ELLSWORTH — With well over 100 total members of the elementary and middle school cheer squads, coaches Alicia Worley and Sophie Lauder presented a proposal to bring the team to the high school level.

The team is self-funded with both coaches volunteering their time. After cheering at every home middle school football game this year, volunteering at Elsie’s Barnyard and hosting a middle school pep fest, the coaches said there is enough interest to expand the program to the high school.

There are 108 elementary mini pom team members and 16 students tried out for the middle school team. One in three elementary girls are involved with the team.

Through the high school proposal, they would remain self-funded and potentially eventually go to away games, do competitive cheer events and cheer at additional sports, but initially, they would cheer at home football, basketball and wrestling games. Other things the team would do right away include assisting with Homecoming and pep fest planning, volunteering in the school/community and creating signs to post around the school and use on gamedays.

Middle School Principal Olin Morrison said the middle school team planned the Homecoming pep fest and it was one of the best in his time as principal. He mentioned the students were more engaged as their fellow students were leading them through the activities rather than staff.

A few board members expressed a concern over whether the team would be stepping on the toes of the dance team. The coaches said they have not heard those concerns from the dance team, but if they are there, they said they would talk it out with the dance coaches to make sure everything is worked out before the team is activated. They expressed a willingness to alter plans if necessary, and said there are other schools in the area that have both cheer and dance including Spring Valley, Hudson, Osceola, Somerset, St. Croix Central, Menomonie and New Richmond.

While the board was overall in favor of the proposal, they asked the coaches to give administration time to ensure the cheerleading team’s current insurance does not conflict with the school’s and to have a discussion with the dance team.

Referendum Question Approval

After voting for a $2.185 million four-year, non-recurring referendum to go to the April voting booths at a Jan. 7 meeting, the board made an official approval of the referendum question and authorization to exceed the revenue limit at the Jan. 14 meeting.

Community survey results showed the community was not in support of $4 million, $3.5 million and $3 million referendums; a loss of funding from declining enrollment and operating at a deficit even with the $1.3 million referendum that expires in the 2025-26 school year led to the board agreeing to the decreased $2.185 number Jan. 7 by a 4-2 vote (Steven Mark and Kurt Buckner opposed).

Upon conclusion of the regular meeting, the board held a special meeting to discuss community frequently asked questions and sign up for public engagement at community and district events.

Other business

• Approved the 2028 High School International Trip to Berlin, Prague, Krakow and Budapest. The trip will focus on history including visits to the Berlin Wall site and Auschwitz/Birkenau. In order to gauge the cost to the students attending the trip, the approval had to come a few years in advance.
• Approved an update to the head lice policy to remove the sentence: “If a student with live lice or untreated nits is not able to be picked up immediately, they may remain in the classroom for the remainder of the school day.”
• Approved zero open spaces of special education open enrollment and placed no cap on general education seats.
• Provided Michael Petersen and Jay Acker authority to vote on behalf of the district at the Wisconsin State Education Convention.
• Heard a series of policy technical changes.

Personnel Report

The board approved the following personnel changes:

Hires: Reese Rodewald, high school food service; Matthew Smith, teacher long term sub.

Resignation: Elijah Dorsey, JV softball coach; Madeline Poulos, C-team football coach; Jessica Schwarzenberger, middle school cook.

Transfers: William Miska, from van driver to regular route bus driver; Tom Schutz, from regular route bus driver to sub bus/van driver.