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MFL MarMac looks ahead to new strategic plan, elementary addition

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By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

 

MFL MarMac Superintendent Dale Crozier said he’d like the district to develop a new strategic plan next year.

 

“Our five-year strategic plan is ending this year, and I was going to not have another and let the next superintendent do it,” Crozier stated at the April 12 school board meeting. “Now, I think we should have a strategic plan.”

 

Crozier said an ideal planning group would include 25 to 30 adults along with 10 to 15 students. Rather than projecting out five years, however, he’d like the group to focus on a two- to three-year plan.

 

“That way new leadership after I’m gone won’t have to live with the shadow of the old plan for very long, or they can junk it and do it over again,” he said.

 

“If we have some short-term goals—and you know what some of the things are going to be: social/emotional development of our students, continuing to provide programs and be on the cutting edge of technology, a new athletic facility,” Crozier told the board. “I want to look at where we’re at currently, prioritize our findings, develop an implementation road map and then start enacting the strategies we come up with.”

 

One item on the current five-year strategic plan that’s yet to be completed is an elementary school addition. The project was part of last spring’s failed $7.8 million bond measure, which also included a new athletic facility in Monona and miscellaneous upgrades at the McGregor Center.

 

At the meeting, Crozier proposed waiting another six to seven months then proceeding with bidding and construction of the addition.

 

“Then we’ve got our restrooms updated, we have more common space, the new principal office and the conference room. That also helps our safety,” he said. “That will take that off the plate. Then, when we go back to the voters for the athletic facility, we won’t have to worry about the elementary addition. It will already be built.”

 

Crozier noted construction costs are currently running over 20 percent higher. He hopes waiting will give them time to drop, but stressed the addition, which was originally slated to cost around $550,000, could come in $150,000 over that amount.

 

“I hope it will go back down and we’ll be able to get it for what we thought, but probably not. I think we need to bite the bullet eventually and say, if we’re going to have an athletic facility, it might cost us $9 million instead of $7 million, and the elementary addition might be $700,000 rather than $550,000,” Crozier said.

 

District pursuing authentic learning program

At the meeting, curriculum director Eliza Philpott said MFL MarMac is determining how to implement an authentic learning program. She first brought up the offering, which was described as a “clearing house of ideas,” in February.

 

“You partner with community resources and learn outside the building and come up with ideas on how to help the community. Or [students] could come up with their own little business,” she said at that time, adding that Central and North Fayette Valley currently have similar programs.

 

“[Teacher librarian and instructional coach] Melissa Haberichter met with Ann Gritzner at Central to talk with her about how it works,” Philpott said at the April 12 meeting. “I’m really excited about what that is going to bring here, building relationships in the community and getting learning outside the building.”

 

Plans in works to meet new computer science requirements

Philpott said the district is working to implement new state computer science requirements. The K-12 plan includes offering a half credit course in computer science at the high school level by July 1, 2022. Computer science also has to be offered in at least one grade level between grades one and six, then again in grades seven and eight, by July 1, 2023.

 

“We’re just taking a look at where computer science is already offered currently, and then, if we have to make adjustments, making sure we’re adding it in or finding training,” Philpott told the board.

 

Staffing changes approved

A number of staff changes were considered at the meeting. The board accepted the resignations of paraprofessionals Leslie Henkes and Jean Pelleymounter, as well as Scott Torkelson for transportation.

 

Additionally, Payton Miller was hired for middle school science. Transfers were approved for Kaitlyn Stone-Strock to middle school music and band, Jaydeane Berns for part-time guidance and part-time vocal music and Pat Wille for physical education.

 

Other topics discussed

•The board accepted MFL MarMac’s operational sharing contracts. That includes a transportation director with Postville, curriculum director with Central and Allamakee, business teacher with Eastern Allamakee and superintendent with Eastern Allamakee. Next year, the district will not share a librarian.

•High school principal Larry Meyer said MFL MarMac’s graduation will be held in the high school gym this year and also live streamed. Masks will be required, but he was unsure if there will be a restriction on the number of people who can attend. Graduation will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 23.

•Elementary principal Kathy Koether said the district will offer summer school this year. Two weeks in June and two weeks in August are currently planned.

•Crozier reported MFL MarMac’s graduation rates for 2019 and 2020 were 100 percent. The district has typically always been in the 90s, and the state average is 92 percent. “We’re not letting too many kids slip through the cracks,” he said.

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