School superintendent's contract is extended to 2012

The Glasgow School Board at its regular meeting this month voted to add one year to the contract of Superintendent Glenn Hageman. The contract now extends until July of 2012.

Hageman's contract was not renewed last year, and would have expired in 2011 without this action on Feb. 10.

In another matter, the board heard that from Principal Marj Markle that Glasgow High School has revised the way grade point averages are computed to allow for weighted honors classes. In regular classes, students earn four points for an A, three points for a B, two points for a C, one point for a D and zero for an F. Markle explained that honors classes earn 4.5 points for an A, 3.5 points for a B, 2.5 points for a C, one point for a D and zero for an F.

Since the school added honors classes, the grade point average is unequal if it is computed the old way, to the nearest hundredth of a point, Markle said. And by what she called a mathematical glitch, those with the most credits had the lowest GPA above 4.0. The system has been changed to round to the highest tenth.

The opportunity for an honors diploma is important, Markle said. The honors curriculum was put in for incoming freshmen, but upperclassmen were allowed to take the classes. This caused unforeseen problems with the junior and senior class rankings, and the 12 to 15 seniors in the honors program don't have enough time to work it out.

"Trust me, I haven't slept for a long time," she said.

In executive sessions, a student and some parents spoke to the board about the way the calculation system affected class rankings. After the executive sessions, the superintendent recommended that a student's grade of D be placed on the transcript and the appropriate class ranking be given. A board member made this motion, but there was no second and the motion died. The class ranking of the student was unchanged.

Several hires were approved. Danny Dale, who is presently teaching in Hinsdale while coaching Glasgow football, was hired to teach junior high school science, replacing Connie James. A number of assistant coaches were approved for spring sports, including softball, golf and track.

A new policy was proposed that would forbid school bus drivers from using a cell phone while driving, including hands free use.

The K-12 spring school enrollment count is 805 students. It was 807 last year.

At the Montana HIgh School Association annual meeting, a committee was established to study competitive cheerleading and another female sport. Also, a mercy rule was set for football in which the clock runs without stopping any time one team is ahead by 35 points, not just in the second half of a game.

Board member Dr. Charles Wilson was in Washington, D.C., with the National School Board Association recently, visiting Education Secretary Annie Duncan and the congressional delegation. Montana declines to compete in the federal Race to the Top grants program because the state believes the program violates student privacy and clashes with the strong collective bargaining system in Montana.

He said the drive to national standards could become a national curriculum, something states have always resisted.
Dr. Wilson's term expires this year and he has filed for re-election.