MONROE - Teachers in the Monroe School District will have new health and dental insurance carriers starting in the 2012-13 school year.
The Monroe school board approved Unity Insurance point of service and Delta Dental plans Monday night.
Monroe Business Manager Ron Olson said the Unity plan will save the district a little more than $800,000 in premiums compared to the current Wisconsin Education Association Insurance Trust. The total costs to maintain the WEA plan would be 18.3 percent. The district was targeting a 5-percent increase; Olson said the deal with Unity is a 3.2 percent increase.
Olson said the savings will help the board meet and exceed its current budgeted objective.
The Unity POS plan is associated with the UW Health Care System, but Monroe Clinic, Mercy System and Beloit Hospital System would also be included as providers.
The Delta Dental plan also includes a vision coverage that employees can pick up. Olson said the Delta Dental plan is a 5.8 percent reduction in dental insurance compared to this year and will save the district $21,475.
In other action, the board:
- Approved a $97,277 plan to purchase wireless infrastructure from Heartland Cisco for Monroe Middle School.
- Learned the Monroe Excellence in Education Foundation handed out 10 grants totaling $15,002 to 14 teachers. The grants awarded were as follows: Stephanie Wiegel and Valerie Bryson, middle school, $4,500 for iPads in the classroom; Nicole Lutzke, Abraham Lincoln Accelerated Learning Academy, $1,000 for Tools Not Toys; Rae Wellnitz, middle school, $659 for software for technology; Tim Brown, Monroe High School, $500 for PBIS character education in the classroom; Kathy King, high school, $690 for Mimio Board; Wendy Dyrhaug, Heather Peterson and Nadine Whiteman, middle school, $1,790 for Microscopy Multimedia; Amy Timmerman, Northside Elementary School, $500 for apps for iPads; Renee Tordoff, Northside School, $625, Quirkles science program; Dan Saunders, high school, $2,500 for computer integrated manufacturing and a $375 grant from the high school investment club for computer integrated manufacturing; and Robyn Jubeck and Becky Lehman, representing all three elementary schools, $1,863 for three therapeutic tricycles.
- Approved a bid of $73,388 to Pablocki Paving of West Allis to asphalt the playgrounds at Parkside, Abraham Lincoln and Northside schools.
- Heard a presentation on Project Lead the Way from several MHS students. The district was certified as a program investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education.
- Students presented a train and a robot they designed. The students completed the drawings with the software program and had the opportunity to experiment with moving parts while assembling the projects. Students in the Principles of Engineering class went through a unit on simple machines before the robot project.
- The district received a $35,000 grant over three years from the Kern Foundation to implement several engineering classes. The two classes the high school offers now are the Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering. Next year, the district will receive $10,000 to implement a computer integrated manufacturing class.
The program allows students to earn college credit, scholarships or advanced standing for their work during high school.
- Approved an inaugural trip for high school U.S. History and American Democracy students to take a trip to Washington D.C. for the Presidential Inauguration Day, visit the Smithsonian Museum, Mount Vernon and Arlington National Cemetery. The trip is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2013 through Tuesday, Jan. 22. Students will miss the first two days of school in the second semester.
- Approved hiring Rebecca Babbey as a biology teacher at MHS; Katherine Lehto as a physical science and chemistry teacher at the high school; Laura Jacobson as a first-grade teacher at Parkside Elementary School; and Robin Rundle as a counselor at MMS.
- Approved the resignation of Virginia Schmidt, kindergarten teacher, and Dyanna Turnell, special education teacher, both at Parkside; and the retirement of Erin Rudisill, district translator and ELL aide.
- Approved the transfer of Lindsey Weigel from fourth to third grade at Parkside.
- Honored Terri Montgomery, district reading specialist ,and Gail Murray, district instructional facilitator, with Lamp of Learning Staff Excellence awards for May.
- Set the Monroe Charter School graduation for 7 p.m. May 25. The virtual school graduation is set for 1 p.m. June 8.
The Monroe school board approved Unity Insurance point of service and Delta Dental plans Monday night.
Monroe Business Manager Ron Olson said the Unity plan will save the district a little more than $800,000 in premiums compared to the current Wisconsin Education Association Insurance Trust. The total costs to maintain the WEA plan would be 18.3 percent. The district was targeting a 5-percent increase; Olson said the deal with Unity is a 3.2 percent increase.
Olson said the savings will help the board meet and exceed its current budgeted objective.
The Unity POS plan is associated with the UW Health Care System, but Monroe Clinic, Mercy System and Beloit Hospital System would also be included as providers.
The Delta Dental plan also includes a vision coverage that employees can pick up. Olson said the Delta Dental plan is a 5.8 percent reduction in dental insurance compared to this year and will save the district $21,475.
In other action, the board:
- Approved a $97,277 plan to purchase wireless infrastructure from Heartland Cisco for Monroe Middle School.
- Learned the Monroe Excellence in Education Foundation handed out 10 grants totaling $15,002 to 14 teachers. The grants awarded were as follows: Stephanie Wiegel and Valerie Bryson, middle school, $4,500 for iPads in the classroom; Nicole Lutzke, Abraham Lincoln Accelerated Learning Academy, $1,000 for Tools Not Toys; Rae Wellnitz, middle school, $659 for software for technology; Tim Brown, Monroe High School, $500 for PBIS character education in the classroom; Kathy King, high school, $690 for Mimio Board; Wendy Dyrhaug, Heather Peterson and Nadine Whiteman, middle school, $1,790 for Microscopy Multimedia; Amy Timmerman, Northside Elementary School, $500 for apps for iPads; Renee Tordoff, Northside School, $625, Quirkles science program; Dan Saunders, high school, $2,500 for computer integrated manufacturing and a $375 grant from the high school investment club for computer integrated manufacturing; and Robyn Jubeck and Becky Lehman, representing all three elementary schools, $1,863 for three therapeutic tricycles.
- Approved a bid of $73,388 to Pablocki Paving of West Allis to asphalt the playgrounds at Parkside, Abraham Lincoln and Northside schools.
- Heard a presentation on Project Lead the Way from several MHS students. The district was certified as a program investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, education.
- Students presented a train and a robot they designed. The students completed the drawings with the software program and had the opportunity to experiment with moving parts while assembling the projects. Students in the Principles of Engineering class went through a unit on simple machines before the robot project.
- The district received a $35,000 grant over three years from the Kern Foundation to implement several engineering classes. The two classes the high school offers now are the Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering. Next year, the district will receive $10,000 to implement a computer integrated manufacturing class.
The program allows students to earn college credit, scholarships or advanced standing for their work during high school.
- Approved an inaugural trip for high school U.S. History and American Democracy students to take a trip to Washington D.C. for the Presidential Inauguration Day, visit the Smithsonian Museum, Mount Vernon and Arlington National Cemetery. The trip is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2013 through Tuesday, Jan. 22. Students will miss the first two days of school in the second semester.
- Approved hiring Rebecca Babbey as a biology teacher at MHS; Katherine Lehto as a physical science and chemistry teacher at the high school; Laura Jacobson as a first-grade teacher at Parkside Elementary School; and Robin Rundle as a counselor at MMS.
- Approved the resignation of Virginia Schmidt, kindergarten teacher, and Dyanna Turnell, special education teacher, both at Parkside; and the retirement of Erin Rudisill, district translator and ELL aide.
- Approved the transfer of Lindsey Weigel from fourth to third grade at Parkside.
- Honored Terri Montgomery, district reading specialist ,and Gail Murray, district instructional facilitator, with Lamp of Learning Staff Excellence awards for May.
- Set the Monroe Charter School graduation for 7 p.m. May 25. The virtual school graduation is set for 1 p.m. June 8.