Unified Board Splits On Cheatum, Does Not Add Position

The Nebraska Unified Board split their vote on rehiring Tammy Cheatum during Monday’s month meeting, meaning the position will not be added this school year.

The conversation about the staffing need first came up at the recent Orchard-Clearwater board meeting, with the opportunity to rehire Cheatum as a part-time counselor/tech professional to the Orchard-Clearwater staff, increasing the number of counselors between both schools from 1.0 to 1.3 or 1.5.

Cheatum resigned as guidance counselor earlier in the year when seeking election to the Public Service Commission. However, she did not win in her bid to unseat incumbent Rod Johnson.

After a split vote from the OC board - 3-0 from Orchard (Nathan Schwager was absent) and 2-2 from Clearwater (Amy Thiele and Tom Thiele against)- the decision on the part-time guidance counselor/tech professional position was taken to the Unified Board for further discussion.

During Monday’s meeting, the vote was again split with Orchard’s representatives in favor, Clearwater’s against and the two Verdigre members splitting. Peggy Liska, Terri Hergert and Terra Willaby voted in favor while Joe Thiele, Marty Kerkman and Marty Konopasek were against.

With the split vote, the motion failed to pass, and the position will not be added to the Orchard-Clearwater staff.
Superintendent Dale Martin, who spoke in favor of the part-time addition during last week’s OC board meeting, asserted that he and the other administrators recommended the hire to the unified board.

“Generally, it was an administrative recommendation that we do this,” Martin told The Orchard News. “We felt there was a need for extra time in the guidance area and in technology because the number of students that we have who have needs.”

Administrators were of the opinion that with a 1.0 guidance counselor is not enough for both schools, especially with students’ growing needs.

Having two guidance counselors isn’t new to Antelope County. Neligh-Oakdale has both an elementary and high school guidance counselor.

Martin expounded that guidance counselors need to wear several hats, not just career counseling.

“At the high school level, we have traditional needs and non-traditional needs. Traditional needs might be more senior scholarships, senior recruiter planning, those type of things. Then there’s non-traditional needs, the type of counseling where they’re actually meeting with students one on one, trying to work through any issues they might have,” he said. “There are also needs at the middle school. I think we’ve seen an increased need in that area as well, more in the nontraditional student needs, one-to-one guidance type of needs.”

Although the Unified Board ultimately voted against the hire, Martin feels that it is not completely off the table.

“I would say just in general there’s a thought that there’s a need for this,” explained Martin, “but maybe something that’s looked at again next year. I don’t think they necessarily ruled it out from happening down the road, but just weren’t comfortable in this point in time.”

Aside from the part-time guidance counselor/technology position, the board also discussed other positions which need to be filled, and voted to accept the hiring of two part-time para-educators, Bev Monter and Ashley McDonald.
​
The boys basketball coach and bus driver positions have yet to be filled, and the board has decided to expand their search.