SCHOOL DISTRICT OF SHEBOYGAN FALLS
BOARD OF EDUCATION
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
Monday, DECEMBER 17, 2012
6:30 P.M.
Community Open Forum: 6:30 – 6:45 P.M.
This regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education of the School District of Sheboygan Falls was held on Monday evening, December 17, 2012, in the High School Library at Sheboygan Falls High School. Board President, John Mauer, called the meeting to order at 6:30 P.M.
Present: Mr. John Mauer, President
Mr. Tom Bigler, Vice President
Mr. Peter Geise, Treasurer
Mrs. Victoria Bramstedt, Clerk
Mrs. Linda Adams, Clerk Pro-Tem
Mr. Steve Aykens
Mr. John Johnson
Mrs. Julie Hahn, Board Secretary
Roll call was taken with 7 board members present.
M/S/Geise/Bramstedt to approve the agenda as printed with the exception of item #9, adding the wording “and Support Staff” following the existing wording, Compensation for Non-Represented Employees. Motion Carried Unanimously.
M/S/Bigler/Geise to approve the minutes of the November 19, 2012 Regular Board Meeting and the minutes of the November 29th, December 7th, and December 13th, 2012, Special Board Meetings, as printed. Motion Carried Unanimously.
M/S/Bigler/Geise to approve the accounts for November, 2012, as prepared. Motion Carried Unanimously. Expenditures for November, 2012, were $1,569,194.03. Receipts for November, 2012, were $318,108.17.
Administrative Reports:
District/Jean Born: Background information on vouchers was sent to board members as requested. Discussion this morning at legislative meeting included vouchers, regulation reform-administrative rules which includes 56 chapters, state funding linked to school performance/accountability, career readiness folders and youth options, apprenticeship programs, Sheboygan county mental health options, and FMLA at federal and state levels. District Leadership team has been discussing the calendar for the 2013-2014 school year, survey data will be collected at some time and approval will be brought to the board at the February meeting. School and educator effectiveness models are being looked into. We have two choices- CESA 6 and DPI model. Physical education policy- WIAA sport in lieu of PE .5 credit-policy committee will look at tomorrow.
Kellie Manning, Elementary School Principal; Ann Roy, Director of Special Education and Pupil Services; and Mary Lofy, Director of Instruction, gave their monthly reports to the Board.
Committee Reports:
Personnel…Geise/Adams/Bramstedt.. Met and discussed personnel compensation. Will discuss later in the meeting, item #9. Have come to an agreement with the support staff and non-represented employees, still working with the teachers.
Public Relations…Adams/Geise/Aykens.. Vision/Mission/Branding- committee will go back and get the teacher’s input at this point.
Policy…Mauer/Bigler.. Meeting tomorrow.
Finance…Bramstedt/Mauer.. Nothing to report.
Facilities…Bigler/Bramstedt… Nothing to report.
Recreation Board…Nothing to report.
CESA #7…Bigler.. Nothing to report.
Legislative/WASB…Adams.. Nothing to report.
School Foundation/Geise.. Nothing significant to report.
In response to recent Board conversations and changing student demographics, Mary Lofy, Director of Instruction, and Ann Roy, Director of Pupil Services and Special Education, presented information on the update and implications of poverty in our school community and specific data on local prevalence.
The Personnel Committee discussed their recommendation for compensation for the non-represented and support staff employees and seeks Board approval to move forward. The proposed recommendation is aligned with the 2012-13 budget and BOE compensation guidelines. M/S/Geise/Bramstedt to approve the personnel committee’s recommendation of a non-base building compensation, $960 pro-rated according to Full Time Equivalency, divided into 2 payments, to be paid to all non-represented and support staff employees for the 2012-2013 school year. Motion Carried Unanimously.
Mary Blaha, Director of Business Services, presented in board packets the provisional updates to the 403(b) plan and seeks approval of these updates. M/S/Bramstedt/Adams to approve the provisional changes to the 403(b) plan as presented. Motion Carried 6/0, Aykens/Abstained.
As the administration begins to determine open enrollment seats for January Jean asked that the BOE discuss their feelings about class sizes in the District. Board policies were reviewed and there are no specific number guidelines identified. In grades 5K-3 the SAGE grant determines the class size, 18 to 1. Prior to that the BOE kept class sizes in the low 20’s in those grades. In grades 4-8 the class sizes have ranged from 24–30 and in grades 9-12 they have ranged from 24-35. There are some exceptions to that range including music and PE which may have 40+ students in the class or in courses where larger numbers of students may create a safety concern such as welding or lab science courses. With the changing demographics of our students and the increasing accountability measures in place from the state the administration would certainly recommend that the BOE stay within the guidelines we currently support, 5K-3 (currently SAGE), 4-8 (22-25), 9-12 (24-35). Administration continues to explore alternatives for instruction that are less dependent on class sizes with the use of technology tools. John Mauer expressed concern with the high end of 35 at the high school level. Jean reminded the board that when numbers have gotten high in the past, it is brought back to the board for possible solutions including staff additions.
Facilities Planning: The board approved the resolution of necessity, results of the traffic study have been reviewed and EUA has been working with administration with necessary spaces in the new building as we proceed with programming. Appraisals are in process. Resolution deadline is January 22nd. Next meeting is scheduled for January 10th, when they hope to have a footprint and flow of traffic for the potential site. The cost of bleachers was brought up by Tom Bigler. He expressed concern of the cost that has been estimated.
M/S/Geise/Bigler to adjourn. Motion Carried Unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 8:31 p.m.
Minutes taken by Julie M. Hahn, Board Secretary
Approved by the Board of Education on January 21, 2013.
Victoria Bramstedt, Board Clerk