Regular Meeting Minutes – December 20, 2010

SCHOOL DISTRICT OF SHEBOYGAN FALLS

BOARD OF EDUCATION

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

DECEMBER 20, 2010

6:30 P.M.

Community Open Forum:  6:30 – 6:45 P.M.

Dan Setzer, 651 Leavens Avenue, Sheboygan Falls, addressed the board regarding our current football program and the future/direction of the program.

This regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education of the School District of Sheboygan Falls was held on Monday evening, December 20, 2010, in the High School Library at Sheboygan Falls High School.  Board President, John Mauer, called the meeting to order at 6:49 P.M.

Present:           Mr. John Mauer, President

Mr. Tom Bigler, Vice President

Mrs. Victoria Bramstedt, Clerk

Mr. Christopher Lacey, Treasurer

Mrs. Sandy Seifert, Clerk Pro-Tem

Mr. Peter Geise

Mrs. Linda Adams

Mrs. Julie Hahn, Board Secretary

M/S/­­­­­­­­­­­Bigler/Adams to approve the agenda as printed.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

M/S/Geise/Bramstedt to approve the minutes of November 15, 2010 Board Meeting as printed.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

M/S/Bramstedt/Lacey to approve the accounts for November, 2010, as prepared.  Motion Carried Unanimously.  Expenditures for November, 2010, were $1,487,065.60.  Receipts for November, 2010, were $444,191.24.

Administrative Reports:

District/Dave Wessel:  Reported on the holiday programs this week.

John Phelps, High School Principal; Meloney Markofski, Middle School Principal; Kellie Manning, Elementary School Principal; Ann Roy, Director of Special Education and Pupil Services; and Jean Born, Director of Instruction gave their monthly reports to the Board.

A highlight during high school administrative reports was a Robotics presentation put on by three high school students, Jon Schad, Nate Bramstedt and Joe Reiter, along with the help of Technology Education Teacher Ed Hughes.

Committee Reports:

Personnel/Mauer/Bramstedt/Seifert: Met and items will be discussed in executive session.

Public Relations/Seifert/Geise/Adams:  Met on Nov. 19th with marketing specialist, Mark O’Brien and reviewed the communication plan in detail and discussed the vision.

Policy/Bramstedt/Mauer:  Have not met.

Finance/Bigler/Lacey/Geise:  Have not met.

Facilities/Bigler/Lacey/Adams: A vision statement will be presented for full board approval later in the meeting.  A facilitator has been identified for the community taskforce committee.  This committee will look at the results of the feasibility study.

Rec Board/Seifert:  Discussed the weight room fee as there was opposition and the usage fee was rescinded.  Rate increases for the aquatic center will go into effect in January as a way to increase revenue to fund services provided.

CESA #7/Bigler:  Nothing to report.

WASB/Seifert/Adams: Repeat of Legislative items discussed.

Legislative/Wessel: Items discussed at today’s Legislative Breakfast included the prevailing wage, the property tax levy credit, Supt. Tony Evers Fair Funding for the Future.

Sheboygan Falls School Foundation/Geise: Met with Foundation members and discussed the next step in setting up a meeting to clarify the purpose and also the role of members of the foundation.

H.S. Site Council/Bramstedt/Phelps:  Met for the first time.  The focus of this meeting was put on formulating bylaws and how to proceed with future meetings.

M.S. Site Council/Seifert/Markofski:  Met and discussed where they are with their goals.  No meeting in January.  Sneak Peak in February.

Elem. Site Council/Bigler/Manning: Met and topics included feedback on the yearbook/cover,  Above the Line/Below the Line posters,  and the elementary school’s new photographer has put together a composite of the entire school and staff to be displayed in the entrance at the elementary school.

Rebecca Bartels and Bernard McKichan, German teachers in our District, outlined the request for 13 of our German students to attend an immersion trip April 15-17th, 2011.  M/S/Lacey/Geise to approve the German trip to Bemidji, MN from April 15-17, 2011 as presented.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

Discussed was the newly implemented weight room fee.  The fee has since been reversed and students refunded their $25.00 membership fee.

M/S/Lacey/Adams to approve the final reading of Board Policy 6640: State Tournament Attendance as presented.  Motion carried unanimously.

M/S/Bramstedt/Seifert to approve the first reading of the NEOLA Open Enrollment Policy Updates as presented.  Motion carried unanimously.

M/S/Bigler/Lacey to accept the gift of $2,200 from the Kohler Foundation, Inc., for the purpose of funding our robotics program, as presented, with gratitude.  Motion carried unanimously.

M/S/Seifert/Lacey to continue to table the resolution opposing the continuation of the school levy credit distribution method as presented.  A roll call vote was taken. Geise/No, Seifert/No, Lacey/Yes, Mauer/No, Bigler/No, Bramstedt/No, Adams/No.  6 No/1 Yes.  After further discussion it was decided that members would rather amend the resolution than table it again.

M/S/Bigler/Geise to amend the resolution opposing the continuation of the school levy credit distribution method as presented with the exception of removing the paragraph regarding the Homestead Tax Credit Program. A roll call vote was taken. Geise/Yes, Seifert/Yes, Lacey/Yes, Mauer/Yes, Bigler/Yes, Bramstedt/Yes, Adams/Yes.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

Collin Kachel, Technology Education Teacher,  presented on the new course regarding Technology, and Jean Born, Director of Instruction, presented on the new AP Language and Composition class.  Neither course will have staffing impact on the budget.

M/S/Lacey/Geise to approve the new high school course, Girls, Gumption, and Technology (Intro to Tech for Girls).  Motion Carried Unanimously.

M/S/Adams/Lacey to approve the course, AP Language and Composition.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

Mary Blaha, Director of Business Services, presented on the 2011-2012 Budget Calendar.

The March 2011 meeting has been rescheduled for March 28th,2011, as the 3rd Monday of March falls during spring break this year.

The Facilities Committee presented their Facilities Vision Statement for the Sheboygan Falls School District to the full board.  M/S/Bigler/Lacey to approve the Facilities Vision Statement.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

M/S/Bramstedt/Lacey to Adjourn Into Executive Session Per Wis. Stats. 19.85(c)(d)(e) to discuss Administrative Contracts, Preliminary Performance Review, and Possible Rollover of these Contracts.   A roll call vote was taken. Geise/Yes, Seifert/Yes, Lacey/Yes, Mauer/Yes, Bigler/Yes, Bramstedt/Yes, Adams/Yes.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

M/S/Geise/Bramstedt to return to open session.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

Return to open session.

M/S/Lacey/Bramstedt to roll over administrative contacts for Mary Blaha, Director of Business Services, Jean Born, Director of Instruction, Ann Roy, Director of Special Education & Pupil Services, John Phelps, High School Principal, Luke Goral, High School Associate Principal/Athletic Director, Meloney Markoski, Middle School Principal and Kellie Manning, Elementary School Principal.  A roll call vote was taken. Geise/Yes, Seifert/Yes, Lacey/Yes, Mauer/Yes, Bigler/Yes, Bramstedt/Yes, Adams/Yes.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

M/S/Lacey/Seifert to adjourn.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

Adjournment @ 10:35 P.M.

Minutes taken by Julie M. Hahn, Board Secretary

Approved by the Board of Education on January 24, 2011

Victoria Bramstedt, Board Clerk

Regular Meeting Minutes – November 15, 2010

SCHOOL DISTRICT OF SHEBOYGAN FALLS

BOARD OF EDUCATION

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

6:30 P.M.

Community Open Forum:  6:30 – 6:45 P.M.

Peggy Heili addressed the board on the search for the new district administrator.  She and her husband, Mike Heili, were pleased with the search process and the selection of the current high school principal, John Phelps, and want to make sure that the same process is followed with the search for the upcoming superintendent as they were part of the committee that selected the current high school principal.  Committees consisting of community, parents, teachers, etc. should be considered.  A response to her questions will be prepared and posted on the website.

This regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education of the School District of Sheboygan Falls was held on Monday evening, November 15, 2010, in the High School Library at Sheboygan Falls High School.  Board President John Mauer called the meeting to order at 6:41 P.M.

Present:           Mr. John Mauer, President

Mrs. Victoria Bramstedt, Clerk

Mr. Christopher Lacey, Treasurer

Mrs. Sandy Seifert, Clerk Pro-Tem

Mr. Peter Geise

Mrs. Linda Adams

Mrs. Julie Hahn, Board Secretary

Absent:            Mr. Tom Bigler, Vice President

A roll call vote was taken.

M/S/Geise/Bramstedt to approve the agenda as printed.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

M/S/Bramstedt/Lacey to approve the minutes of the October 25th, 2010 Regular Board Meeting as printed.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

M/S/Geise/Seifert to approve the accounts for October, 2010 as prepared.  Motion Carried Unanimously.  Expenditures for October, 2010 were $1,593,511.38.  Receipts for October, 2010 were $98,255.76.

Administrative Reports:

District/Dave Wessel: Fair Funding for the Future was rolled out today.  This is a plan presented by the state superintendent regarding funding which has been made a public issue.

John Phelps, High School Principal; Meloney Markofski, Middle School Principal; Kellie Manning, Elementary School Principal; Ann Roy, Director of Special Education and Pupil Services; and Jean Born, Director of Instruction gave their monthly reports to the Board.

Committee Reports

Personnel/Mauer/Bramstedt/Seifert: Met tonight, one issue will be addressed in executive session later tonight and another issue will be reported on later in the meeting as it is an agenda item.

Public Relations/Seifert/Geise/Adams: Continuing to work on the Framework for the Sheboygan Falls School district communications plan.

Policy/Mauer/Bramstedt: Item to be discussed later.

Finance/Bigler/Lacey/Geise: Meeting for this week was cancelled.

Facilities/Bigler/Lacey/Adams: Met tonight with the administration and wanted their perspective on the buildings incorporating the results of the feasibility study.  The feasibility study gave the board a good look at the community perspective.  The committee will look at a long range plan which will incorporate community members.

Rec Board/Seifert: Nothing to report.

CESA #7/Bigler:  Nothing to report.

WASB/Seifert/Adams: Did not report.

Legislative/Wessel: Met at UW Sheboygan and listened to a presented on the Wisconsin Way. Legislators were in attendance of which 3 members of the joint finance committee are from Sheboygan County.

Sheboygan Falls School Foundation/Geise:  Peter Geise reported that work continues on invigorating the committee and the school involvement.

Site Councils:

Elementary:  Topic: The green space in front of the elementary school and how to properly maintain it continues to be an issue, with summer being especially hard to maintain that area.  Summer School courses will be offered to revamp that area with the help of the Master Gardeners club who will give guidance.

Middle School:  Met and discussed MAP training.  Brainstorming on the breakfast program as participation has been sporadic and not consistent.  Possible solutions and problem solving with site council’s help has improved this.

High School:  Did not meet again this month.

Jake Frohling, Middle School teacher and co-coach of junior varsity baseball, addressed the board with proposals of renovating the current baseball diamond and wanted the board to be informed.   A powerpoint of the current field conditions along with safety concerns were addressed, along with the plan the baseball association hopes to implement to improve the current overall condition. Members of the association will meet with administration, the athletic director, the recreation director, and the director of buildings and grounds before they proceed with their plan.

Ann Roy, Director of Special Education and Pupil Services, along with Laura Garofalo, English Language Tutor and Doriann Meicher, English Language Learner Teacher, presented on ELL programming and equal access for these students.  All districts have legal requirements to provide equal access for these students across the district as in the last 5 years our numbers have grown from 13 to 64 ELL students.

M/S/Bramstedt/Seifert to approve the first reading of Board Policy: State Tournament Attendance as presented.  Motion carried unanimously.

M/S/Lacey/Seifert to table the resolution to the December meeting as several board were uncomfortable signing off on this resolution without further information.  Motion carried unanimously.

Review of Technology Update that was provided at the November 1, 2010 Special Board Meeting.  Adams inquired into progress with an administrative directive for online course management, stating she had been told that was the appropriate format for handling the management of online courses. The board asked that she work with Jean Born on this issue.

M/S/Seifert/Geise to table the Facilities Vision Statement and Update on Follow-up to the Feasibility Study until the December Meeting.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

M/S/Bramstedt/Seifert to approve the 2010-2012 master contract agreement with the Sheboygan Falls Educational Support Staff Association as presented.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

John Mauer addressed the complications of the board receiving mail that comes to them unsigned.  The board will put together a statement on how to properly follow the chain of command in addressing issues that involve the board needing to react or act on items.  It is hard to respond to a letter when you do not know who wrote it.  Follow up is impossible.  A letter to the editor will be published by the board on how to properly address issues of concern.

M/S/Geise/Lacey to Adjourn Into Executive Session Per Wis. Stats. 19.85(c)(d)(e) to discuss Administrative Contracts, Preliminary Performance Review, and Possible Rollover of these Contracts.  Also discuss status and strategy in support staff collective bargaining, superintendent search and certain individual contract issues. A roll call vote was taken.  Mauer/yes, Bramstedt/yes, Lacey/yes, Seifert/yes, Geise/yes, Adams/yes. Motion Carried Unanimously.

M/S/Geise/Bramstedt to return to open session.  Motion Carried Unanimously.

Return to open session.  No action taken.

M/S/Geise/Lacey to adjourn.  Motion carried Unanimously.

Adjournment @ 11:41 P.M.

Minutes taken by Julie M. Hahn, Board Secretary

Approved by the Board of Education on December 20, 2010

Victoria Bramstedt, Board Clerk