New principal at Cloud Peak

By KARLA POMEROY

Cloud Peak Middle School students will have a new principal after two years following the resignation last week of Kyle Gunderson.

Gunderson resigned to take an administrative position in the Douglas school system. The Big Horn County School District No. 4 Board of Trustees approved the resignation last Wednesday at its regular July meeting.

Gunderson thanked the board for allowing him and his family the opportunity to be a part of the district the past two years. He said the opportunity came up suddenly and it was an opportunity for him and his wife Amy to move closer to both of their parents, who are dealing with health issues.

“This is in the best interest for our family and our parents,” he said.

Gunderson said he interviewed for the position on July 16 and was offered the position July 19.

The board recessed into a 50-minute executive session to discuss personnel, including a replacement for Gunderson. The position was opened up to district employees with administration certification.

Following the session, the board approved moving high school and elementary physical education teacher Shane Schaffner to the Cloud Peak Middle School principal position. Schaffner will continue his duties as Riverside High School activities director.

Schaffner will receive a $67,000 salary plus benefits.

Superintendent Mary Fisher said the P.E. position will be absorbed by current staff. She said there are five teachers certified in physical education.

Business manager Andy DeGraw said the district is “significantly overstaffed for its enrollment.” He said the district has one certified teacher for every 8.5 students. The state average is one teacher per 12.31 students. In a comparison with similar small districts, the average is 1 to 9.93.

Absorbing the one P.E. position, he said, will only increase the ratio to one teacher per 8.75 students.

Another factor in the absorption, Fisher said, is the small class sizes at the middle school. The fifth grade will have 19 students enrolled to start the year and that class has always just been one class. Fisher said there are 18 eighth-grade students enrolled for the new school year and 18 sixth-grade students. Rather than separate into two eighth-grade and two sixth-grade classes the eighth grade will combine to one class and the sixth grade will have just one class. The seventh grade, with 30 students, will remain two separate classes.

Fisher said the board also discussed having one of the current principals split duties between buildings but the location of Cloud Peak in Manderson was the main prohibiting factor. “We want to keep students in a safe environment,” Fisher said, adding that the board and administration felt at the middle school level it was important to have a principal there full time and not 10 miles away part of the week.

In other personnel matters last week, the board approved the following hires and appointments — Derek Query as assistant boys basketball and assistant football coach; Samuel Buck as special education teacher at RHS and head girls basketball coach; Kermit Sweeny as head boys basketball coach and Dave Tharp as girls basketball coach.

The board accepted the resignation of Amy Gunderson as Laura Irwin Elementary special education paraprofessional.