December 10, 2014 at 7:00 PM - Regular Board Meeting

Description:  As one of Mineral Point’s top runners in school history, Senior
Captain Hannah Owens ran at the State meet all four years and has been a huge
asset to the Dodge-Point XC team’s success. 
This year at State, Hannah finished 24th overall and 13th
for team scoring in 19 minutes, 45 seconds. 
The Dodgeville-Mineral Point girls team claimed a 6th place
finish out of 16 teams in Division 2. 
This was their 19th year in a row appearance at the State
Cross Country Championship. 
Congratulations to Hannah & the Dodge-Point girls team & Coaches
for your achievements and an outstanding year.

Description:  Connie Galle has been with Mineral Point School District since August of 1981.  During her 33 years
working in Food Service, her dedication and devotion to the students and her co-workers was evident and has been noted in every performance review.  She was always diligent in her efforts and went above & beyond to be kind & helpful. 

Over the last 3 plus decades, she had greeted countless kids including her own and has enjoyed watching them grow.  Connie’s service began at the Middle school.  She also worked for many years
in the High School.  Recently she moved to the Elementary school where she has enjoyed lots of little smiles especially those of her grandkids.

She has expressed her appreciation & gratitude and is thankful to all the great people she has had the pleasure of working with over the years. 

“I have enjoyed this part-time job and made some lifelong friends.  After all, it’s never the job
you miss as much as the people. Thank you for everything.” ~ Connie Galle

THANK YOU Connie for your years of dedication & devotion to the welfare of our children.

Description:  If interested in addressing the School Board during the Communications portion of the meeting, please stand and state your name when the Board President requests communications from the citizens.

Description:  A member of the board may request any item to be removed from the consent agenda and defer it for a specific action and more discussion.  No vote of the board will be required to remove an item from the consent agenda.  A single trustee's request shall cause it to be relocated as a action item eligible for discussion.

Description:  Jeanette Galle, MPHS Special Education Teacher, requests retirement commencing with the 2015-2016 school year.

Description:  The board approved strategic plan has a focus area on technology.  The board approved technology plan contains a pilot for a one-to-one initiative commencing with the 2015-2016 year.  The pilot begins by phasing in devices for all students in one grade level each year going into the foreseeable future.  The initiative will require a commitment to a new funding source that is sustainable regardless of future budget forecasts.  

An exploration of whether or  not to implement the pilot, at which grade(s), and funding sources to include a referendum for technology will be discussed.  It is anticipated that $25,000 would cover the costs to equip one grade level with chromebooks, to include repair and/or replacement for broken machines, spare machines while broken machines are being repaired, and professional development to implement teaching in a one-to-one environment.  The aid impact in FY2016-17 is ~$4,775 (= -$.01 rate)  Prairie du Chien is 1 to 1 grades 5-6 and Casseville and Barneveld grades 9-12.  

The board will discuss whether or not to bring a resolution for referendum forward for action at the next board of education meeting.

Description:  MPHS has entered into a consortium of schools with Riverdale, Kickapoo, Highland, and Pecatonica High Schools to offer courses via telepresence.  Telepresence courses will expand course offerings, especially for advanced courses, allow greater flexibility for scheduling, and reduce the number of preps for some teachers.  The consortium has agreed upon a calendar, bell schedule, and early release days to minimize disruptions for courses offered across the consortium.  

A draft calendar for the 2015-2016 school year is attached.   

The bell schedule proposed moves from the traditional start/finish time of 7:50 to 3:15 to a start/finish time of 8:00am to 3:25pm.  The revised start time coincides with the consortium of schools start times and is supported by research that states a later start to the school day has academic benefits.  http://goo.gl/X9MEsr

Evidence and research show schools that collaborate regularly perform at higher levels.  http://goo.gl/upjKj  Weekly CRT's on Wednesday afternoons beginning at 2pm aligns practice with nationally recognized PLC schools in Denver IA and scales back the CRT from this year and last from 150 minutes to the proposed 90 minutes thereby better protecting instructional minutes.  80% of staff surveyed desired a CRT that was something other than the status quo.  60% of staff support or can live with a weekly Wednesday CRT beginning at 2pm.  Teachers not in support sharing their concern was starting mid-year (this January) would be problematic to families but starting next school year would change their vote in support.   

CRT's for all schools in the consortium would move to Wednesday afternoons as well.  

Description:  Three years ago a recommendation was made by facilities and grounds coordinator, Roger Palzkill, to replace the elementary goal posts.  The posts were rusting out at the bases, the football field was not regulation (not a true 100 yard field) because the goal posts had been located incorrectly, and one goal post was reportedly not square to the field.  The District deferred the maintenance to replace the posts until a decision was made as to which field the district would use.  Once the decision was made to move the field to the high school, the money that would have been spent on the elementary goal posts was instead replaced by money created from the community service fund.  The board approved a budget line item of $20,000 for funding the goal posts at the high school.  After bids were solicited the actual expenditure of $12,962 was expensed to the community service fund.  

The board should move to accept or reject the reclassification of the deferred maintenance for goalposts from the community service fund to the gifts and scholarships fund in the amount of $12,962.  

Description:  Social Studies would introduce courses in Geography and Psychology.  Geography would become a required course replacing Economics during students sophomore years.  Economics would be taught by Business Education as an elective that could be credit toward Social Studies or Business Education courses.  Students senior year would still be required to take Social Issues in Government one of two semesters.  The other semester senior year would be an elective of either Psychology, Social Issues in Government II, or Economics.

Information for Graphic Technology would move from a Business Education course to an Art course.