South school briefs: Burnsville incumbents survive despite upheaval

Incumbents survive despite upheavalAfter months of acrimony as a result of a controversial payment to get rid of a human resources director, the Burnsville School District saw no changes in the makeup of the school board in the Nov. 6 elections.

All four incumbents withstood challenges, mainly from candidates upset that the incumbents had supported paying more than $250,000 to Tania Chance, the former human resources director who left the district earlier this year.

Ron Hill, DeeDee Currier, Sandra Sweep and Bob VandenBoom retained their seats.

All supported the separation agreement with Chance, which led many in the community to call for their resignations during board meetings.

A total of six challengers filed for the elections.

The incumbents will be sworn in again in January. Sweep was the top vote-getter with 10,953.

New curriculum director namedCari Jo Kiffmeyer has been named the new director of curriculum for the West St. Paul School District.

Kiffmeyer also has worked for the Osseo and Wayzata school districts, where she was a chemistry and physical science teacher.

Budget planning sessions to beginThe Farmington School District is starting its budget process early this year with two budget input meetings Monday and Tuesday.

The meetings start at 7 p.m. The Monday meeting will be at Dodge Middle School and the Tuesday meeting will be at Beckman Middle School.

The sessions will focus on closing budget deficits, projected to be about $1 million next school year, according to the district.

Superintendent Jay Haugen and Carl Colmark, director of finance for the district, will lead the meetings.

Students collects shoes for recyclingStudents at Jeffers Pond Elementary in the Prior Lake-Savage School District started collecting new and gently used sneakers as an environmental education fundraiser.

The school, working in partnership with the non-profit national GreenSneakers program, will collect the shoes through next April 22.

The school will be paid per pound of shoes and it will get 100 percent of the money.

The shoes will be shipped to kids and adults in need worldwide. Shoes that cannot be used will be recycled into rubber playground surfacing.

Jeffers Pond Elementary is at 14800 Jeffers Pass NW. in Prior Lake.