Tangen resigns as boys track coach

By Barbie Porter

Editor 

Kari Dahlgren recently joined the team of kindergarten teachers at Frazee Elementary.

During its monthly school board meeting on Monday, March 14, the school board approved hiring Dahlgren to add a section of kindergarten through the current year  for $13,383. 

She was one of three people to apply for the position, but the only one interviewed by the committee that included Principal Travis Nagel and kindergarten teachers: Michelle Oswald, Jill Ollmann and Heidi Graham.

An email was sent to Nagel, inquiring how the kindergarten classes would be divided to provide Dahlgren with a class. A phone call was also made, at which time it was stated the principal was out of the office for the remainder of the week.  

The school board also approved two independent contracts for Rebecca Matejka and Heather Perrine.

Matejka is an integration specialist and her contract goes through 2023 and is fully funded by a grant. The approved salary for 2021-2022 was stated to be $36,689 and about a 13 percent increase for 2022-23, bringing her salary to $41,400. It should be noted School board member Nathan Matejka abstained from the vote, as the job belongs to his wife.

Perrine is the Indian Education Coordinator and was approved for a salary of $29,300 for 2021-2022 with a three percent increase for the following year, bringing her salary to $30,250. Karger noted this position is paid through a combination of federal and state grants.

The school board approved the non-renewal of probationary teachers Alexis Tappe and Erica Ratz. Both are former Frazee High School students.  

Another resolution was approved to reduce the school staff by one full-time English teacher and a .5 full-time equivalent “administration.” No names were stated at the board meeting or provided in the resolution.

The School board accepted resignations of elementary paraprofessional Caitlin Breitenfeldt, as well as FFA advisor Doug Schwarzrock. Junior high softball coach Taylor Tappe resigned her position as did the head coach for boys track, Brian Tangen.

Trey Heinsius was hired as the junior high softball coach. The sole applicant for the job is also the junior varsity boys basketball coach. He also came to the district with four years of coaching at the University of Morris’ softball program. 

Heinsius will be paid a stipend of $2,293 for the season.

Tappe was hired as a junior high softball coach. The former Frazee Hornet athlete played softball (and other sports). She continues to play in summer leagues, but has earned coaching experience as an assistant in girls volleyball and basketball.

Tappe was the sole applicant for the position and was hired for the booster funded coaching job that comes with a stipend of $1,910 for the season.