IRON MOUNTAIN — Plans are being made for a new middle school alternative education program for the 2022-23 school year.

Julie Wonders, Iron Mountain-Kingsford Community Schools director, said the pilot program is being introduced in response to requests from local schools in the Dickinson-Iron Intermediate School District. The program would have openings for about 10 to 12 seventh- and eighth-grade students from Norway-Vulcan, Iron Mountain, Kingsford and North Dickinson County school districts.

Schools in Iron County might find it difficult to participate because of the length of travel, Wonders said.

Classes would be in one room at the alternative education building in Iron Mountain, Wonders told the Iron Mountain School Board during a recent meeting.

The program would be for students who are struggling and failing their courses. The goal would be to get them ready for ninth grade, the first year in high school.

Wonders said the goal of the alternative education program is always to try to get students back into regular classes.

“We don’t know how well it will go,” she said.

In connection with the program, the board March 14 approved hiring a full-time alternative high school/adult education teacher, a full-time alternative education teacher and a full-time middle school assistant for the 2022-23 school year.

In other business, the board:

— Approved changes to the Network Upgrade Project eRate request for bids. The purpose of this project is to upgrade school network infrastructure by modernizing aging core network hardware, extending current wireless access point licensing, expanding and maintaining battery backup capacity to meet the power needs for the school network, and modernizing wireless access points.

— Hired Leah Trepanier as a long-term Spanish substitute teacher.

— Approved Kristin Stanchina as the new foreign language club trip advisor who will oversee a trip to Costa Rica in June.

— Approved community schools staff stipends of not more than $1,000 for full-time and not more than $500 for part-time.