Cuts Upheld at Schools, Busing Changes Could Mean a Longer Walk

Recommended staffing non-renewals from the Muskego-Norway School District will stand, as board members voted unanimously Monday night to cut two part-time middle school math coaches and a part-time elementary teacher, as well as reducing the hours for one middle school Spanish teacher and an art teacher. In addition, a teaching position on layoff for the current year will remain as such in the coming 2012-13 year.

The board approved the contracts for two positions in the Special Education Department, with full time services for occupational therapy (OT) as well as up to 30 hours per week for a physical therapist (PT) in the 2012-2013 school year. Each position's hourly rate was increased by $1, at $43 per hour for OT services and $50 per hour for PT.

Open enrollment policies were revised and approved as well. Decisions on full time applications have been pushed back to April 30 (v. the third Friday in February), and the deadline for applying now set to the last weekday of April.

Accepted applicants will receive a letter from the district "on or before the first Friday following the first Monday in June" for their specific school or program notifying them of their acceptance.

Transportation policy changes were relatively minor, however the word "practicable" with regard to the decisions on where bus stops would be located generated some concern from member Eric Schroeder, who thought the phrasing gave "too much latitude."

Elementary students can be expected to walk a maximum distance of one-quarter mile from their home to the bus stop, but "whenever practicable" the stops would be closers. Serdynski said parents may have a different definition of what that would be.

However, Superintendent Dr. Joe Schroeder said the bus company was as much focused on best practices for safety as parents. Treasurer Dean Strom agreed, saying that the first week of school is when the most route changes are made because the schools and the bus company are reacting to these concerns.

The PTO had donated nearly $5,000 for the leasing of 30 laptops, prompting Strom to question why the district isn't paying for items like this.

Schroeder said that it's a reality that "we have limited resources, and unfortunately not every request can be met."

Tammy Gibbons, Director of School Performance agreed, saying that it's often the case that PTOs will come up with the idea and approach the prinicipals rather than vice versa. In addition, she said there is a replacement cycle for technology equipment, and at times schools would like to go over and above that policy.

Unanimous approvals were given on all of the above items.