The student fee structure and an extension of the food service contract for the 2022-23 school year were approved by the Neenah Joint School District Board of Education at its June 20 meeting.
The Board also approved a 2021-22 budget amendment to allow for about $800,000 to $1,000,000 of underspent funds to be put into Fund 46 for capital improvements in order to maximize state aid for the following school year.
The only change on student fees from the previous year included an increase in lunch and breakfast prices. Lunch will go from $2.60 to $3.00 for elementary students and from $3.45 to $3.90 for middle and high school students. Breakfast will increase from $1.25 to $2.00 for elementary students and from $1.70 to $2.45 for middle and high school students. The Board had tabled the vote on fees from its previous meeting to examine possible ways to get all secondary students a yearbook. However, administration and some Board members commented that not all students in this generation want a yearbook. It was also noted that the five-year yearbook contract is expiring following the next school year and other options, including a digital version, may be explored.
The food service contract with Chartwells was set to expire following the 2021-22 school year. However, the District will seek a one-year extension due to the work Chartwells has done with the preparation of facilities in the new high school and middle school as well as the unique circumstances of the past three school years. The contract will be up for bid for the 2023-24 school year, per state requirement.
The Board discussed an offer to purchase on the Shattuck Middle School property by NorthPointe development for $500,000. The Health and Wellness Center and Ivy Williams tennis courts will remain on site. The District is expected to save $600,000 for not having to construct a new wellness center and an annual savings of $426,000 for not having to maintain the Shattuck grounds and building. It is also estimated that a demolition of Shattuck could cost the District around $2 million. Some Board members noted that they are merely approving a sale of the property, not the development plan. NorthPointe will work with the neighbors and the city to determine the specifics of how the property will be developed. It will be voted upon at the July 19 meeting.
A COVID plan for the 2022-23 school year was presented. The primary change is that masks will not be required as long as COVID indicators in the District remain low. Families will be notified when cases in their child’s school reach a 2% threshold so they have the information to make an informed choice of masking. Additionally, quarantine procedures will reflect what is currently being done in summer school where students with positive cases may return on the sixth day following their test and must wear a mask for the next five days. The plan will be voted upon on July 19.
Teaching hires were approved for Jenn Martin at Horace Mann, Katie Geesey and Robert Poole at the high school, Bethany Heinz at Clayton, Mikayla Kewey at Taft, Beverly Stearns at Clayton and Spring Road, Kathryn Starnitcky at Coolidge and Marquie Ruopp at Hoover. Educational assistant hires consisted of Brittany DeSantos at Clayton and Megan Stachowicz at the high school. Theresa Bemowski was hired as the District benefits specialist. Immediate resignations were accepted for Crystal Galica at Shattuck and Tyler Arthur at Wilson. Educational assistants Lorie Tembelis Keuler aat Wilson and Melanie Nytes at Taft were elevated from half-time to full-time positions.
The Board discussed a change in procedure to adopt committee meeting minutes at the next meeting of that committee, rather than at the next full Board meeting. That change is supported by legal counsel, though some Board members would still like the minutes posted in the regular Board agenda out of concern about the public not knowing where to find them. The Board also discussed a future agenda item of family communication for the number of transitions taking place in the District following the 2022-23 school year.
The state runner-up boys tennis team was honored at the meeting, including individual state singles champion Solomon Dunsirn. Eighth grade student Nina Bhattacharjee was recognized for her national runner-up performance in congressional debate at the recent national meet.
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