WAUSAU SCHOOL DISTRICT
Operations Committee Minutes
Submitted by: Rosalind Sjoberg
The OPERATIONS COMMITTEE met on Monday, February 26,
2007, in the Nicholson Board Room at the Longfellow Administration Center. The meeting had been properly publicized in
compliance with the Wisconsin Open Meeting Law.
ABSENT: Michelle Schaefer
Also Present: Stephen Murley,
Superintendent of Schools; Patrick Keefe, Board President; Keith Montgomery,
Ph.D., Board member; John Ostertag, Board member; Cherna Gorder, Assistant
Superintendent for Business; Dennis Wald, Director of Physical Plant; Jeff
Gress, Director of Human Resources & Employee Relations; Joel VerDuin,
Director of Information Services; Jon Euting, Principal, Franklin Elementary
School; Noel Tordsen, Supervisor of Financial Services & Data Processing;
Leon Antoniewicz, Laidlaw Manager; Beth Burger, Wausau Daily Herald; and
Rosalind Sjoberg, Recording Secretary.
I. CALL
MEETING TO ORDER
Lawson called the
meeting to order at 7:04 p.m.
Punke moved to
move the Operations Committee meeting to the Third Floor Conference Room. Seconded by Shepherd. Motion carried.
II. APPROVAL
OF MINUTES
Punke moved to
approve the minutes from January 22, 2007.
Shepherd seconded. Motion
carried.
III. RECOMMENDATION
FOR AUDIT SERVICES FOR 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009
Tordsen said the District received three
quotes for audit services for the next three years. Administration recommends the quote of $68,700 from Hawkins, Ash,
Baptie & Company. This firm has
provided audit services to the District in the past. The District is pleased
with their service, lack of staff turnover, and handling of GASB 34.
WIPFLI,
LLP, and Clifton Gunderson LLP both submitted strong proposals at a
substantially higher cost.
Shepherd moved to recommend to the Board of Education the quote of $68,700 from Hawkins, Ash,
Baptie & Company for audit services for the next three years. Seconded by Punke. Motion carried.
IV. SCHOOL
BUS LIGHTS – SAFETY ORDINANCE
Leon
Antoniewicz, Branch Manager with Laidlaw Inc., reviewed the flashing red light
ordinance with the Operations Committee.
Leon reported the City of Wausau Traffic Safety Committee was not in
favor of a full flashing red light ordinance.
Leon reported that the state of Wisconsin is one of a few states that do
not require school buses to use the amber light law. This law requires both flashing amber and red lights at the top
of a school bus. Under this law school
buses use the amber flashing light 500 feet before a stop and use the red
flashing lights within 100 feet of a stop.
The
City of Wausau Traffic and Safety Committee is in favor of an ordinance
allowing the use of red flashing lights by school buses at stops where drivers
believe it is unsafe or in areas where students need to cross a road before
boarding or after departing a bus.
The
Operations Committee’s first preference is to have a full flashing red light
ordinance. Their second preference is
for an ordinance allowing the use of red flashing lights at unsafe stops. Leon Antoniewicz and Wausau School District
administrators will report the preferences of the Operations Committee back to
the City of Wausau Traffic and Safety Committee.
V. FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SITE PLAN APPROVAL
Murley said Franklin
Elementary School staff and parents reviewed three (3) site plans and selected
one to be forwarded to the City of Wausau Engineering Department for review.
The proposed plan was approved by City of Wausau Engineers with a few minor
changes. Lt. Dennis Saager, Traffic Coordinator for the Wausau Police
Department, also approved the site plan.
Administration recommended the proposed site plan.
The
proposed plan includes an entrance on Stark Street that will wind through and
exit on Fifth Street. This will create
a drive-through lane where parents can drop off and pick up children safely. Buses would access students from a
drive-through lane along Bridge Street. The property along Sixth Street will
become a green space for student use.
Fencing will be installed around the additional green space, sidewalk,
and playground areas. The plan also includes a parking lot for parents. The north side of Stark Street will become a
no parking zone.
Euting
said this plan provides safer areas for vehicles and buses to pick up and drop
off students. It will also make it easier for staff to supervise students
participating in outdoor activities. Gorder said the additional bus to help
alleviate traffic congestion at Franklin School would be eliminated when the
project is complete.
Discussion
ensued regarding the demolition process.
Murley said due to tenant vacation issues the demolition would not take
place during spring break. The City said they would do the demolition very
quickly using their own crew. Wald said the project would be completed before
the start of the 2007-2008 school year.
Shepherd moved to recommend to the Board of Education approval
of the proposed site plan for Franklin
Elementary School. Seconded
by Punke. Motion carried.
VI. TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
VerDuin
reviewed general technology characteristics.
The Wausau School District has one of the largest computer networks in
North Central Wisconsin. The District’s
network consists of 3,800 workstations, 50 servers, and 700 networked,
standalone, or multi-function printers. There are 1,466 handset telephones with
1,243 voicemail accounts and 3 telephone servers. The network supports a SASIXP student information system, a
Skyward financial and human resources management system, a Follet Library
Automation system, and anti-virus software.
VerDuin
reviewed the 2006-2007 District Technology Survey results. All teaching staff was invited to
participate in an in-house technology developed survey. Of the 706 invited participants 409
participated, which is close to a 60% response rate.
Operations
Committee Minutes
February
26, 2007 - Page 3
VII. HUMAN RESOURCES STAFFING
UPDATE
Jeff
Gress reviewed retirements, resignations, and staffing projections. At this
time Gress projects twenty retirements and five resignations. Retirements seem to remain steady between 20
and 25 per year even though there are 107 teachers eligible to retire in June
2007. The main reason teachers are
working longer is due to increasing health insurance rates. The resignations
are due to staff moving to jobs in other school districts or leaving for family
or geographic reasons. There were 21
transfer requests as of February 21, 2007. Requests are honored whenever
possible to help retain staff.
Gress
reviewed the 2007-2008 Staffing Timeline.
Staffing and transfer requests should be finalized with principals
before Spring Break. The last day for
District involuntary transfers is Friday, April 20, 2007.
Literacy
coaching positions were discussed. Murley said the job description is not
complete; however, a list of critical responsibilities will be in place for the
2007-2008 school year. Literacy coaches
may return to classroom teacher positions as they become available through
retirements.
VIII. RECOMMENDATION FOR PHASE I JOHN MUIR HVAC
PROJECT FINANCING
Gorder reviewed financing options for the
HVAC project cost of $1,400,000. The
District could budget funds from the 2007-08 Capital Projects budget and fund
the balance of the project with remaining funds from the 2006-07 budget. Should remaining funds not meet the amount
needed, fund balance could make up the shortfall. Included in this option is the shifting of several projects to
the Community Service Levy as part of the District’s contribution for upkeep in
reference to the City/School Parks Agreement.
This would be an approximate 14-cent increase to the Community Service
Levy.
Punke moved to approve
funding of the HVAC project
through the 2007-08 Capital Projects Budget and projected remaining funds from
the 2006-07 budget. Seconded
by Shepherd. Motion carried.
IX. UPDATE ON JOHN MUIR HVAC
Dennis Wald updated the Committee on the
John Muir Middle School HVAC project.
There is over 200 days of construction work that needs to be done in 54
days. On February 19th a team of contractors reviewed the building
to see how economically the project can be accomplished in the short
timeframe. The District will hire six
college students to help with the project.
The project will be done in two
phases. The first phase will start
after classes end in June. Depending on
financing and bids some demolition work may take place in the tunnels prior to
the end of the school year. The office area will be isolated and
air-conditioned, and the rest of the building will not be air-conditioned.
The second phase will begin after classes
end in June 2008. Some items included
in this phase are the gym, cafeteria, kitchen, 3 offices, 4 classrooms, and the
air-conditioning.
Punke moved to
adjourn the meeting at 9:14 p.m.
Shepherd seconded. Motion carried.