The creation of a District-wide fiber loop and a review of the 2020 summer school program were the primary discussion topics during the October 19 meeting of the Neenah Joint School District Board of Education.
The fiber loop will replace the current “hub-to-spoke” configuration that can cause disruptions in the system. The proposed loops will service all current and potential future buildings with the main data center and fiber distribution hub housed at the new Neenah High School. It will ensure network availability in the case of a service interruption at any point along the path. The total cost is about $1.35 million, however, it also reduces the need to lease fiber from other entities and provides the District the opportunity to generate income by leasing fiber space to other entities. Funding for the fiber loop will be achieved through a combination of the operating budget, short-term borrowing, computer trade-ins and a potential federal grant. The proposal will be voted upon at the Nov. 2 meeting.
The summer school recap showed that participation levels were higher than 2020 when only a virtual option was provided. High school participation was higher in 2021 than in 2018 and 2019, though elementary and middle school participation was lower than previous years.
The Board discussed a potential name of the new grades 5-8 building at the existing high school. Members were supportive of forming a committee that will involve students and community members to assist in presenting a recommendation to the Board.
The hire of Meghan Jarnigo as an educational assistant at Tullar was approved. Resignations were approved for Coolidge teacher Kattie Stenson, effective Oct. 22, high school educational assistant Gage Moede, effective Nov. 11 and Roosevelt educational assistant Amanda Wolff, effective Oct. 17. An end-of-year retirement for Lakeview teacher Susan Mallmann was also approved.
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