Menomonie School District Board Meeting 2/11/2019

Agenda items will include plans to make up lost school days, funding for youth services officers, and a strategic planning update. Agenda is attached. We will start attempting to videotape meetings again starting this week.

I. OPENING ITEMS

A. Call to Order

B. Roll Call and Quorum

C. Pledge of Allegiance and Reading of Mission Statement

D. Agenda Order and Approval/Revision

E. Recommendations and Commendations

F. Highlight on Youth

5th graders from Downsville Elementary painted panels for a mural at the school and were recognized for it by the board. The mural was of cats that are up for adoption at the Humane Society. The students will be selling the paintings at Tabby's Catfe in Menomonie to raise money for food and/or to donate to the Humane Society.

G. Student Representative Communications

High School representatives presented information about events at the school. There were many instances of events that will be happening in the coming weeks that were postponed by the recent bad weather. Details are in the recording.

H. Community Communications

Glenda Jones from Menomonie - discussion about community attitudes toward students of color, handicaps, antisemitic comments, and other comments on social media personally attacking students., and whether the school board could take this in hand on social media. The school board president had asked the person in question to make an apology, which apparently has not happened. Mr. Paulson has agreed to make a public statement.

I. Revenue and Expenditure Reports for Month Ended January 2019

The report will be posted here soon -

J. Board Member/Superintendent Communications

Superintendent discusses the challenges of the recent weather, cancelled classes, and some issues with the school buses not being able to negotiate the roads. There probably should be some improvements in communications issues about weather days.

Hiring on the River Heights principle is moving ahead, the job posting closes soon, and there are over 20 candidates.

K. Monthly Employment Report (January 2019)

II. CONSENT AGENDA

A. Action to Approve Consent Agenda 1. Minutes of Regular Meeting of January 10, 2019

2. Financial Reports for January 2019

3. Donations Exceeding $1,000 for January 2019 4. Policy 733, Energy Management

III. PERSONNEL CONSENT AGENDA

A. Action to Approve Personnel Consent Agenda 1. Resignations/Retirements 2. New Hires

Passed

IV. ACTION AGENDA

V. DISCUSSION ITEMS/POLICY REVIEW

A. Discuss Plans for Making Up Cancelled School Days

This is primarily a middle and high school issue legally.  The High School is approximately 13 hours behind for the year - Since we are now past the limit Make Up days are tentatively -

One day April 22nd, one on June 7th.

Lost teacher time will be made up in a combination of professional development opportunities and other activities - There is a written plan. It provides a little extra opportunity for a few extra school days, which is important because it seems likely tomorrow will also be a snow day. 

Starting Feb. 18 the school day will be increased by 5 minutes at beginning of the day and 5 at the end of the day.   - pickup and drop-off times for the buses will also move by 5 minutes. 

B. Review Staffing and Course Offering Timeline for 2019-2020

Weather has caused quite a few missed meetings in the past few weeks - there are many ideas for course and staffing but there will need to be many decisions. Upper level staffing is largely determined by class demand in the high school. There will be a plan to be shared with the board. 

C. Discuss District Substitute Employees and Pilot Program at MHS

Substitutes are largely derived from the current pool - substitutes are encouraged to sign up again at the beginning of every year. There are training and background check requirements. As of Aug. 1 every substitute teacher needs to complete a training course under some circumstances. 

The total number of substitutes has dropped this year. THere is a pilot program at the high school to have a permanent supervisory hire to fill in at the high school and allow more of the substitutes to be at the middle and elementary schools. 

D. Discuss Funding for Youth Services Officer

The staffing plan has included a second Youth Services Officer for the past two years, but it has never been funded by the city and the position has been paid at a 60/40 split with the city. It is possible to fund this officer out of the Community Services Fund. The Superintendent proposes that the funding should be moved into this fund (Fund 80) which will free up some general funds for normal classroom purposes.  This is not yet ready to approve but will likely be ready by March. 

E. Strategic Planning Update

There was a Steering Committee meeting scheduled for tonight which needed to be moved. The survey window is still open for another week.  The meeting has now been moved to March 4. There will be a plan by this spring to approve for the next school year. 

F. Items Related to Next Meeting Dates, Board Committees, and Reports

VI. CLOSED SESSION A. Action to move to closed session for the purpose of considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility, pursuant to Section 19.85(1)(c), and for the purpose of deliberating concerning a case which was the subject of any judicial or quasi-judicial trial or hearing before that governmental body, pursuant to Section 19.85(1)(a), Wisconsin Statutes B. Action to Approve Minutes of Closed Session on January 28, 2019 C. Annual Evaluation of the District Administrator

VII. ADJOURNMENT A. Action to Adjourn