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The coronavirus pandemic has affected Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn students in a variety of ways since it began. One impact on high school students is the fewer opportunities they have to complete their community service requirements.

During the board meeting on Nov. 16, Principal Nathan Hemiller said that fewer opportunities are open to students trying to complete the required number of service hours. The board voted last spring to waive the requirement for the Class of 2020. Despite efforts by counselor Kim Spier to find service opportunities, Hemiller is now looking at whether some type of action may be needed for this year's senior class.

"For two years they have been impacted by not being able to complete hours," he said. "Parents and kids are having a hard time finding anyone who will let them in to complete community service hours."

Hemiller said a proposal regarding community service requirements will be presented at a later date.

• Annual appointments

During the reorganizational meeting, Scott Heetland and Scott Vollink were re-elected board president and vice president. They will also continue as members of the building committee.

Ryan Haack will again serve as H-M-S's representative on the O'Brien County Conference Board and Heetland will fill the same role in Osceola County. Both will also remain on the personnel committee. Chad Lyman and Vollink will again represent the board on the School Improvement Advisory Committee.

April Hengeveld was reappointed board secretary and Steve Avery, of Spencer, was named school attorney.

Regarding the appointment of the district's legal newspaper, Haack proposed that the Sanborn Pioneer be named in addition to The Sentinel-News. The board approved having the district's minutes and other notices published in both newspapers.

The list of financial institutions in which funds are deposited was also renewed.

• Building update, change orders

Superintendent Patrick Carlin reported that concrete pouring continues in the new middle school at Sanborn and additional brick work is progressing.

"We could use more nice weather to complete that," he noted.

Credit allowances for the elementary building range from $30 to $7,497. Other change orders were approved for repainting ceilings in the elementary commons, door hardware, metal trim installation and window trim repair.

Mechanical-related changes approved for the high school renovations include replacing water service valves and relocating the mechanical room heater. Weatherproofing was added at the middle school as were sprinkler covers in the gym and exterior camera rough-ins.

• Agreements, personnel

H-M-S will apply for additional budget authority in the amount of $116,960 for open enrollments out and $3,113 for English Language Learners.

The agreement with Spencer for additional services for an open enrolled student was renewed, and H-M-S's partnership agreement with Northwest Iowa Community College was updated to reflect revised proficiency requirements for concurrent enrollment classes.

Breanna Dykstra and Jenny Nassif resigned from their elementary associate positions. Melanie Roelfs was offered a contract to fill an associate position.

• Updated goals, conference feedback

Action steps for the elementary literacy and math goals were not completed in the spring. Principal Cathy Jochims said staff is continuing with the unfinished plans and added action steps to work toward the goals.

The middle school library is being reorganized into specific genres in order to make it more user-friendly. Principal Mark Dorhout said the change is being made in conjunction with the move to the new building.

"Water Rocks," an ISU Extension program demonstrating how watersheds work and the effects of pollution on them, was presented to grades 5-6.

Over 98 percent of all fall parent-teacher conferences at the high school were completed, with over 90 percent being attended in person. In response to feedback regarding the Illustrative Math curriculum being implemented throughout the district, Hemiller is sending out information explaining some of the changes associated with it.