USC School Board chairman Mike Schrader, right, welcomes USC student Maryella Molina as a new student representative on the School Board.

The United South Central School Board heard some reports which contained good news during their very brief, 20-minute long, regular School Board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 18.

Superintendent Keith Fleming, who will be retiring at the end of this school year, reported that the search for his replacement will be starting soon.

“By our next meeting, on Nov. 15, the process will be underway,” Fleming told the board. “Starting Nov. 1 we will have a survey for public input posted, for six weeks, and in early December the position will be posted.”

He said that applications will be due in by Jan. 6, and by Jan. 24 the search will be completed.

Fleming commented after the meeting that he expects there to be a lot of interest in his position, and would not be surprised to have 12 to 15 applicants come January.

In fact, one potential applicant was attending last Tuesday’s meeting in person, Fleming said.

The reason for the interest, he added, was that the district is in very good shape, with a relatively new building and excess levy referendum in place.

Two of the other good news reports came from the school principals, who reported enrollment has remained steady for the start of the school year.

Both the elementary and the high school are down just one student each since the start of school.

The elementary report had 379 students listed in grades Kindergarten through sixth grade, while the high school had 329 students in grades seven through 12.

Most of the grades listed the number of students in the 50s and 60s. The smallest class in the entire school is this year’s senior class with only 43 students. The largest class is the eighth grade, with 64 students.

In other business at the meeting last Tuesday, the USC Board:

• Welcomed and administered the oath of office to a new student representative to the School Board, Maryella Molina.

• Officially accepted the proposed new mascot for the USC and Maple River cooperative wrestling team. the mascot selected is the Longhorns.

• Voted to have the canvassing of the election results at the regular meeting on Nov.15.

• Learned that seven USC FFA students will be attending the National FFA Convention on Oct. 26-28.

• Heard a report from School Board student representative Ethan Koehler, who told of several activities going on at the school this year, including the FFA Farm Safety Day, and said that overall, this school year is starting off great.