With the school year closing in quickly, the Kimball Board of Education approved the hiring of new staff to fill vacancies left over the summer.

One critical change resulted from a shuffle during the May 9 meeting. Mike Mitchell was hired to teach junior high science, his wife Vicki's class. She was moved to high school science to cover the vacancy left by Tom Perlinski.

Perlinski left the district to become principal in Bayard after some 20 years at Kimball High School.

When elementary principal Robert Alderson turned in his resignation and it was accepted at a special board meeting on July 6, the race was on to find a replacement in time for the coming school year.

Mr. Mitchell was subsequently one of three in-house applicants for the elementary school principal position left vacant by Alderson, who has taken a position in Gibbon, Nebraska--closer to his original hometown--for family reasons.

After interviewing all applicants, the 16 member committee chose Mitchell to fill that position instead, leaving the junior high science teacher slot available once again.

“Three candidates, in-house, applied. They were all very impressive, obviously or they wouldn't be working for us, but the committee chose Mr. Mitchell due to his experience,” Superintendent Troy Unzicker told the board.

Unzicker stated that Mitchell had previous experience as a principal in a middle school and that he is a great choice for the position.

“In my opinion what swung the committee was his prior principal experience,” Unizicker said in a call after the board meeting.

Mitchell agrees with Unzicker, “I think the experience I had working as a principal at Potter-Dix elementary then in Bridgeport as a secondary principal helped.”

Mitchell went on to say that he has taught in many positions including science and math. He has coached several teams as well both as principal and while teaching in his hometown of Torrington, Wyoming.

Mitchell said he is ready to see students while wearing his “different hats” of principal and coach. He will be coaching high school wrestling and track as Perlinski had done before him.

“This is a great chance to work with Mr. Hanks and Mr. Unzicker and I am excited to work with the teachers and other staff,” Mitchell said.

A junior high science teacher was also hired, pending transitional documents needed from another state. Jennifer Dillinger was an applicant interviewed previously for the science position given to Mitchell.

According to Unzicker, the committee brought back the top two applicants and chose the candidate that seemed to be the better fit.

A new pre-kindergarten teacher was also hired, this one a new graduate. Jessica Harvies will also needed to transfer credentials to this state.

One application was received to fill Diane Wallace's spot on the board as well. Wallace moved to Wyoming, leaving her two-year term on the board available for about a year and a half.

Jared Hunsaker applied for the term, and the board voted him on for the remainder of the term, at which time he will have to be elected by voters to continue.