Photo and Story by Lisa Carolin
As the middle of summer break rolls around, Chelsea School District Superintendent Andy Ingall is hoping that of the 44 packets sent to potential students, all of them lead to new enrollments in the district this fall.
At the July 14 Chelsea Board of Education meeting, Ingall said that so far 36 new students have registered in the district, but that number balances out the 36 students who are transferring out of the district.
Ingall said that there are close to 150 students enrolled for kindergarten, compared with 189 seniors who graduated. That’s why he told the board he is hopeful that those with packets who haven’t yet registered will make up the difference.
Despite the absence of three BOE members, there were enough members at the July 14 meeting for a quorum — Steve Olsen, Sally DeVol, Jon Bentley, and Laura Bush. One of the action items they unanimously approved is the hiring of Daniel Rhodes as a physical education teacher at both South Meadows Elementary School and Beach Middle School.
“Daniel is certified in math and physical education,” Ingall told the board. “He was a 2007 graduate of Chelsea High School.”
There were more than 100 applicants for the position. Rhodes studied mathematics and physical education at Hillsdale College where he played baseball all four years. He has been teaching math in the Homer School District as well as coaching football and baseball.
Also at the BOE meeting, Andrew Thomson, adult and youth enrichment coordinator for Chelsea Community Education, made a presentation to the board. He told board members that Community Education is building new partnerships around town including one with the Chelsea Area Wellness Foundation, which awarded a grant for summer day camp, as well as with the City of Chelsea, which paid for new sports equipment.
Thomson, who began working for Community Education as head coach for the Chelsea Aquatics Club, says that the number of people registering for Community Education classes and sports has increased year round, and that winter had the most registrations thanks to more than 600 participants at the Daddy-Daughter Dance.
Thomson told the board, “There isn’t enough to do until we find something that interests every child.”
The Board of Education has its next meeting Monday, Aug. 11 at 6:30 p.m.
