MONROE — The School District of Monroe Board of Education has a fresh look. In the April 4 election, Terri Montgomery and Mike Froseth, Jr. were picked by the electorate to join the 9-person board, with Nikki Austin reclaiming her chair.
Froseth took his oath of office in a separate ceremony, as he was unavailable for the April 24 board meeting due to work obligations, but Austin and Montgomery stepped in front of board president Rich Deprez to take their oaths of office.
Deprez and the board thanked former board members Cheryl McGuire, Tim Wolff and Teri Ellefson for their combined 12 years of service.
Once completed, the board held its officer election procedure. Deprez was re-elected as president, Teresa Keehn as vice president and Austin as clerk. Dylan McGuire was picked to be deputy clerk, replacing Ellefson, and Phil Vosberg as treasurer, replacing Cheryl McGuire.
Montgomery will represent the board as Excellence in Education liaison. Austin will continue as liaison to CESA 2, a cooperative educational service agency that provides services and support to 74 member schools in south central Wisconsin.
The Board still has to fill Ellefson’s seat. She resigned last month. There were seven district residents that applied for the open seat, and all will vie May 1 for the position. Applicants will individually interview with the board at the Bauer Education Center, and be asked to answer three questions. Those questions are embargoed until the night of the interview.
Applicants include Jennifer Amacher, April Buri, Jami Cregan, Jim Curran, Mike Davis, Reverend Paul E. Gregersen and Steve Mayer.
The candidates will draw for seating and order of interviews, though they will rotate through each portion so-as to not be first or last for all questions. Candidates will get two minutes for an opening statement, two minutes for a closing statement, and will answer all three questions.
The Board members in attendance will then vote, with the candidate gaining the majority of votes getting elected, and sworn in that night with access to Board Docs and other materials available immediately after.
During Monday’s meeting, Cara Carper, SOAR and Launch coordinator, gave an update on the two growing high school programs. Both programs are year-long and place students directly in the hands of area businesses to gain first-hand experience.
“If you see any of these business when you are out and about, thank these businesses that are hiring our students,” Carper said. “They provide these students with a great opportunity, with a mentor and skills.”
The Launch program’s participation more than doubled from last year, from about 30 to more than 60. There will be a Launch showcase in the MHS M-Room on May 24.
The SOAR program more than tripled from the 2021-22 school year, from about 12 to 40.
The SOAR program is a state apprenticeship program with tight regulations and expectations. Students must work a minimum of 450 hours over the course of a year, including 10 hours per week during the school year.
“We’re very proud of our 40 students who will be completing their youth apprenticeships this year. That’s 26 businesses,” Carper said.
Separately, there are a couple of SOAR interns this year as well, with the interns unable to meet all of the requirements due to extenuating circumstances, like completing all of the hours or in a field that is not covered by the state — like childcare.
For next year, there are 44 students already interested in the youth apprenticeship program, with 16 already with confirmed positions and others that have scheduled interviews with area businesses.
“We have a lot of activity going on,” Carper said.
A couple of expenditures were made, including purchasing 90 HP computers at a cost of $76,410 to replace current 10-year-old systems. Abraham Lincoln Elementary will also get a replacement black top surface for its playground equipment up to $111,000, though that cost may come in at even half that estimated. The new blacktop would come out of the long-term maintenance budget, and not referendum dollars. The new surface also should not be affected by any potential renovations that might be done at the school following the $88 million November referendum, which approved about $4 million to update the facility to become ADA compliant and fix other issues.
The district has currently paused the referendum planning while litigation plays out in Green County Circuit Court. A group of taxpayers sued the district and Board of Education after the referendum passed, claiming they were lied to about the true tax impact.
Arguments in the Howarth v. School District of Monroe court case were set for April 28, with a decision by Judge Thomas Vale scheduled for May 3 at 3 p.m. Green County Circuit Court Branch 2 will stream the hearing.
“Seating is limited in the courtroom. Once the legal seating capacity is reached, spectators will not be allowed to enter the courtroom,” the court said in a press release. “However, the hearings will be livestreamed on the Wisconsin court systems website at https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/livestream.htm. To view the hearings, simply go to circuit court hearings on the website and select Green County Branch 2.”
