MONROE — On Monday, the Monroe Board of Education:

 Approved the resignation of Laurie Solawetz, teen librarian at the Monroe Public Library and Traci Rose, health assistant at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School.

♦ Accepted a donation of school supplies from Peace Church in Christ of Browntown. 

♦ Heard from District Business Administrator Ron Olson about the effect of increased home assessments on the school tax portion of a homeowner’s bill, during which he said assessments have nothing to do with revenue or the district levy and that the school levy is based on the amount given by the state of per pupil aid. “We get no additional dollars based on what the assessment of our district is,” Olson said, adding that equalized value is not necessarily assessed value and that an individual is most affected based on whether their assessment change went up more or less than rest of the city residents. He reiterated that if both referendum questions pass in November, they will not affect taxes.

♦ Agreed to use WEA Member Benefits on recommendation from the finance committee for the 403b vendor of retirement benefits with an abstention from member Nikki Matley.

♦ Finalized the board meeting schedule sites for the 2018-19 school year, with each second meeting of the month at the public library and the first meeting on a rotating basis among the five school buildings, beginning with a meeting at Parkside Elementary School Oct. 8.

♦ Discussed talks with parents at the school open houses about the upcoming referendum questions, which Teresa Keehn and Les Bieneman said were positive while Matley said the majority of parents were positive, but some were confused about the second referendum question for maintenance. District Adminsitrator Rick Waski said gatherings have been scheduled to help bolster the information campaign and that the district has scheduled a Facebook Live presentation for Oct. 1 and tentatively on Nov. 5.

♦ Heard from Waski that members Dan Bartholf, Amy Bazley and Mary Berger will be honored as level 2 by the Wisconsin Association of School Boards during a gathering Oct. 23 in Monona Grove.