On Monday, Jan. 26, the Monroe school board:
• Learned television and radio advertising has begun for the Monroe Virtual School. Advertising is aimed at attracting prospective students to the Virtual School during open enrollment, which runs Feb. 2-20. The district spent just more than $93,100 for advertising on WMSN Fox 47 in Madison, as well as television stations in Milwaukee, Green Bay, La Crosse and Eau Claire. That amount also includes a nominal amount of advertising on Madison radio stations; brochures; an Internet keyword campaign to help improve placement on Web searches; and an exhibit at Family Fest 2009 in the La Crosse/Coulee Area. The district spent $80,000 on Virtual School advertising last year. Ads began running two weeks ago and to date the district has received 95 requests for information.
• Approved extending contracts to all school administrators for the 2009-2010 year. Superintendent Larry Brown said salary figures for the positions have not yet been determined, as the district is waiting for more finalized budget information from the state.
• Accepted a donation of $500 from the Monroe Optimists for recycling bins for the Monroe High School Eco-action student group. The Optimists also donated $2,453 to Monroe elementary schools and St. Victor School for lighted stop signs for crossing guards.
• Hired Angela Schmelzer to be LMC director at the middle school, high school and charter school beginning the second semester. The board also accepted the resignation of Sally Huerta as English Language Learning aide and approved a one-year leave of absence for MHS biology and chemistry teacher Katie Krueger Hirt so she can complete a masters degree program.
• Learned Parkside Elementary School is applying for a Community Learning Center grant to create an afterschool program to serve struggling students. If selected to receive the grant, Parkside would offer up to 60 students, 10 from each grade level, a program that meets until 5:30 p.m. every day after school. The program would include tutoring, homework help, enrichment and recreation, said Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jennifer Thayer. The grant is for $100,000 per year for five years.
• Learned Brown will be meeting with students from each of the district's schools in special lunch-time focus groups throughout the next several weeks.
• Learned television and radio advertising has begun for the Monroe Virtual School. Advertising is aimed at attracting prospective students to the Virtual School during open enrollment, which runs Feb. 2-20. The district spent just more than $93,100 for advertising on WMSN Fox 47 in Madison, as well as television stations in Milwaukee, Green Bay, La Crosse and Eau Claire. That amount also includes a nominal amount of advertising on Madison radio stations; brochures; an Internet keyword campaign to help improve placement on Web searches; and an exhibit at Family Fest 2009 in the La Crosse/Coulee Area. The district spent $80,000 on Virtual School advertising last year. Ads began running two weeks ago and to date the district has received 95 requests for information.
• Approved extending contracts to all school administrators for the 2009-2010 year. Superintendent Larry Brown said salary figures for the positions have not yet been determined, as the district is waiting for more finalized budget information from the state.
• Accepted a donation of $500 from the Monroe Optimists for recycling bins for the Monroe High School Eco-action student group. The Optimists also donated $2,453 to Monroe elementary schools and St. Victor School for lighted stop signs for crossing guards.
• Hired Angela Schmelzer to be LMC director at the middle school, high school and charter school beginning the second semester. The board also accepted the resignation of Sally Huerta as English Language Learning aide and approved a one-year leave of absence for MHS biology and chemistry teacher Katie Krueger Hirt so she can complete a masters degree program.
• Learned Parkside Elementary School is applying for a Community Learning Center grant to create an afterschool program to serve struggling students. If selected to receive the grant, Parkside would offer up to 60 students, 10 from each grade level, a program that meets until 5:30 p.m. every day after school. The program would include tutoring, homework help, enrichment and recreation, said Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jennifer Thayer. The grant is for $100,000 per year for five years.
• Learned Brown will be meeting with students from each of the district's schools in special lunch-time focus groups throughout the next several weeks.