District Two financial methods receive an A+ from auditor

Big Horn County School District No. 2 was given a clean bill of financial health in a report delivered at the Lovell School Board meeting last week.

Presenting the results of his annual audit at the regular November 11 board of trustees meeting, CPA James Seckman of Powell reported not only strong financial numbers but also excellent fiscal stewardship. Total cash on hand in district coffers in various accounts as of June 30, 2024, stood at $3,885,548, Seckman said, up around $7,000 from the same date in 2023 -- $3,878,214.

“Your cash reserves are very stable,” Seckman said.

A summary of Seckman’s audit also showed financial statements to be in compliance under a variety of measures, with no deficiencies in internal control.

As he wrapped up his presentation following a more detailed look at district accounts, Seckman praised district business manager Lane Black-Partridge for her financial stewardship and reporting. 

“If I could give her a grade, it would be A+,” Seckman said. “Lane is head and shoulders above everyone else we work with.”

The school board also voted to approve several hirings, assignments and transfers following an executive session.

The board approved the hiring of Todd Wilder as the district maintenance director, replacing Jason Jolley, who recently left the position, and accepted the resignation of Steven Durtsche as eighth grade boys basketball coach. Durtsche has been assigned as a high school assistant boys basketball coach.

Transfers are Isabel Montanez from Lovell Elementary School special education paraprofessional to LES computer lab para and AJ Montanez from LES special ed paraprofessional to LES behavior para.

The board recognized three students of the month: LHS student Danika Crumrine, CTE student Lily Hiser and LMS student TaiLyn Walbeck. The board also recognized senior Jarrett Allen for receiving a perfect score of 36 on his ACT and Lovell Middle School counselor Lucas Grant for receiving the Bob Porter Service Award.

Grant gave the administration report for Lovell Middle School with principal William Hiser unavailable. He presented enrollment numbers, saying there are 173 students in school: 47 sixth graders, 52 seventh graders and 74 third graders.

Grant reported on Tier 2 intervention and enrichment, noting that LMS has instituted peer tutoring this school year, with each core subject assigned a day. The tutoring is supervised by staff. Enrichments include Knowledge Bowl, Challenge of the Books, Math Counts, Geography Bee, Science Bee, Coding, Jazz Band, Ukulele Club, Bulldog Reading Buddies, intramurals, drones and Flex Fridays.

Red Ribbon Week was held with theme “Find and Live Your Natural High” and included a poster contest with the topics Natural High for the sixth grade, Gross Sales for the seventh grade and Informative for the eighth grade – the effects of smoking and how to refuse drugs.

Matthew Allen gave the student council report, saying that homecoming was a huge success with lots of participation, noting, “It really brought students together.” He said the volleyball team advanced to the state tournament and “played their hearts out,” and the football team made the state semifinals.

Allen noted a successful FFA/SkillsUSA food drive for the Lovell Food Pantry, with a large classroom filled with cans, and said the speech and debate season has started. He said the bands and choirs performed well at the Veterans Day program earlier that day. Finally, students are becoming more involved in their school and taking initiative by talking to him about things they would like to see changed.

Facilities

Among the monthly department reports submitted to the board, Supt. Doug Hazen reported that the new speaker system at Winterholler Gym was about half completed (as of November 11, “substantially completed” a week later), and other projects in the report included reprogramming fobs, starting boilers, remedying concerns from the fire inspector and preparing for winter snow removal.

In the area of food service, the Food Service Department recently participated in a farm to school local produce day, during which 90,000 students statewide participated. The district is applying for a grant to procure locally grown produce.

The Lovell Recreation Department reported that a new cheerleading program has been started at Lovell Middle School, coordinating with the high school to teach proper techniques, cheers, stunts and routines. As of November 11, seven girls had registered, and there were 46 participants in gymnastics.

The Lovell BOCES report included an update on the Innovation Wyrkshop mobile makerspace trailer at the Lovell Rec/BOCES building on Shoshone Avenue. Hours are posted on the Rec/BOCES website, typically Tuesdays and Thursday evenings and a couple of Saturdays per month. Participation has been slow so far, and Hazen said the program is quite interesting, urging the public to check out the program located in the large trailer parked next to the Rec/BOCES building. An open house is being planned for the Wyrkshop, which will be available to the public until March.

The district is working to get new radios installed in school buses.

Under old business, the board passed three policies on second reading: Policy DBC – Budget Planning and Preparation (minor changes in wording); Policy DBG – Budget Adoption Procedures (one minor change to add the word “before” regarding timing); and Policy EAA – establishing a facility support dog – with one more reading to come for Policy EAA since it is a new policy.

Under new business, the board passed Policy IJNDA and Policy EHAA – an annual review of policies regarding acceptable use of technology and internet safety.

In other action November 11:

• Supt. Hazen reviewed the spring WY-TOPP and ACT tests. (See story from November 14.)

• Hazen presented a summary of the curriculum report.

• Trustee Rebecca Moncur reported on leadership governance including the board being in compliance 100 percent.

• Trustees Bruce Jolley, Stacy Bair and Marianne Grant plan to attend the Wyoming School Boards Association annual conference November 20-22 in Casper.

The November 11 meeting was the final meeting for trustees Moncur, Deb Fink and Dan Anderson.