School Board approves contracts; assistant principal at HHS hired
Abby Horbach, a graduate of South Tama High School with bachelor and master's degrees from the University of Northern Iowa in education and counseling, has been hired as the assistant principal at Humboldt High School for the 2020-21 school year. Current Assistant Principal Greg Thomas stepped down earlier this month to focus on athletic and activities duties at the middle school and high school levels.
By Phil Monson
In a special meeting held on April 23, the Humboldt School Board approved staff contracts for next year and filled the final administrative opening.
The board voted to approve the master contract with the Humboldt Education Association, which calls for a salary increase of 2.32 percent, or a $1,300 raise for each staff member.
Other notables about the new contract allows for six weeks of paid maternity/adoption leave, immediately following the birth or adoption of a child. If the leave goes beyond six weeks, the employee is required to use accumulated sick leave. In addition, employees may be paid for up to two weeks of paternity leave.
Another addition allows employees to carry two additional personal days into the next contract year, or get paid for unused days per current practice.
“I like the addition of paternity leave to the contract,” board member Bob Myott said. “I think that is a good thing to have in the contract.”
“I believe the teachers are very happy with how it turned out,” board president Tate Satern said.
The board also approved three personnel recommendations for next year. Abby Horbach was hired as the new assistant principal at the high school. Horbach brings in 11 years of experience in education, including the last three years as a guidance counselor in the Council Bluffs School District.
A 2007 South Tama High School graduate, Horbach graduated with academic honors from the University of Northern Iowa in 2011 with a B.A. in Education. She earned her Master’s Degree in Counseling (K-12) from UNI in 2017. She is on track to obtain her advanced studies certificate in Educational Leadership from UNI this summer.
Read more about the Humboldt School District including information about academic classes, graduation and the cancellation of spring sports in this week's Humboldt Independent. Subscribe by clicking on the link above to read what you are missing.
