The Harlan Community School District Board of Educators welcomed a new member to its board. In a meeting Monday, Angie Monson was sworn in as the new member taking over for Tammy Schwartz who had moved out of the district. Monson will represent district 4, which is up for re-election on September 10th along with three other seats on the Harlan Community School Board. Monson does plan on running on the ballot. In fact, aside from District 2, all other candidates are running unopposed. Included on the ballot on Tuesday, September 10th is the Revenue Purpose Statement. The School District is not making any changes to the revenue statement but only to renew it. Voters can get an absentee ballot from the Shelby County Auditor’s Office from now until Friday, September 6th. Towards the end of the meeting, Athletic Director Mitch Osborn gave a report on a new policy from the district charging adults and students to get into certain Middle School activities at Merrill Field. Osborn told the board nine of the twelve Hawkeye 10 Conference Schools are charging to get into Middle School sporting events. Osborn said this is something the district didn’t want to do,

Osborn1: “We have held off and held off and never wanted to. We are looking at football and track with one gate it makes it easy. We are looking at three dollars for adults and two dollars for students. If you have an activity student pass, you get in free. Another incentive, if you are a member of the booster club, show them your pass and you get in free also.”

The Harlan Community activity ticket for students is $25 and a booster club pass for a husband and wife is $50. The district will not charge admittance to the Middle school volleyball, basketball or wrestling events as Osborn said it will be much more difficult when using two gyms and needing more help taking tickets. He said the idea of charging for middle school events was not something he wanted to do,

Osborn2: “I’ve been against. I’ve had people tell me we need to. I put the pencil to the paper and last year we spent around $5,580 for officials at middle school events. That comes out of the high school gate receipts. We think by having 4 home 8th grade football games, 3 home 7th grade football games and 4 home track meets and by those events you will cover most of your officiating for the year.”

No action was necessary by the Harlan Community School Board and the middle school admittance fees will begin this year.

(Joel McCall KNOD)