OSMOND — The District 42R Board of Education met Monday, Feb. 10, in regular session. One of the topics of discussion was the letter from the Wausa school board in response to a request to co-op boys’ basketball next school year.
Following the report on the feasibility study held on Jan. 15 for the public, and including both the Osmond and Wausa school boards, Superintendent Skip Bremer sent a letter to Wausa asking about the possibility of cooping boys’basketball for the 2025-26 school year.
Wausa Superintendent sent a letter in response, stating that, while the Wausa school board understands Osmond’s dilemma, “we feel that our collective focus should be directed toward a broader, long-term solution that ensures stability and sustainability for both districts.”
The Wausa board also asked for along-term commitment with dates on considering consolidation. After lengthy discussion, Osmond board members decided it should review the feasibility study together with Wausa.
Board President Mark Moes said Osmond doesn’t want to assume — the boards should meet so Osmond can see what Wausa’s goals are, and what they want, because what the two districts have shared so far has been positive.
Superintendent Bremer is drafting a response, and one question posed is: If no basketball next year, when would it be feasible? The next steps will be to plan a joint meeting, and then plan a meeting with parents.
Celebration of Excellence
For the Celebration of Excellence announcement, it was announced that senior Landon Oltjenbruns was selected for the FFA choir at the state convention, 16 junior high students were selected for the Conference Honors Band at Wayne State College, and senior Jaxon Vinson recently had his 100th wrestling win.
Principal’s Report
Principal Kurt Polt reported that Osmond Community School will be sending sophomore Donovan Heiman to the Hugh O’Brian youth Leadership (HOBY) State Leadership Seminar at Central Community College in Hastings May 30 through June 1.
Polt advised that the curriculum committee is reviewing K-6 English Language Arts (ELA), and possible new 6-8 grade ELA curriculum. He is planning on starting the 2025-26 class registration process toward the end of March; the class offerings schedule will have to be slightly adjusted before the registration process can begin because of staff retirement and recent hires, he said.
Pot reported that district wrestling is scheduled for Feb. 14-15 at Central Valley High School in Greeley; girls’ subdistrict basketball begins Feb. 17 at Hartington, and ESU 8 junior and senior high quiz bowl competitions will be Feb. 25 for middle school and Feb. 26 for high school.
Spring break is March 7 and March 14, which coincides with state basketball tournaments. Pre-ACT for sophomores is scheduled for March 12, and ACT for juniors is scheduled for March 25.
Conference speech is scheduled for March 10 in Homer and district speech is March 17 in Wausa. He added that March 6 is speech night for the community here in Osmond.
Mr. Polt reported that athletic director Brian Guenther was not at the meeting because he was at the conference game at Wayne State College, where Joe Ortmeier and Greg Conn were receiving the Jim Winch Award. A presentation for Ortmeier will also be held here in Osmond on Thursday during halftime of the Osmond-Wausa girls’ basketball game.
Polt advised that this is FBLA week, which has dress-up days. Wednesday is Zoom day, where the students wear business attire on top and pajamas on the bottom, so he is intrigued to see it. FFA Week is next week, he added, with a breakfast on Monday and the tractor drive on Wednesday.
Finally, Polt stated that Paige Parsons, who will be the new K-6 principal, was supposed to be there that night but was unable to attend, so she will be at the school board meeting in March.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Bremer reviewed Policies 4043-4048, 4050 and 4052, which are all posted on the school’s website.
Because of a question last month on difficulties with the Sparq program the board has been using, Bremer gave a presentation to the board on where to find items on Google Drive, such as agendas, board packet items, policies, etc. Asked for her opinion on the matter, board recording secretary Margaret Ryan said she likes it better.
Bremer reported on a Jan. 29 Pierce County Community for Kids (C4K) meeting he attended. Another meeting will be held March 3, which he plans SCHOOL BOARD DISCUSSES WAUSA CO-OP; BASKETBALL to attend. The next steps are to see what gaps for early childhood educa - tion needs still exist, what options are available and how the district can play a part in helping. He stated that he believes Little Tigers and Friends will be maxed out by the fall of the 2025-26 school year, and added that the Early Childhood Education com -
mittee needs to meet soon.
Bremer reminded board mem - bers that Larry McKenna and Joe Ortmeier will both be retiring, and listed the new hires: Dante Schmit, 7-12 math; Brad Thoendel, 7-12 IT; Kaitlyn Anderson, K-12 SPED, and Paige Parsons, K-6 principal. There is also one area change, with Jenny von Rentzell going from half SPED/ Title to all Title.
He also had a list of upcoming workshops, including NRCSA legis -
lative forum in Lincoln Feb. 19-20; Amplified Finance workshop in Ke - arney March 27; budget and finance workshop in Norfolk April 9; 2025 NRCSA spring conference March 1921. On the latter, he asked for those who planned to go to let him know so he can get them registered.
Committee Reports
Board Member Tyler Gansebom reported that the papers for the com - munity sign would be signed at the city council meeting that night, and would then be brought to Superinten - dent Bremer.
Board Member Justin Koehler of the grounds committee shared print - outs on redoing the gym floor, and options for painting it, just so everyone has a copy for when they discuss it.
In other action, the board: - accepted the bid from Billerbeck Construction to remodel the three areas of school, not to exceed $60,000.
- approved a two-year contract with Paige Parsons to serve as K-6 principal.
