The staff at Glenville-Emmons schools joke that Superintendent Todd Chessmore does everything but sweep the floors at the end of the day.

Thursday, September 06, 2001

The staff at Glenville-Emmons schools joke that Superintendent Todd Chessmore does everything but sweep the floors at the end of the day. But the second-year administrator claims his new role as supervisor of two buildings, along with his superintendent duties, will be manageable.

&uot;You just surround yourself with great people. That’s what we have here – great people,&uot; Chessmore said.

The trimmed-down administration begins the new school year with only Chessmore and Emmons School principal Dan Olson. To improve communication between the two, Chessmore said the district installed a new phone system over the summer that eliminates long-distance charges between Glenville and Emmons.

&uot;It’s a good first step to make the schools in both communities feel more connected to each other,&uot; he said.

Chessmore and the bookkeeping department have moved their offices into the high school to maintain an administrative presence there.

The district also welcomed three new faces to the staff over the summer. Jennifer Klinkner is the new junior high science teacher, and Cindy Davis is the new high school secretary. Janet Hartman, who also works part-time for Alden-Conger schools, will supervise the special-education program.

To accommodate the growing number of students coming into the district from Albert Lea, G-E schools is sending an additional bus into the city to pick up open enrollees.

&uot;We’re trying to make it a little easier for those Albert Lea families,&uot; Chessmore said.

Albert Lea enrollees are helping the district curb declining enrollment. Early attendance figures indicate the district’s enrollment is holding steady at about 520 students, which is consistent with projections.

The district completed one major capital project during summer vacation. Workers installed a new roof on the Glenville Elementary building, erasing any sign of damage from the May 1 tornado. The district is fully recovered from the storm, Chessmore said.

&uot;Everything is pretty much back to normal around here. The kids are back to being kids again, and the schools are back to the business of education,&uot; he said.