(KLZA)-- Humboldt – Table Rock – Steinauer students will be able to take agricultural based classes starting next fall.  The Board voted unanimously to provide the programs for high school and 7th and 8th grade students beginning this fall. 

After discussing various options of how to provide the ag-based courses to students, the Board decided HTRS would have their own program.  The next challenge is to find an instructor in a field that is currently short on teachers.   

Not all the HTRS Board votes were unanimous this month.  Board members approved a committee recommendation for administrator salaries for the districts two principals but not for the Superintendent.  A 2.44 percent pay increase amounting to $1,750 was approved for Humboldt site Principal Lisa Othmer. A $500 pay increase that equates to just over half of a percentage point was approved for Table Rock site Principal Kari Cover.  

The vote to approve the recommendation of a 2.44 percent salary increase for Superintendent Clint Kimbrough amounting to $2,517 failed on a 3-3 vote.  Voting in favor of the Superintendent raise were board members Neal Kanel,   Rock Herr and Mike Bredemeier. Casting no votes were board members Scott Ogle, Steve Schaardt and Sandy Stalder. 

Superintendent Kimbrough will be retiring from his post at HTRS following the 2014-15 school year.  He made that announcement more than a year ago.    

Board members did approve the expenditure of more than $56,000 with Beatrice Mechanical for 25 replacement units for the air conditioning system put in the Humboldt building about six years ago. 16 current units will be replaced immediately with the ones taken out used for parts and the rest of the new ones put in service in the near future. 

The HTRS Board also scheduled a two-hour late start for Staff Appreciation Day on May 5th.  Greg Morris was hired again as the Drivers Education instructor.  The cost for HTRS students will be $175 to take the course and for students from outside the district the cost will be $200.