Whitehall School Board Recaps Semester, Looks Toward Spring

Editor’s Note: As the Whitehall Ledger’s Editor and Owner, I strive to provide unbiased content in each week’s edition of the newspaper. Due to the issues brought up at the January school board meeting, I have chosen not to include in my portion of the meeting in the below report. It is unethical to write my own version of the dealings with the WHS Drama Club and the administration, as they may seem biased. Instead, I am providing the link (bit.ly/4aj1VbN) to the school board meeting and will allow the public to educate themselves without my input.

At the Whitehall School Board meeting, held January 7th at 7 PM in the Whitehall Elementary Library, the school board recapped holiday events that occurred before the Christmas break and started looking towards warmer weather and spring sports.

Superintendent Hannah Nieskens revisited the fall sports final numbers for activities and reported that activity fees helped offset costs, but did not cover, though Nieskens reminded the board that the increase in activity fees was never meant to cover costs.

The following are the deficits of each sport, not including coaching fees:

• HS Volleyball: -$1693

• HS Football: -$1355

• Cross Country: -$1439

• MS Volleyball: -$1030

• MS Football: -$1702

• Cheer: -$412

• MS Basketball: -$859

• HS Wrestling: -$5077

• HS Basketball +$868

Nieskens also reported that the Madison County Clerk and Recorder was still working on the school’s district boundaries, which became an issue in the last school board election. Madison County has stated that the boundary issues will be resolved before the next election.

The multi-district agreement, which began in 2016 and was updated in 2019 and 2022, for banking unspent money instead of returning the funds to the general fund was extended another three years, to 2028.

The Whitehall Schools strategic plan, which includes 6-12 curriculum, K-5 curriculum, facilities and maintenance, technology, and school health and safety needed board volunteers for review, which the board fulfilled.

HIRES: Jennifer Beebout and Mark Leinard were hired as paraprofessionals. Leo Maestas was hired as custodian, and the substitute staff list was approved.