Holdingford board adopts donation resolution and approves retirements and multiple hires

The School Board of Independent School District #738 unanimously adopted a resolution at its Jan. 21, 2026 meeting accepting donations from community members and groups. Donors and designated amounts recorded in the resolution included: Bowlus Fire Department $5,000 (Community Ed); Two Rivers $4,000 (Band) and $1,000 (Trap); E. Martini $500 (Elementary Social Worker); Sam Scepaniak $100 and Kylee Fussy Family $100 (Elementary Social Worker); Karen Kostreba $50 (Elementary Social Worker); and St. Wendel Sportsmans Club $300 (Wrestling). Board Chair Lori Opatz read the donor list aloud and thanked contributors.

The board also handled personnel business. It accepted the retirement of Food Service Cook Roseanne Feia, effective Jan. 4, 2026, and Custodian Mary Wallenstein, effective Jan. 2, 2026. The board approved the hire of Carson Bettcher as District Technology Director (start date Jan. 1, 2026); Makenna Stanoch as a Kids’ Zone Assistant (start Jan. 9, 2026); Chad Panek for a full-time evening custodial position (start Dec. 17, 2025); Lindsay Kehl as a long-term substitute school counselor (approximately March 9–May 19, 2026); and Natalia Degler for a full-time evening custodial position (start Jan. 12, 2026). The board also approved a Work Agreement with Jason Bruns, Activities Director/Dean of Students, for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 and hired Brody Anderson as head football coach. A child-care leave request for Secondary Art Teacher Marian Lyndgaard for the spring semester of the 2026–27 school year was approved.

Most personnel motions were recorded as carried 'AIF' (all in favor). The consent agenda approved earlier in the meeting included the schedule of bills totaling $334,996.15, electronic transfers for December 2025 totaling $517,454.31 and a Treasurer's Report balance per books of $5,978,781.72.