DEARBORN, Mo. — The North Platte Board of Education finally filled the administration void left by the retirement of Dr. Jeff Sumy. The board approved the hiring of Michelle Johnson for the newly-created Junior-Senior High School principal position in January. The current principal at North Platte Intermediate School in Edgerton, Johnson will take the reins of the Dearborn campus next fall leaving a vacancy at the intermediate school.
The board then approved the hiring of Jim Brockhoff — North Platte’s former football coach — to take the intermediate school position at its regular board meeting on Thursday, Feb. 19. Johnson takes over for Karl Matt who the board appointed to the superintendency on Dec. 6 following Sumy’s resignation and imprending retirement announcement in November.
This could pave the way for North Platte to hire its next football coach.
Brockhoff resigned from that post following this past season, a 1-9 campaign for the Panthers. He spent the past 10 seasons at North Platte and compiled a 40-63 record, including Class 1 playoff appearances in 2009 and 2012, following an 11-year stint at Savannah (Mo.).
Brockhoff’s change in positions opens a physical education teaching spot that could help fill the football coach void in the coming months.
Sumy said on Thursday that the position would be opened back up. Potential internal candidates have already been screened, and he hopes to find the next coach with help from the new opening.
In addition to approving Brockhoff, the district set its 2015-16 school calendar.
The school year will begin on Tuesday, Aug. 18 and end potentially on Thursday, May 12, 2016. The teachers voted 34-31 to keep Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a potential makeup snow day with no extra days built into the calendar. President’s Day and the next four days following the planned May 12 end of session are other possibilities to make up missed time.
Winter break will begin on Tuesday, Dec. 22 with classes resuming Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016.
The board also approved a one-year contract extension with OPAA! Food Management Inc. The extension is the third year of a possible four-year term before the district again has to put the food service job out for bid.
Board members also approved a contract with Randolph Assistive Technology Professionals out of St. Joseph, Mo. to replace the handicap assessable lift between the junior and senior high schools. The current lift in place failed its state inspection late last year, and the district had to shut it down.
The bid amount from Randolph was $18,300.