WAUSAU
SCHOOL DISTRICT
BOARD
OF EDUCATION
______________________________________________________________________________________________
A
REGULAR BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING was held on Monday, October 9, 2006, in
the Nicholson Board Room at the Longfellow Administration Center, 415 Seymour
Street, Wausau WI. The meeting had been properly publicized in compliance with
the Wisconsin Open Meeting Law.
Present: Jenny Garver, Kathleen Grant, Patrick Keefe, Dale Lawson, Keith Montgomery, John Ostertag, Todd Punke, Michelle Schaefer, and Robert (Robb) Shepherd.
Also Present: Superintendent of Schools, Stephen Murley; Assistant Superintendent for Business, Cherna Gorder; Director of Human Resources, Jeff Gress; Director of Secondary Education, Roger Rindo; Director of Elementary Education, Nancy Caskey; Director of Information Services, Joel VerDuin; Director of Pupil Services, John Waldron; Director of Bilingual/ Multicultural Education & Equity, Nell Anderson; Director of Physical Plant, Dennis Wald; Assistant Director of Special Education, Ann Wicklund; Community Relations Coordinator, Mary Ellen Marnholtz; Wausau West High School Representative, Brad Larson; Wausau East High School Representative, Bree Vanden Heuvel; and Deputy Clerk, Amy Arlen.
I. CALL
TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
President
Keefe presided and called the meeting to order at 7:01 PM. Students from John
Marshall Elementary School led the Pledge of Allegiance.
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Montgomery moved that the Board of
Education approve the minutes of the Special Session held August 21, 2006; the
Special Session held August 22, 2006; the Special Session held August 29, 2006;
and the Regular & Closed Sessions held September 11, 2006, seconded by
Shepherd. Motion carried.
III. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING
TEMPORARY BORROWING IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $6,200,000 PURSUANT TO SECTION
67.12(8)(a)1., WIS. STATS. AND LEVYING AN IRREPEALABLE TAX IN CONNECTION
THEREWITH
Lawson
moved that the Board of Education approve a Resolution Authorizing Temporary Borrowing
in an amount not to exceed $6,200,000 pursuant to Section 67.12(8)(a)1., Wis.
Stats. and levying an irrepealable tax in connection therewith and to award the
bid to JP Morgan Chase Bank with an interest rate of 3.6220%, seconded by
Shepherd. A roll call vote was recorded: Garver, Grant, Keefe, Lawson,
Montgomery, Ostertag, Punke, Schaefer, and Shepherd voting aye. Motion carried
9-0.
IV. 2005-2006 AUDIT REPORT
Adam
Waldera, from Hawkins, Ash, Baptie & Company, LLP, reported on the
District’s financial audit that is conducted annually. The District’s financial
statements were found to be in compliance.
Lawson
moved that the Board of Education accept the 2005-2006 Audit Report as
presented, seconded by Schaefer. Motion carried.
V. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
Dr. Brad Peck, Wausau East High
School Principal, and John Boulanger, Guidance Counselor, presented the diploma
to Mrs. Gartmann who withdrew from Wausau High School in 1933 because her
mother was ill and she was needed at home to help care for her four younger
siblings. Mrs. Gartmann met the requirements outlined in Board Policy 5515 –
Diploma and Equivalency Certificate Requirements.
B. Montessori Area Charter School Governing
Board
Garver moved that the Board of
Education approve the appointment of Virginia Erdman to fill the vacancy
created by Julianne Lennon on the Wausau Area Montessori Charter School
Governing Board, seconded by Grant. Motion carried.
Marnholtz reported on the initial efforts of
the community engagement process to begin envisioning the future of the Wausau
School District. She detailed the professional development schedule and special
meeting of the Community Resource Committee on October 10, 2006, and
the Business · Education Leadership Summit on October 11, 2006.
2. Enrollment
Report
VerDuin reported on the Third Friday in
September enrollment statistics and demographics of the District. The Third
Friday count represented a K-12 enrollment increase of 68 students or a 0.8%
enrollment increase from the 2005 Third Friday count.
Grant moved that the Board of
Education approve the submission of two planning grant applications to the
Department of Public Instruction for $10,000 each for the Wausau Montessori
Children’s Village Charter School and EX: Expand, Explore, Excel Charter
School, seconded by Montgomery. Motion carried.
2. ACT Results
Committee Chair Grant reported on the
District’s annual data concerning its ACT scores for 396 participating students
during the 2005-2006 school year. This year’s
District composite score for all test takers was 22.4, compared to the
composite score for all test takers in the state of Wisconsin of 22.2, which is
the second highest composite ACT score in the nation. The District composite
score of 22.4 remained the same as last year’s score, while this year’s
national scores were the highest in the last 20 years. District students who reported taking the
core college-preparatory coursework had a composite score of 23.3.
3. Personal Financial Management
Grant provided information on the
Personal Financial Management class that is currently offered as an elective at
Wausau East and Wausau West High Schools. She reported that the Curriculum
Committee charged Administration to develop a plan to be presented to the
Committee in February 2007 that would make Personal Financial management a
District graduation requirement for the 2008-2009 school year.
Committee Chair Lawson reported on
the District’s projected 8% increase in equalized valuation based on
preliminary numbers released by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
2. Report on Future HVAC Projects
Lawson reported on the status of
mechanical systems at Lincoln Elementary School and John Muir Middle School and
stated that an engineer will be hired to develop improvement plans and to
identify costs.
1. Approval of Bills
The Finance Committee audited the bills. Shepherd moved, seconded by Lawson, to pay
all bills listed as follows:
From 2006-2007 Budget
Vouchers 946001 – 946808:
Grants – Fund 11 104,802.03
Food
Service Fund – Fund 50 98,589.62
Community
Service Fund – Fund 80 17,558.22
$1,863,355.68
Voucher
3921:
Capital
Projects Fund – Fund 40 $ _84,105.21
$
84,105.21
Vouchers
:
Trust
Funds – Fund 21 and 72 $___ .00
$ .00
Grand
Total $1,947,460.89
Motion
carried.
2. School Board Salaries
Shepherd moved that the Board
of Education approve the payment of salaries in the amount of $1,622.18 for
days of service from April 24, 2006, through October 31, 2006, for School Board
members Jenny Garver, Kathleen Grant, Patrick Keefe, Dale Lawson, Keith
Montgomery, John Ostertag, Michelle Schaefer, and Robert (Robb) Shepherd, a
salary of $696.43 for days of service from April 24, 2006, through July 14,
2006, for School Board member Karen Piel, and a salary of $543.56 for days of
service from August 29, 2006, through October 31, 2006, for School Board member
Todd Punke, seconded by Lawson. Motion carried.
3. Meeting Date for Final 2005-2006 Budget
& Levy
Shepherd moved that the Board
of Education approve Monday, October 23, 2006, as the date for the final
2006-2007 Budget & Levy meeting, seconded by Punke. Motion carried. The
meeting will begin at 6:30 PM followed by committee meetings.
G. Human Resources
Consent Agenda
There
was no report.
H. Donations to
District
Montgomery
moved that the Board of Education approve the following donations with
gratitude: $171.67 from
Target’s “Take Charge of Education Program” to South Mountain Elementary
School; $329.25 from Target’s “Take Charge of Education Program,” $208.17 from
Pick N’ Save’s “We Care Program,” $80 from St. Clare’s Hospital, and a violin,
bow, and case from Michelle Keefe to Horace Mann Middle School; $850 from
Richard A. Hovda, DDS, MS, $50 from Homme Heights, Inc., Forest Park Village,
$50 from Joseph and Mary Beth Pepowski, $50 from Clifton Gunderson LLP, and
$100 from Associated Bank, $75 from Bob and Buck’s Electric, Inc., and $100
from M&I Marshall & Ilsley Bank to East Volleyball Program; $20 from
Ministry Medical Group for the 2006 sports physicals event to East’s Athletic
Program, $749.24 from Target’s “Take Charge of Education Program,” $382.95 from
Roundy’s Pick N’ Save to Wausau East High School; $30 from Ministry Medical
Group and $620 from Wisconsin Valley Athletic Medicine to Wausau West Athletic
Department, and the time, talent, and donated materials from Holster
Construction, Miron Construction, Integrity Grading and Excavating, Inc., and
Systems Technology for the new Wausau West High School marquee; and $950 from
the Altrusa International of Wausau to Hawthorn Hills Elementary School,
seconded by Schaefer. Motion carried.
VI. COMMITTEE/BOARD
REFERRALS
There were none.
VII. OPEN
FORUM
A. Public
There were no
participants.
B. Forthcoming
District & Educational Events
Superintendent Murley emphasized the four presentations
being made by Dr. Willard R. Daggett in the District. Both the morning
professional development session and the evening Community Resource Committee
session will be videotaped for District use.
C. Board Liaison Report
Garver commented on her visits to South
Mountain Elementary School, the Wausau Area Montessori Charter School, the
University of Wisconsin Education Fair, and a faculty meeting at Maine
Elementary. In addition she taught a Young Adult Medicine class at Wausau West.
Garver is planning to attend the October 10th professional
development, the Business · Education Leadership Summit, and the CESA 9 Teenage
Brain Conference.
Shepherd participated in the Wausau West
Academic Awards Ceremony and commended the West staff on a fine event.
Schaefer visited A.C. Kiefer Educational
Center, the New Horizons Charter School, Hawthorn Hills Elementary School,
Lincoln Elementary School, and plans to attend the November 11th
WASB Legal Issues Conference in Wisconsin Rapids.
Montgomery visited Hawthorn Hills Elementary
School, Maine Elementary School for a faculty meeting, and taught a class on
rocks, minerals, and natural resources at Stettin Elementary School.
Ostertag, Keefe, and Lawson participated in
judging the hallways at Wausau East High School for homecoming. East Seniors
took home first place honors.
Grant and Keefe participated in the Wausau
East Academic Awards ceremony.
Punke visited G.D. Jones Elementary School,
attended at faculty meeting at Hewitt-Texas Elementary School, attended the
Champions of Youth celebration, and toured the Food Service Department at
Wausau East and Wausau West High Schools, Horace Mann and John Muir Middle
Schools, and Maine Elementary School.
Lawson attended the Wausau West Site Council
meeting, a memorial service at Rib Mountain Elementary School for Brian
Pippenger, the South Mountain Elementary School Fall Harvest Festival, and
visited the New Horizons Charter School.
D. WASB Board Development
Murley reminded Board members of the upcoming
WASB professional development opportunities, including WASB Region 5 Fall
Meeting on October 18th in Mosinee, the WASB School Law Seminar on
October 20th in Madison, the WASB Legislative Issues Conference on
November 11th in Wisconsin Rapids, and the WASB Employment Seminar
on December 1st in Wausau.
E. Student Board Representative Report
High School Board Representatives
Vanden Heuvel (East) and Larson (West) reported on ongoing and upcoming events
at the high schools.
VIII. REQUEST FOR CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO
STATE STATUTES
Pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes, Montgomery moved, seconded by Schaefer, to reconvene in closed session to discuss the following:
A. Confer with legal counsel concerning Civil Lawsuit s. 19.85(1)(a)(g)
B. Municipal Employee Reclassification s. 19.85(1)(c)
C. WESP Negotiations s. 19.85(1)(c)
D. Superintendent Goal/Evaluation Update s. 19.85(1)(c)
E. Adjournment
A roll call vote was recorded: Garver,
Grant, Keefe, Lawson, Montgomery, Ostertag, Punke, Schaefer, and Shepherd
voting aye. Motion carried at 8:29 P.M.
Respectfully
submitted,
Robert
A. (Robb) Shepherd
Clerk
of the Board
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