MONROE - At a meeting March 27, the Monroe school board:
• Approved the 2017 Board of Education scholarships. There are 72 BOE scholarships totaling $86,247.
• Heard the 2016-17 winter sports report from Activities Director Jeff Newcomer. Boys basketball added a freshman B team, he said, and 150 students participated in winter sports overall.
• Recognized Kelly Knox, a second-grade teacher at Parkside Elementary School, for winning the Lamp of Learning Staff Excellence Award in March.
• Recognized the Monroe High School bowling team for winning the state championship this year.
• Accepted donations of $400 from the Monroe Arts Center and $300 from the Optimists Club Youth Fund, both to the middle school student council.
• Gave final approval to 15 policy reviews and revisions.
Board president Bob Erb was absent.
At a meeting March 13, the Monroe school board:
• Heard public comments by John and Kathy Pierce of Tyler's TEAM Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting suicide awareness and prevention. Tyler's TEAM donated books worth a total of $708 to the district's elementary schools. John Pierce said they've worked with the middle and high schools and didn't want to leave out the elementary schools. He thanked the board for its support. Board vice president Mary Berger returned the sentiment.
• Accepted the resignation of Megan Christensen, Monroe High School English teacher.
• Approved the retirement of Rebecca Lehman, physical therapist.
• Authorized the hiring of Rich Zentner, director of buildings and grounds.
• Accepted donations of $530 from Quest Industrial LLC for the Monroe Middle School math team and $708 in books from Tyler's TEAM.
• Approved a student's request to graduate one year early. She is on track to graduate by the end of the next school year.
Erb participated in the meeting over speakerphone.
At a meeting March 13, the Monroe school board's finance committee directed Business Administrator Ron Olson to accept a rate freeze to the district's health insurance plan rather than make changes to the plan, because the potential changes would not have provided as much savings as expected, especially with Dean agreeing to not increase rates this year. The district still plans to change to a major medical health insurance plan with a $3,000/$6,000 deductible combined with a district-funded health savings account eventually, possibly by the 2017-18 school year. The changes are intended to keep costs down for the district, Olson said.
The Monroe school board discussed the search for a new superintendent in special closed-session meetings on Feb. 22, 23 and March 1. The board hired Richard Waski, former MHS principal, to fill the position at the regular meeting March 13.
- Susan Endres
• Approved the 2017 Board of Education scholarships. There are 72 BOE scholarships totaling $86,247.
• Heard the 2016-17 winter sports report from Activities Director Jeff Newcomer. Boys basketball added a freshman B team, he said, and 150 students participated in winter sports overall.
• Recognized Kelly Knox, a second-grade teacher at Parkside Elementary School, for winning the Lamp of Learning Staff Excellence Award in March.
• Recognized the Monroe High School bowling team for winning the state championship this year.
• Accepted donations of $400 from the Monroe Arts Center and $300 from the Optimists Club Youth Fund, both to the middle school student council.
• Gave final approval to 15 policy reviews and revisions.
Board president Bob Erb was absent.
At a meeting March 13, the Monroe school board:
• Heard public comments by John and Kathy Pierce of Tyler's TEAM Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting suicide awareness and prevention. Tyler's TEAM donated books worth a total of $708 to the district's elementary schools. John Pierce said they've worked with the middle and high schools and didn't want to leave out the elementary schools. He thanked the board for its support. Board vice president Mary Berger returned the sentiment.
• Accepted the resignation of Megan Christensen, Monroe High School English teacher.
• Approved the retirement of Rebecca Lehman, physical therapist.
• Authorized the hiring of Rich Zentner, director of buildings and grounds.
• Accepted donations of $530 from Quest Industrial LLC for the Monroe Middle School math team and $708 in books from Tyler's TEAM.
• Approved a student's request to graduate one year early. She is on track to graduate by the end of the next school year.
Erb participated in the meeting over speakerphone.
At a meeting March 13, the Monroe school board's finance committee directed Business Administrator Ron Olson to accept a rate freeze to the district's health insurance plan rather than make changes to the plan, because the potential changes would not have provided as much savings as expected, especially with Dean agreeing to not increase rates this year. The district still plans to change to a major medical health insurance plan with a $3,000/$6,000 deductible combined with a district-funded health savings account eventually, possibly by the 2017-18 school year. The changes are intended to keep costs down for the district, Olson said.
The Monroe school board discussed the search for a new superintendent in special closed-session meetings on Feb. 22, 23 and March 1. The board hired Richard Waski, former MHS principal, to fill the position at the regular meeting March 13.
- Susan Endres