The Fairmont School Board on Tuesday approved the employment of Andy Traetow as co-principal at Fairmont Elementary School. The staff welfare committee met recently to discuss options for replacing retiring 3-6 Principal Jim Davison for the next school year. The committee approved having two full-time principals serving as E-6 co-principals. The committee also approved naming Traetow as one co-principal to serve alongside current E-2 Principal Michelle Rosen. Traetow currently is the 7-8/vocational principal at Fairmont High School.

Following the approval of Traetow as co-principal at Fairmont Elementary, the district will now hire a co-principal to serve at Fairmont High School.

Board member Nicole Green said she had met recently with the science department as part of curriculum committee work and had received a large stack of papers of the proposed standards for what is taught in science classes.

“It’s open for public comment until Thursday the 28th,” Green said. “I encourage anyone in the community who’s interested in science to go through and look at the standards and comment.”

Those interested can visit the Minnesota Department of Education website to see the standards, or may call Julie Kopischke in the district office at (507) 238-4487.

The board accepted a donation from Gemini Studios of band and orchestra books, valued at $3,607, to the elementary and high school band and orchestra programs.

The Fairmont Area School Board heard from Chris Johnston,an attorney, who is among those guiding the school district’s new mock trial team which has advanced to state competition tomorrow and Friday at Duluth.