Exeter-Milligan School Board Discusses Coaches' Proposal for Cooping Sports with Friend

 

Exeter-Milligan School Board held their regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, August 10 at 8 p.m. in Milligan with a crowd of over 25 patrons present for the meeting.

The board quickly moved through their consensus agenda before approving the bullying policy.

The board asked Superintendent Paul Sheffield to review the Friend and Exeter-Milligan coaches’ power point presentation with the audience before the comment period. The proposal outlined the advantages of cooping all sports and activities including a higher level of competition, more athletes for practice, and more opportunities to play opponents on the same level, students able to bond and make friends with more kids with similar interests and coaches able to focus on coaching fewer sports.

One concern the coaches expressed was the increase in travel time for practices.

The presentation then outlined how the committee saw the activities would be distributed with each district being the primary listed with NSAA.

Fall Activities:

Football - No change EMF coop to continue

Girls Golf- Friend

Softball – No change FC/E-M/F coop to continue

Volleyball – Exeter-Milligan – home varsity matches played in Friend

One Act – Friend – performed in Exeter and Friend, Conference site is Friend.

Winter activities

Basketball – Friend – varsity games played in Friend

Wrestling - Friend

Speech – Exeter-Milligan

Spring activities

Boys golf -Friend

Track and Field – Friend

With the floor open several patrons expressed their concern about all of the activities being played in Friend.  Board President Adam Erdkamp responded, “If it’s better for the kids, there are better facilities there.  I understand, we don’t want stuff going out of our communities.”

There was a continued discussion on the issue of most of the sports venue moving to Friend.  It was asked if the board had looked into how other coops had divided up sports.  They also asked about conference participation.

Erdkamp responded that both boards felt it would be premature to get a conference approval before making a final decision on the cooperative but felt that both boards would prefer to be part of the Crossroads Conference.

The conversation moved on to the actual numbers of participating students and Sheffield distributed charts showing the projected number of participants in each sport from each district.  Erdkamp noted that “we are looking at very similar numbers as we did when Exeter and Milligan came together.”

It was noted that there will be a joint board meeting with the Friend School board on Aug 31 in Exeter.  It will include a presentation and a time for public comment.

The patrons continued to ask questions including several about softball and the possibility of cross country.  Board member Eric Milton responded that “It has been the history of this board to try to provide opportunities.  We’ve pushed softball to give everyone opportunities.”

It was specifically asked why volleyball could not be held in Exeter.  Sheffield noted that currently
“seating is at a premium if we have a dual or a tri.”

With the addition of Friend patrons the board was concerned that there would not be room for everyone.

In looking at the number of projected students Exeter-Milligan Principal Laura Kroll commented, “In our current situation we are one or two families away from not being able to provide activities for our district.
“ I want to make sure we are able to provide our kids with what they deserve. . .we have kids that are stretching themselves so thin we are dealing with mental health issues.”

Patrons Rachel Johnson and Kelly Rischling recalled the original offer the Friend district made when cooping was recently discussed.  They remarked that the coaches’ proposal doesn’t give Exeter-Milligan the benefits of the first offer and they raised the concern of “What happens if we vote this down?”

There was no direct answer to this question but Erdkamp added, “The traveling I get it.  Big picture, we have to do what is good for the kids.  We aren’t going to be able to make everyone happy.”

The board was asked where they see the school in five or 10 years.  Erdkamp responded, “I don’t see us on our own.  We are going to have to do something.  We don’t need a two year fix.”

After no other comments were made Erdkamp thank the audience and the board continued through the agenda starting with a discussion on the coaches proposal

Board member Allen Vavra commented, “We as a board need to decide if we are happy with what the coaches presented.  It is loaded Friend’s way; there is no way around it.  What could we change on that?”

Board member Dan Kallhoff recalled that when Exeter-Milligan and Friend play against each other in basketball in Exeter, “It’s packed.  What would we do with another team there?”

Vavra commented that Exeter’s gym could probably handle volleyball and Erdkamp added that they could have a discussion about having all of the football games in Milligan. 

The board wrapped up the coop discussion and moved on to the 2022-23 budget.  Sheffield explained that the levy increase would be right at two percent with expenses down this year.

The playground update including the disappointing news that the surfacing will not be done until right after Labor Day and students will not be allowed to play on the new playground until the surfacing is in place.

The board briefly touched on options for the Milligan site but determined that they will have to get the facility appraised before they can discuss any options.

The board set their next meeting on September 14 in Exeter with a budget hearing to begin at 730.

 

New Teachers at Exeter-Milligan

 

New teachers at Exeter-Milligan for the 22-23 school year include rom the left: Miranda Hornung, Brandi Perez, Ashley Arbuck and Kelsey Yates.

 

Four new faces join the Exeter-Milligan staff this school year.

Miranda Hornung will be filling two spots at Exeter-Milligan. She will be in both the shop and in the ag departments. FFA chapter advisor Amy Kohtz and Agriculture teacher is no longer able to split her time between Exeter and Friend and so Hornung will be teaching the ag education classes in Exeter and be the co-advisor for the EMF FFA chapter with Kohtz.  She will also be teaching the shop classes including welding in addition to animal science, plant science and agribusiness.

Hornung grew up in Davey, Nebraska but her she and her family recently moved to Cordova.  She graduated from UNL in May with a degree in Agriculture Education and minors in Leadership and Engler Entrepreneurship.  She recently got engaged to her long-time boyfriend, Darren and they will be getting married next July.

In her spare time she enjoys going to country concerts, weekend trips to the lake with her family, singing and re-watcher her favorite show, “Criminal Minds.”

She is very “excited for the shop updates to be finished this fall and to be able to offer dual-credit welding.” 

 

In the second grade classroom Kelsey Yates will be taking the place of long time teacher Marla Weber.  Yates grew up in Geneva and graduated from Fillmore Central.  She earned her Bachelor’s degree from UNL and has been teaching second grade in Lincoln for the past six years. This summer she completed her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction through Doane University.

In her free time she enjoys taking her dog on walks, reading and playing golf.  She is “excited to get to know my students and watch them learn and grow over the course of the year.”

 

 

Joining Exeter-Milligan as a third grade teacher is Ashley Arbuck.  She was born in York where she grew up before attending Central Community College and graduated with her teacher credentials from York (College) University.  She has taught for 13 years as a kindergarten, first and third grade teacher.

She and her husband Jason have been married for nine years and have two kids Grayson (a first grader at Exeter-Milligan) and Karch, along with three older stepchildren Krynn, Trajan and Langdon.

She enjoys sports, working out and being outside with her family.  She is “excited to be teaching where my daughter goes to school and so excited to meet all the new faces and help them grow as people and students.”

 

Brandi Perez is not exactly a new face at Exeter-Milligan but this is her first full year of teaching English in the district.

She was born in Lincoln but grew up in York and graduated from there before completing a Bachelor’s degree in English from UNL. 

She and Exeter-Milligan music teacher Mark Perez have been married for two and a half years.

She will be teaching high school English/Language Arts and will also be guiding the journalism and yearbook students.  She will be serving as the cheerleading coach.

In her spare time she is taking classes through UNK to further her education and naturally, she enjoys reading.  She also enjoys photography.

This year she started a classroom library, “I’m looking forward to getting students more into reading. I’m also looking forward to simply building relationships with students.”

 

Throwback Thursday 8/12/2012

 

8/12/12

Exeter High School 2001 graduate Allison Michl Bitz received her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from UNL

Exeter-Milligan welcomed two new teachers, Rachel Haider and Rachel Lucas.

Exeter-Milligan held their open house to welcome new students to both campuses.

Exeter Village Board Discusses Water Main Break Repair

 

Exeter Village Board met on Tuesday August 9 in the village office.  Board member Bob Mueller was absent.

After approving the invoices and last month’s minutes the board opened the floor to Andrew Wilshusen from JEO Engineering.

Three interns from JEO gave a final presentation on a paving project on East Depot around the coop that was a part of their internship.  JEO provided the engineering and the planning free of charge to the village so that their interns could have the experience.

The project on East Depot will be on the one and six year road plan for the village.

Wilshusen also spoke to the board about the water main repairs and replacement on Exeter Avenue and under Highway 6.  He explained that the main would need to be replaced along with a curb stop and hydrant outside of Casey’s.  Only one patron service line was hooked to that main and that service would be moved to a different line.  The cost for the project is estimated at $69,000.

Village Board chairman Alan Michl noted that the repair was essential.  Clerk Becky Erdkamp informed the board she had contacted the accountant to add the project to next year’s budget. When asked about a timeline, Wilshusen commented that “Permitting would be the hold-up.”

Next item on the agenda was repairs to the well which was installed in 1997.  Village Maintenance Supervisor John Mueller reported having issues with the well. A bid was received from Sargent Drilling and they recommended to wait to do the project when the water usage was lower.

Michl commented “It’s an estimate, but it’s a no brainer.  You have to have water.  My recommendation would be to get them lined up to do it.”

The board briefly discussed the three bids they had received for 9000 square feet of rubber mulch to put under the existing playground equipment at Gilbert’s Park and a new playground area which will house the equipment the village is repurposing from the school. 

The village has applied for a grant to help pay for the mulch and the  Exeter Area Community Foundation has pledged $7000.00 toward the project. 

The bids from Nebraska based suppliers were substantially more than the out of state bid.  Michl noted that the board would need to know if they received the grant before making a decision as the grant requires the materials come from a Nebraska supplier.

Village Maintenance Supervisor John Mueller presented the board with several options in regards to their current motor grader, a 1980 model. He had a bid for a 2014 motor grader with 4100 hours for $125,000 and also had two options for a dealer to recondition the 1980 model.  One option included a new engine and transmission for the current motor grader and would include a five year warranty for $224,000. The alternate would revamp the village’s motor grader with a rebuilt engine and transmission and would include a one year warranty.  The board made no decision.

Mueller also reported he is working a security grant for a sampling station so he doesn’t have to go into residences to sample water.  Also Mueller and board member Justin Harre discussed pouring cement for the new batting cages at the ballfield.  Mueller is also working on installing new culverts near the fertilizer plant.

Clerk Beck Erdkamp gave her report including sales tax for June of $13,089.27 and July Keno at $131.93.  She noted that the Famers Cooperative had paid for one of the benches in the recently installed gazebo and the village was hoping to receive donations for a matching garbage can.

Erdkamp also noted that the annexation of the coop fertilizer plant on the north side of Exeter is complete and sales tax will go into effect in January of 2023.

The board set the next meeting for Sept ember 13.

 

Exeter-Milligan Hosts Open House

 

Above – New FFA Co-advisor Miranda Hornung (second from left) listens as new students ask her questions about the FFA program.  Pictured from the left are tour guide Selah Petersen, Hornung, Rebecca, Neal and Jack Harrison.

 

Exeter-Milligan held its annual open house on Thursday, August 12.  All the teachers were waiting in their classrooms to greet their new students.  Some had projects for the students to complete while others had treats but everyone had smiles.  In the commons area representatives from Girl Scouts and the Exeter Library were on hand to share information about their local programs.  The library had free cotton candy and the school provided slushies for everyone.  Several of the high school student served as tour guides for new students.

Above– Exeter Librarian Cindy Markowski was at the Exeter-Milligan open house to let parents know about their after school program and share some cotton candy.  New kindergartener Penelope Harrison patiently waited for her spun sugar.

Above – Kohlsen Kahlandt works on a project in his new second grade classroom with his mom, Taylor Kahlandt at the Exeter-Milligan open house.