Elementary playground to get two new basketball courts

Luverne School Board members approved two new elementary basketball courts at their monthly meeting Thursday night, March 24.
The cost is $62,050 for the concrete work, line painting, five basketball hoops, pickleball net and tetherball equipment.
Payment will be with funds available to the district through federal ESSER pandemic funds (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief). 
One basketball court will be located on the north side of the elementary school and one on the south side.
Currently, basketball hoops are located on the southeast side of the building, using a portion of the existing parking lot as the court.
“The new courts will get the kids off the parking lot and away from the cars,” said district business manager Tyler Reisch.
The courts will not be regulation-sized but will allow snow removal access by maintenance staff and not interfere with the cross country course located behind the school.
 
In other business, board members:
•approved replacing the elementary school’s boiler system at a cost of $262,250, as bid by Bisbee Plumbing and Heating of Marshall. It will be paid for through the district’s long-term facility maintenance fund.
•accepted the retirements of Wendy Nath, middle-high school paraprofessional effective May 26; Diana Ouverson, middle-high school administrative assistant, effective June 30; Cindy Arends, community education administrative assistant, effective June 9 in a phased retirement option to assist in the office transition; and Al Brinkman, English Language Learning teacher, effective June 2.
•hired Jacqueline Johnson as speech-language pathologist beginning with the 2022-23 school year for a salary of $71,228; Derek Elbers as assistant B-squad baseball coach, Bailey Cowell as assistant C-squad coach and Jon Schomacker as middle school baseball coach.
•approved Tyler Reisch as volunteer baseball coach and Ben Nath as volunteer golf coach.
•accepted the resignations of Caroline Thorson as assistant speech coach and Lora Wynia, custodian. Both resignations are effective May 27.