Meeting Minutes: Awards, Retirement and Summer Taxes

Monday's Chippewa Valley Schools Board of Education meeting was one of recognition, celebration and resolve. Four Career Technical Education teachers received awards for their extracurricular involvement, a beloved staff member retired and the 2011 summer tax collection agreement for Clinton and Macomb townships was approved.

Career Technical Education Teachers Receive Awards

As February is National Career Technical Education month, the director of Chippewa Valley's Career Technical Education program, Claire Brisson, recognized the work of four district CTE teachers.

There are almost a dozen CTE programs in the district, but Brisson chose to recognize the work of teachers in the marketing and business programs.

"Tonight we're here to really focus on our business program and our marketing program and our teachers who have gone above and beyond to provide leadership opportunities for our students," Brisson said. 

The teachers recognized include Jennifer Paterson, a Chippewa Valley High School marketing teacher; Kristy Walker, a Chippewa Valley marketing and business teacher; Laura Morris, a Dakota business teacher; and Nancy Atienza, a Dakota marketing teacher.

These teachers act as advisers for student organizations such as Business Professionals of America, DECA and the Global Trade Mission. All of these organizations are geared for students to strengthen their communication and leadership skills and implement the theories they learn in the classroom in a real-world environment. 

"I would like to recognize these teachers because even though participating in leadership is a required activity, it is certainly not required to go above and beyond and all of these teachers have taken on the added responsibility of providing leadership on a regional level," Brisson said.

District's Pupil Services Coordinator Retires

Lori Kapolka, the district's pupil services coordinator, will retire at the end of the 2010-11 school year after nine years of service to Chippewa Valley.

"I was very disappointed, but I've accepted it," said Interim Superintendent Ron Roberts. "She's considered this before and we've always managed to get her through it and I think now she just said, 'I'm really ready to go,' and we can't convince her otherwise."

2011 Summer Tax Collection Agreement

The board approved the request of Chippewa Valley Schools to allow Clinton and Macomb townships to collect the 2011 summer taxes on the Clinton and Macomb township parcels.

In past years, Clinton Township has collected the district's summer taxes for Clinton Township and the Macomb Intermediate School District has collected for Macomb Township.

In accordance with the agreement between Chippewa Valley and Macomb Township, the latter would collect taxes on behalf of Chippewa at the cost of $1.50 per parcel. Compared to the 2010 collection by the MISD, the per-parcel cost will increase from 68 cents to $1.18. 

Were the MISD to continue collecting taxes on behalf of Chippewa Valley, they would charge the same $1.50 per-parcel cost as the township.

Clinton Township has also proposed a $1.50 per-parcel charge for 2011. The $1.50 would be broken down to $1.18 for CVS, 17 cents for the MISD and 15 cents for Macomb Community College. Chippewa Valley would pay the $1.50 per parcel and collect the contribution of the MISD and MCC.

Chippewa Valley paid Clinton Township 86 cents per parcel in 2010 and did not participate in the collection from the MISD and MCC.

Although both the process and the charge for collecting summer taxes is changing, Assistant Superintendent Scott Sederlund said not collecting summer taxes would have a significant impact on the district's cash flow.

Without the collection of summer taxes, the district would have to borrow up to $14 million to continue operations.

While the district could collect the taxes itself, Sederlund said the cost would be significantly more than allowing the townships to do so.