PERHAM — Schools are buzzing with activity as the end of the school year approaches. At the Perham-Dent School Board meeting on Wednesday, May 10, area principals and Superintendent Mitch Anderson each discussed the end of the year and approved new teaching contracts.
Though there were a number of retirements and resignations following the 2022-23 school year, employment numbers for 2023-24 are promising, Anderson said. He shared that this has been a common concern from the public due to teacher shortages throughout the past few years.
"Everyone in this neck of the woods is seeing a smaller pool of candidates for all positions," he explained. "But what we have going for us here is an attractive location, lakes country. And we're a good school size."
Plenty of open positions have already been filled with new hires, including a music instructor, a choir teacher and a new social studies teacher. The district even hired two people with special education degrees, which Anderson said is hard to find.
Structural maintenance will also occur this summer to keep facilities up and running for the 2023-24 school year. The largest project will be the addition of new lockers at Prairie Wind Middle School to accommodate the growing number of students. Other projects to be completed this summer include new baseball and softball scoreboards, new middle school paint, maintenance on the elementary gym and more.
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Also discussed at the school board meeting:
- High school graduation is scheduled for Friday, May 26, at 7 p.m. in the Perham High School gym.
- The next school board meeting is June 12 at 5 p.m. in the Perham High School Media Center.
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