Teacher hired for expanding kindergarten classes

by Laura Bednar

Sept. 3 special board of education meeting

Independence Board of Education hired a long-term substitute, Joy Lewis, as a kindergarten teacher for the 2024-25 school year.

At the board’s regular August meeting, Superintendent Kelli Cogan said each of the three kindergarten classes had 23 students, an increase from 21 at the beginning of the school year.

To alleviate crowded classrooms, the district hired the substitute, reducing the number of students in each class to 17 or 18 spread among four classrooms.

The board approved advertising for bids to update the security vestibule at Independence Primary School. Assistant Superintendent Tom Dreiling said it costs between $1,000 and $1,500 to go to bid, and the district cannot apply for a grant until a contractor is secured.

Dreiling said he plans to apply for a $40,000 grant from the Bureau of Workman’s Compensation, a 3-to-1 matching grant, wherein the district will pay 25% of the cost.

He said the primary school is secure, but this is “an opportunity to make it more secure,” adding that the project is dependent on obtaining the grant. ∞