumstances, but others worrying about setting a precedent, or saying the situation does not meet the definition of "extenuating."

Board Vice-Chair Christin Hileman said moving for a new job does not meet the qualifications for extenuating circumstances in her mind and criticized the board for considering a remedy she believes isn't consistent with board policy, which she said allows them to waive the fee, not prorate a certain amount of the fee.

"We have language in those documents for a reason," Hileman said, "And I think we need to abide by that language and it concerns me when we start improvising."

Board member Garrit Ophus said he thinks this decision could set a bad precedent and could cause employees who left before their contracts back to the school looking for a payout, which would add up.

Other board members disagreed.

Trustee Jacob Ingram said he thinks the circumstances laid out by the employee clearly merit consideration of an exception, and he doesn't agree that the remedy is outside board policy or runs the risk of setting precedent.

Fellow Trustees Brittnee' Loch and Kevin Johnson agreed, with the latter saying that given how rarely this kind of request is made, it seems unlikely that this will cause any serious problem.

Board Chair Tim Scheele said it might be a good idea to update policy to provide more clarity on what to do in situations like this.

After much discussion, the board voted 5 to 3 to accept Gum's recommendation, with Hileman, Scheele and Ophus voting against, and all other members voting for.

During the meeting Gum also discussed recent efforts to put together a comprehensive needs assessment for the district that will help the school address ongoing issues.

Gum said he's been looking at similar assessments in other districts and using them to inform how the Havre District develops theirs.

The board also approved students applying for early graduation, after Havre High School Principal Dustin Kraske said he's had multiple conversations with the students and their families to make sure they understand the decision they're making.

The board also heard an update from Havre High School Student Body President Trayden Riley who said this year's winter formal went very well.

Riley said the student council made $2,200 which they donated to District 4 Human Resources Development Council and the Havre Animal Shelter.

He said this is a big jump from last year, the first year the event has been held since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

He also said this year's North Central Band and Choir Festival was a success, and the school's wrestling and basketball teams have been performing extremely well this past month.

Scheele said he wasn't at the last meeting, when Riley made his first report to the council, but he's glad that they are making this a regular feature of the meetings as the report was very informative.

The meeting also saw the presentation of this month's Pony Pride Award, which was presented by last month's winner, Lincoln-McKinley Primary School teacher Jane Leinwand, to Lincoln-McKinley Head Custodian Bob Newbauer.

Leinwand, after thanking her predecessor, the board and Gum said she wanted to give the award to the entire staff of Lincoln-McKinley, but she can only give it to one person, so she decided to give it to a person she feels is an unsung hero for the school.

"There are so many moving pieces that are vital to making a school successful and many of those are taken for granted," she said. " ... you, Bob Newbauer, are the reason why our school remains upright.

"The jangling of your keys that students hear down the hall," she added, "represent more than just the ability to open the doors, it symbolizes a person dedicated to making sure our school is safe and a person that is always willing to help make our jobs a little easier and our environment a little more comfortable."

Leinwand said Newbauer's tireless work, whether that's shoveling the sidewalks, coming in to fix the pipes on Christmas Eve, or being a calming presence in the chaos of drill lockdowns, he is always there and his work to keep the school running in tip-top shape is noticed by visitors to the school.

She said the relationships he's cultivated with the staff, student population and the community are incredibly strong and he deserves to be recognized for it.