PRESCOTT – At the June 21 Prescott School Board meeting, Director of Student Services Sandy Strand had good news to share regarding the Department of Public Instruction review.

“I am proud to announce that this year, the state of Wisconsin DPI is starting a new monitoring process with regards to our ES EA funds and their separating out title reviews from our regular Elementary and Secondary Education Act funding,” said Strand. “And we were fortunate enough to be selected for a targeted monitoring for Title I supports. What that entailed was a focused review of how we manage our equitable share proportion of Title I dollars.”

According to federal law, the district is required to set aside a percentage of the money that they get for Title I and Title II, as well as Title IX, for the private school in the community, which is St. Joseph's. Prescott has been accurate in this process.

“As a matter of fact,” said Strand, “I heard after we had our virtual review, where they reviewed all the documents that we provided to them, CESA 11 and other CESAs around the state that DPI were using Prescott as an example of how to execute our equitable share process compliantly and effectively, so very, very good news there.”

Strand said the district also received the news from the Department of Health and DPI that immunization compliance at Prescott is 100%.

“There were some school districts that were like 30 and 40% compliant with the population of their students,” Strand said. “So of course, that includes students who are actually meeting the state laws in terms of immunization requirements, or that we have provided the reasonable documentation for conscientious objection. So, shout out to our nursing staff for wrangling and tracking down all of that data and maintaining it so that we're at 100% compliance.”

DC trip

Prescott Middle School Principal Kyle Igou shared how impressed he and others were of the middle school students who attended the recent trip to Washington, DC.

“I just wanted to take a moment to thank you guys for allowing the middle school, the eighth-grade class to take their trip to DC,” Igou said as he addressed the board. “This was our first trip that we hope to make an annual trip. We went June 7 through the 10 and our four days were an amazing, amazing, amazing experience for everyone that was involved.”

Igou said he gave students a lot of freedom and they were complimented on their behavior in nearly every location to which they ventured. They walked between 7.5 to 9.5 miles a day to many different sites.

“They were able to connect a lot of different dots from their social studies class in eighth grade,” Igou said. “My final piece is, that I got a phone call today from a veteran from Florida, I can't remember where in Florida. But we saw an Honor Flight at the World War Two Memorial on our very last day. I think there were 41 veterans that were on the Honor Flight. We made some cards we handed out for them. This veteran was so moved by it, he had to look us up and track us down. And he just again wanted to applaud us for how great and respectful and honoring our students were of the Honor Flight that came through.”

Teamworks Vision 2035

Teamworks representatives Christine Wroblewski and Julie Bade reviewed the Vision 2035, a plan for improving student performance through intentional redesign of student workspace and teaching styles.

“Vision 2035 is something we've been talking for over three to four months; we've identified two very specific core areas that as an administrative team and school board we'd like to pursue and ensure that we have stakeholder voice, and specifically Michael Kosmalski, Mike Hoikka and our administrative team has been working with our PLC teacher leads on ensuring that our physical environment and the learning environment and our academic model align,” said Superintendent Dr. Rick Spicuzza. “In addition, we have strong interest in ensuring that our extracurricular activities that use indoor facilities and outdoor facilities are the best and aligned to the way the programs currently are being presented but also to provide opportunities for the future.”

As the preliminary work has been laid out, plans to go forward were discussed.

“We are now focusing on these two main areas,” said Bade. “You have a lot that you've accomplished in terms of your academic model, and articulating what that is doing to professional development in your district to help teachers really understand what we want our students to learn and how we want our teachers to teach. Now we want to have a conversation - what is the physical learning environment that supports the best kind of learning and teaching environment in your district as possible.

“We are proposing two parts in the fall and spring to be able to check in with your students, and with your staff in particular. And along the way, we will be seeking feedback from parents and some of your community partners, particularly in the spring once we get some of those ideas.”

Spicuzza recommended choosing the conservative plan option.

“My recommendation is based on where the governor has signed some of the legislation with regards to funding,” he said. “So, my recommendation at this time would be to go with option B. The engagement estimate again would be capped at $29,050.”

The board accepted the recommendation and approved Steps A through E, Option B.

Paving bus garage

The bus garage paving vendor has been identified from the bid process and will be in the area milling and paving at the Malone schools in the next few weeks. Buildings and Grounds Supervisor Mike Hoikka estimated remobilization of machinery would be $4,000; waiting another year could see 5% inflation. He recommended taking advantage of these savings and explained why the paving is needed.

“Having a parking lot paved, that we could properly plow and on good days melted off, would be a safer parking lot for buses, or drivers, any other staff that have to go up and get a vehicle,” Hoikka stated. “It would also help by having it graded properly which would reduce stormwater running down the street and into the stormwater system. We could control that water runoff onto our property and run it into a basin and filter it. Keeping buses clean uses less fuel, not to mention it would create a cleaner work environment for the transportation staff that have to work on the buses without dust blowing in there constantly.”

He also mentioned reduced labor cost of fixing the buses when sensors show maintenance codes from the dust build up, plus maintenance and upkeep of the gravel.

The proposed paving project would cost $314,771. The seemingly exorbitant price tag is due to the excavation needed to ensure a proper base.  The board was not comfortable with that expense at this time. Hoikka was asked to come back with costs to partially pave the garage area.

Referendum project updates

Market and Johnson provided a building project update as of June 21.

“So, again, I just want to say that Market and Johnson has been outstanding to work with. Every Tuesday we have four different project management meetings. It starts district wide then it goes by each building, and they give information about what type of projects have been completed and what’s coming forward,” said Spicuzza.

A slide show of the work done accompanied the progress report. Work at Malone Elementary School included: bathroom demolition, unit ventilator wall work, plumbing rough ins for bathroom and dishwashing room, piping for new fire alarm system, abatement of pipe insulation and tuckpointing. Prescott Middle School progress included flooring demo and a concrete slab poured for room 100, removed floor tile and drywall in bathroom 130 and 205; replaced drywall for plumbing in bathroom 230; reworked bathroom 230 and 205; removed unit ventilators and floor tiles in room 100. Prescott Intermediate School saw work done to cafeteria flooring, choir and art rooms abated; mezzanine demoed; footings and foundation for storage poured; carpet and bathroom tile removed; and classrooms prepped for abatement.

“We are also working on our website so that we can start to put some of that work that's going on outside or inside so that the community can see it,” said Spicuzza. “And I did ask Andrea, who's one of our communication specialists, to assist us with regards to just sharing with our community some things that they might not have been able to see from the outside.”

Personnel

The board approved the resignations of Melissa Johnson, first grade teacher; Tanya Mravik, special education and Joy Schreiber, special education. New hires approved were Cameron Myers, high school science teacher; and Grace Weiss, Christopher DeWuske, second grade teachers.