Food prices increase by 10 cents next school year

RIVER FALLS – The River Falls School Board approved the upcoming fiscal year budget at its June 21 meeting, based on approved assumptions, although Board Treasurer Alan Tuchtenhagen made a plea to the public to contact state legislators about state budgeting in public education.

“This is serious,” Tuchtenhagen said. ”You need to contact your legislator about this. There’s a lot going on in Madison and the partisan bickering is getting worse. We’re never quite sure where the chess moves are. Act 10 over 10 years ago really dug a deep hole for K-12 education in Wisconsin and we’ve been trying to dig out of that.”

Tuchtenhagen also said it doesn’t look like school districts will get a per pupil increase this year, though there are still some unknowns. He said the past few years have seen a $200 per pupil increase, so to see that zero is a bit of a shock.

Gov. Tony Evers proposed giving K-12 schools $1.6 billion over the next two years. The Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee allocated $128 million. This was $430 million less than was needed to ensure Wisconsin schools receive $2.3 billion in federal pandemic aid.

The JFC last Thursday cut schools and technical colleges’ share of local property taxes by $647 million. This move in turn would qualify schools to receive the federal aid, but it doesn’t provide schools any additional state funding.

Tuchtenhagen called the issue critical, and asked voters to put pressure on legislators to support public education.

The board also approved a 10-cent increase in student meals for the 2021-2022 school year. Prices would be as follows: Elementary/middle school breakfast, $1.70; lunch, $2.70; high school breakfast, $1.70; high school lunch, $3; snack, $1.45; adult breakfast, $1.90; adult lunch, $3.90.

Elementary handbook

On the recommendation of the Educational Program Committee, the board approved the following changes in the elementary handbook:

•(Page 6) The playground is not supervised before 8:30 a.m. or after school. Students are not allowed to arrive before 8:30. Playground supervision will begin at 8:30. On Thursday mornings there will be an extended recess time until 9 a.m. Attendance is not taken until 9 a.m. on Thursday mornings. After students are supervised during bus pick-up and parent pick-up. Walkers are instructed to walk directly home after school and not play on the playground. Our playgrounds are not supervised at that time.

•(Page 14) To stay in line with equitable practices, specific teacher requests will no longer be accepted for the 2022-2023 school year. This change will allow the school to make the most equitable and appropriate class lists. Parents may make broad requests to support their child. An example could be the optimal learning environment for your child. All elementary schools host Moving on Up Day, where placements are shared with parents and students get to meet their class and teacher prior to the school year. Classroom placements are subject to change at the discretion of the building principal, however changing classroom placement after lists are released is rare.

•(Page 15) Breakfast and lunch are offered at each elementary school every day school is in session. Breakfast is provided in the classroom once school starts in the morning and lunch in the lunchroom. For the 2021-2022 school year a breakfast and a lunch will be offered at no cost for all students. An additional breakfast will be $1.70, an extra milk will cost 50 cents and an extra lunch will cost $2.70.

Personnel

The board approved the following hires:

•Jennifer Ames as director of community education and communications effective July 1. She replaces Monique Squire.

•Richard Grinstead as 1.0 FTE elementary school social worker effective Aug. 23 (new position).

•Abby Mazzei as .5 FTE Gifted & Talented teacher effective Aug. 23. She replaces Drew Rohl.

•Karyn Chukel as 1.0 FTE math teacher effective Aug. 23. She replaces John Rumpel.

•Alexander Plum as .5 FTE band teacher effective Aug. 23 (new position).

•Cade Lambrecht as 1.0 FTE seventh grade social studies teacher effective Aug. 23. He replaces Kris Nickleski.

•Haley Dunn as 1.0 FTE first grade teacher effective Aug. 23. She replaces Megan Felling.

•Clare Hazleroth as Pre 2 Summer School teacher effective June 14 through July 23.

•Transfer for Jenna Hanson from full-time secretary to the principal to 1.0 FTE school counselor at RFHS. She replaces Sheri Macbeth. Effective at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.

The following resignations were approved at the end of the 2021-2022 school year:

•Jacob Lemke as full-time RFHS science teacher at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.

•Mike Miller as part-time Work Based Learning Coordinator at RFHS.

•Emily Rose as full-time school counselor at Greenwood Elementary.

•Abby Akkerman as full-time Children’s House teacher at River Falls Public Montessori.

•Substitute teachers Jonathan Broschk, Erin Putz, Jessica Hundt, Kayli Hetrick.

The board approved the following job description revisions: •Middle school assistant principal/activities director

•Elementary principal

•High school assistant principal/instructional leadership The board also approved the 2021-2022 Teacher Collective Bargaining Agreement, which gives a .62 percent base wage increase. Teachers who qualify for step advancement will earn, on average, a 3.32 percent increase.

“As usual, there’s never enough,” Tuchtenhagen said. “I just think our teachers, especially this last year, I really wish we could give them more … I’m glad we were able to carve out as much as we have.”

Other business

•Benson gave an update on the Renaissance Charter Academy mold and water remediation. The district rents the building at 1107 S. Wasson Lane, but is exploring other options due to the mold issue. The district has consulted with UW-River Falls about the possibility of renting space in the Hagestad building. Long-term solutions are also being discussed.

• Director of Academic Services Jennifer Peterson updated the board on summer school enrollment numbers, which include 250 elementary students, 30 middle school students, and 19 high school students. Peterson said to her knowledge, two families took their children out of summer school due to the change in the mask policy.

•The Equity, Inclusivity & Diversity Committee will meet in late July to reset goals for the school year.

•The board approved the “teacher of the hearing impaired” agreement with Prescott and St. Croix Central school districts for the 2020-2021 school year.

•The board approved the Project SEARCH agreement with Prescott School District.

•The board also approved a service agreement with UWRiver Falls University Preschool Program, to share the cost of a special education paraprofessional for the 2021-2022 school year.

•The board approved the fund balance from the 20202021 budget of 26.5 percent and 2020-2021 budget amendments.

•The board approved buying two new school buses, which cost about $97,000 each.