District to stop offering administrative staff cell phones

The Sheboygan Falls School Board voted to discontinue the district’s policy of providing cell phones to administrative staff, during a regular monthly meeting Monday, Sept. 21, in the Sheboygan Falls High School library.

The cell-phone distribution policy came under scrutiny, when NEOLA, the district’s policy management advisory firm, recommended a review of policy.

District Administrator Dave Wessel said offering cell phones to administrators raises several questions and concerns.

“The policy leaves open the possibility of staff members crossing the line between business and personal calls,” Wessel said. “Under the structure of our current policy, the district could face an audit of these calls in the future.

“The question here is whether to continue to provide cell phones and monitor the calls to separate business from non-business calls,” he said. “The another option is to offer a stipend for cell-phone purchase and use, or drop the policy altogether and have administrators use their own personal cell phones.”

Several board members spoke against offering cell phones.

“I am wondering why we are offering cell phones in the first place,” Board Member Sandy Seifert said. “I don’t think we should have any policy on this.

“Cell-phone plans are so reasonable now there is no reason why administrators can’t be expected to have their own phones,” she said.

“I don’t think taxpayers should pay for staff cell phones,” Board Member Greg Pribek said. “I think we should eliminate the policy.”

Wessel noted that many administrators either use their own personal cell phones, or are currently under contract to a plan.

After a lengthy discussion, the board voted to dissolve the policy of providing cell phones to administrative staff, following the expiration of current plan contracts.

The motion passed by a vote of 5-2, with Geise and Tom Bigler voting against.

In a related discussion, the board considered policies regarding communication between staff members and members of the school board.

Wessel said NEOLA has recommended that the district incorporate and adhere to a policy of following the proper chain of command regarding all issues relating to the business of the district.

“This refers to employees who communicate directly with School Board members about district business, without first consulting with the district administrator,” Wessel said. “NEOLA has advised us to emphasize the importance of working through the chain of command in decision-making and conflict resolution.

“The policy states that staff members who do not follow the chain of command, could face disciplinary action,” he said.

Geise and Bigler voiced their concern about the policy.

“I think it is important to follow the chain of command that is in place,” Geise said. “By the same token, we shouldn’t stifle the lines of communication.”

“My opinion is that board members should be able to talk directly with teachers and staff,” Bigler said. “I think that is an important part of communicating and addressing questions and concerns.

“It seems rather harsh to me that a staff member could be disciplined for talking to a School Board member,” he said.

The board voted to table the policy, along with three others addressing the freedom of speech of staff members in non-instructional settings.

Consideration of the policies was referred to the Policy Committee, which will return to the board with a recommendation at a later date.

In other business, the board discussed district-related provisions of the city’s Non-Motorized Transportation Grant program plan.

Seifert spoke against the planned installation of an eight-foot sidewalk on school property to the east of the high school, along Dartmouth Drive.

“I just don’t think an 8-foot sidewalk is necessary there,” Seifert said. “In the winter, city plows would push snow onto that sidewalk, and the district would need to clear it off.

“That is a large stretch of sidewalk that will take time to clear,” she said.

Wessel said the installation of the sidewalk would come at no cost to the district

“We are responsible for clearing snow on school property on Dartmouth Drive and Amherst Avenue,” he said. “However, we do not intend to spend additional money on equipment to do that.

“It is my understanding that the actual installation of the sidewalk will come at no cost to the district.”

Rick LeMahieu, lead engineer for the project, said he designed the 8-foot sidewalk with the best interests of the district in mind.

“The 8-foot sidewalk was my idea, based on the thought that the school district will be able to use any piece of equipment to clear that stretch of sidewalk,” LeMahieu said. “Anything from a regular snow plow to a pickup truck could be used to clear the area.

“Those are pieces of equipment that the school district already has,” he said. “Putting in a smaller sidewalk, such as a 5-foot sidewalk, presents more challenges and would possibly require the purchase of additional equipment.”

Bigler questioned the amount of time it would take to clear the sidewalk.

“It would not take that long to plow that area,” District Facilities Manager Len Burzynski said. “With the equipment we have, I should take no longer than 20 to 30 minutes for each significant snowfall we have.”

Board Member Vicky Bramstedt voiced her support for the 8-foot sidewalk plans

“I think we should take advantage of the fact that the eight-foot sidewalk will accommodate our current equipment,” she said. “Not to mention the increased level of safety that the sidewalk provides.”

The board held a brief discussion of the development of revised board goals for the current school year and beyond.

“We need to work on a mission statement and put goals together that we can work off of in the future,” Bigler said.

A special meeting to address board goals was tentatively set for Tuesday, Oct. 20.

The board approved establishment of a line of credit for cash-flow needs in amount of $2 million.

“In the past we have done short-term borrowing to cover occasional cash-flow needs,” Wessel said. “However, due to the current state of the economy, it is not beneficial for us to do that at this time, because interest rates are too low.

“Mary Blaha [District Business Manager] has recommended that we obtain a line of credit to address our needs,” he said. “This is something we would use as needed at the last minute for the shortest time possible.”

The board approved a motion moving the October board meeting from Monday, Oct. 19, to Monday, Oct. 26, to accommodate the anticipated reception of the final state-aid figures for the 2009-10 district budget.

A formal Read 180 update was postponed until the October meeting.

District Director of Special Education and Pupil Services Ann Roy praised the program.

“We are off to a great start with Read 180,” Roy said. “Right now, we have 18 students in the program at the high school, which is a very strong number.

“We will hear much more about the program at the October board meeting,” she said.

In personnel motions, the board granted a nine-week waiver form for Maliki Krieski, a teaching contract for new fifth-grade teacher Paul DePagter and a request for personal leave without compensation for a staff member in the special-education department.

Following a presentation from Mike Schade, special education teacher, the board approved the implementation of an Education for Employment Plan.

The state-mandated plan, which was last updated in 2004, focuses on how to best prepare students for future employment, through the introduction of post-secondary career opportunities in technical fields.

“This plan acknowledges the need to move from the presentation of vocational information to career and technical information,” Schade said. “It allows high schools and colleges to partner, in an effort to emphasize technical education.

“This has actually allowed technical education to be integrated into regular academic coursework,” he said.

Schad said according to a state mandate, each school district must update its plan every five years.

The board approved the updated plan, which will remain in place through 2014.

In the administrative reports portion of the meeting, High School Principal Dr. Chester “Bud” Pulaski presented the third Friday enrollment figures at the high school, which are used to calculate state aid for each district.

“Last year we were at 547 students and this year we were at 543 for the third Friday count. That is more students than we had anticipated,” Pulaski said. “Our senior class is down, but our enrollment in the freshman, sophomore and junior classes is up.”

Middle School Principal Meloney Markofski reported a third Friday enrollment of 527 students, compared to 507 last year.

District Director of Curriculum Jean Born said the state has announced the Wisconsin Knowledge Concepts Examination (WKCE) test will be revamped.

The test will be administered with an electronic format and be given three times a year.

Wessel discussed facilities improvement needs at the aquatic center, and the possibility of the state making 5-year-old kindergarten mandatory.

The next Sheboygan Falls School Board meeting will be held Monday, Oct. 26, at 6:30 p.m. in the Sheboygan Falls High School library.