Prairie du Chien School: Board reviews referendum timeline

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By Steve Van Kooten

 

The Prairie du Chien Board of Education conducted a working session to discuss new information for the impending operating referendum, four new committees and the possible relocation of grades 6-8 to the high school on Jan. 27.

Board members Michael Higgins, Jr., Nick Gilberts, Dustin Brewer, Lacie Anthony and Noah White were present. District Administrator Andy Banasik and principals Laura Stuckey, Mike Lindell and Doug Morris were also present. Jim Hackett was absent.

For the referendum, the school district presented a timeline from January through early April, when the four-year $7 million referendum will go to the public for a vote.

“It’s a lot to get crunched into eight to 10 weeks to get this done,” Banasik said.

The timeline included a list of informational strategies to get more information about the referendum to the public, including radio, print and social media outlets.

The district expects to create online and print surveys, which will be mailed and distributed via social media to the public before April.

The district also intends to recruit community ambassadors to help disseminate information to the public, with orientation the week of Feb. 16 and two more meetings scheduled for the weeks of March 2 and 16.

Banasik said the district can hire CESA 3 to help promote the referendum at a cost of $6,500. 

The district will also explore fundraising options to offset that cost.

 

Grades 6-8

Morris provided an update on the possible move of grades 6–8 from Bluff View to the high school. All of the ideas presented are possibilities, but the district has not decided on the move or a definitive plan to accommodate the students at the high school.

Banasik said the timeline for moving the students, if that decision was approved by the board, is also still in progress.

“The sooner the better. We understand that if we’re going to make [the move], we’ll at least have that timeline being set,” he said.

Morris said gymnastics could move from the competition gym to the area currently used by the middle school wrestling program, which in turn could use the band hall. This series of moves would create room for at least some of the Career and Technical Education Center programs at the high school rather than Bluff View.

The competition gym has high enough ceilings and available areas for programs like robotics and drone flying, according to Morris.

For special education and therapy programs, Morris said, “With attrition and/or cuts, we know we’ll have three or four classrooms that will be open, and we can move where those are so they’re centrally located so those teachers can work together, or option number two is where those central office staff [are]. All of those offices will work as well.”

 

Committees

The board approved the four proposed committees, which will include community members and board members among their rosters. Each committee can have up to three board members and will report information to the Board of Education for consideration.

The Facilities, Finance and Personnel Committee will include three board members: Gilberts, Achenbach, and Brewer. They will meet on the first Monday of each month, starting on March 3 at 5:30 p.m.

The Policy and Governance Committee currently includes two board members: Lacie Anthony and Nick Gilberts. They will meet semiannually, likely in February and August.

The Education Committee currently includes two board members: Lacie Anthony and Noah White. Banasik said they will “probably meet quarterly at the most.”

The Strategic Planning Committee currently includes two board members: Noah White and Michael Higgins, Jr. The committee will begin meeting on Feb. 4 and will have another meeting on March 11.

After April, the newest board member will have committee assignments that have not been determined.

The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 10, and the district’s next working session is scheduled for Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m. at the high school.

 

Other business

• renewed the gymnastics co-op with Fennimore for two more years. The board had to make a decision by Feb. 1.

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