GIBBON — The Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop (GFW) School Board learned Monday that the school district received a $4,000 Share Our Strength organizational grant.

Under the agreement with the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization working to end hunger and poverty, GFW Schools agrees to participate as a No Kid Hungry Centering Equity Fund Grant Opportunity Review Partner.

Partners ensure children receive access to nutritious meals and food they need to learn, grow, and reach their full potential.

“I think will be great to do this and we may be able to get future grants,” said GFW Superintendent Jeff Horton. “Continuous Improvement Teams (CIT) of parents and staff collaborate to identify the needs of students based on data and implement evidence-based practices proven to increase student achievement.”

In addition, a $1,000 stipend will be paid to the individual selected to participate in the review process.

Horton also told the board he will soon meet with state legislators and federal representatives on a number of issues including ending un-funded mandates and the possibility of increasing the Ag2School program tax credit for school building bond levies for farm land owners from 70% for taxes payable in 2023 to 100% for future taxes payable.

Horton mentioned experimenting with staff on zSpace AR (augmented reality) VR (virtual reality), an interactive experience of a real-world environment where real world objects are enhanced by (laptop) computer-generated perceptual information. Horton mentioned the possibility of adding AR to the curriculum using laptop computers for students as early as grade five.

The board unanimously approved:

• Scheduling a summer board retreat with the South Central Service Cooperative, motion by Mike Kuehn, second by Casey Prochniak.

• The consent agenda hiring varsity baseball coach Jeff Seehafer and JV coach Kris Swenson; and certified retirements of elementary teacher Maren Briard and literacy coach Sharon Serfling as of June 3, 2022, motion by Drew Schmidt, second by Prochniak.

• The 2021-2023 master agreement between GFW Public Schools and ISD 2365, motion by Schmidt, second by Dan Merkel. Teachers will receive a 5.6% total package hike and a $1,000 stipend on June 30, 2022 and $2,200 more each year after that.

• Redistricting the school district by moving Round Grove and Bernadotte Townships from the Winthrop combined polling place to the Gibbon combined polling place, in order to more evenly distribute population, according to state requirements, motion by Schmidt, second by Merkel.

• Recognizing the GFW community as a whole, inspired in part by the success of the recent GFW Elementary School Read-A-Thon that raised nearly $16,000 thanks to students, their families and the GFW community.