Princeton Board of Education presented update on DNR grant; approve tuition for Kindergarten though 12th grade students

The Princeton R-5 Board of Education heard an update on April 12 on a Department of Natural Resources grant involving a ball field project.  The school district, Princeton Ball Association, and the City of Princeton are working together on the grant. The application is for a matching grant that will fund a $250,000 match. The project involves three fields, a parking lot, and a concessions/storage building.

The grant funding has been delayed at the federal office due to the pandemic. Recent correspondence with the State Parks Department gave an estimated date of June 1^st for final approval and a potential construction start date.  Funding for the project is made possible by a $150,000 matching gift pledge from Judy Derry Mahoney. For every $1 donated, Mahoney has pledged to match it up to $150,000. The project has received more than $70,000 in donations from multiple individual donors in the last year.

The board of education approved the purchase of a motorized batting cage to be installed at the Stacy Center.

Tuition was approved for kindergarten through 12th-grade students at $6,375.

Due to a high number of four-year-olds interested in enrolling in Princeton R-5’s preschool program, the program is unable to accept three-year-olds. It will offer two full-day classrooms for the four-year-olds. State guidelines limit enrollment in each class. Parents interested in enrolling their four-year-old in preschool should call 748-3211 extension 267 or 291.

The board received an update on COVID-19 protocols and the planning of graduation, prom, and field trips. There were no active COVID-19 cases or quarantined individuals in the district as of the afternoon of April 13^th.

The board voted Rick Ellsworth as president and Blake Boxley as vice president. Ron Parsons was appointed secretary, and Karla Meinke was appointed as treasurer.

After a closed session, it was announced resignations were approved for Fourth through Sixth Grade Teacher Trish Theiss and Food Service Director Ila Rae Easter.

Kurt Meighn was hired as an FFA/Ag teacher.