Posted: 3/22/05
School Board accepts seven resignations; crossing lights coming
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
Several very familiar faces will be missing in Caledonia schools next year.
The Caledonia School Board, meeting on March 14 in the middle/high school media center, approved the resignations of five staff members effective the end of this school year. They are:
ï Keith Hollatz, high school math teacher (35 years of service);
ï Betty DeWitz, business education teacher (25 years);
ï Karolina Schuldt, elementary special education assistant (26 years);
ï Jeni Burg, elementary secretary (five years); and
ï Diane Hauser, elementary special educational assistant (three years).
The board also accepted two other resignations, Shari Bestul, a 10-year counselor, effective immediately; and Nancy Messner, middle/high school cook, effective March 18.
Concession stand discussed
Last weekís special meeting was held to give the board time to discuss how to manage the proposed concession stand near the football field.
The Caledonia Rotary Club is trying to raise $90,000 to have the concession stand/bathroom built by this fall.
Superintendent Michael Moriarty said the board could have booster clubs, student activity groups, or a private contractor manage the stand.
Board members talked about the pros and cons of the first two choices. No one liked the third idea of a private party doing it for a percentage of the profits.
Several members stressed the importance of having booster clubs because that helps sports and gets parents involved. Barb Hurley said she liked the second idea of student activity groups because the money raised could go to all groups. She said she supports sports boosters, but that that money goes to individual sports and some sports like golf canít benefit.
The board agreed with the suggestion of Mike Novak, who said the idea should be discussed by a committee with coaches and parents participating. Thatís what the board decided to do. Hurley and Mary Frank will represent the school board.
The committee will also discuss whether a fee should be charged to the groups. Chuck Schulte said he was in favor of a fee to pay for upkeep on the building, rather than have he money come from the general fund.
Four period day
The other major discussion item at last weekís meeting was whether to change the high school block scheduling.
Moriarty passed out a sample of a modified block schedule that La Crosse Central High School uses. He plugged in Caledoniaís schedule and found that it would work.
High School principal Ron Helmers added that he had a tentative proposal for implementing a modified block schedule in the 2006-2007 school year in the subjects of Spanish, math, and biology. These classes would benefit from shorter periods, he said.
The math/Spanish proposal would also allow math to be offered on a full year basis during the freshman year, starting in 2006-2007, and it would address the need for additional Spanish offerings.
The math/biology proposal would attempt to offer math and biology on a full-year basis during the studentís sophomore year starting in 2006-2007.
There are pros and cons of block scheduling, in which the school day is divided into four 90-minute periods, versus a seven or eight period day, and these were discussed at the meeting.
Project-oriented classes work well with block scheduling, with less movement, quieter halls, and fewer discipline problems, Helmers said. But some classes are better in shorter classes, he said.
ìEvery type of schedule you develop, thereís a weakness,î he said.
La Crosse Centralís approach has eight period days on Monday, Thursday, and Friday, and ìextended learning daysî of four periods on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
ìItís going to be a little more complicated for some kids to keep track of, and some parents,î Helmers said.
Having a seven period day would save the district about $100,000, Moriarty said, because it would take two fewer staff members. But there would be fewer opportunities with it because fewer classes would be offered, Moriarty feels. ìItís not that simple,î he said. ìI really donít know the answers.î
Moriarty said he wanted to bring the board up to speed on the subject. He said the next step would be to get the staff involved.
Crossing lights
The board voted to approve paying the City of Caledonia $6,000 over a two-year period for two sets of flashing crossing lights at the intersection of Esch/Foltz Drive and Highway 44. This is half the cost; the city will pay the other half.
School board member Naomi Fruechte, who also works as a crossing guard, said the lights will get driversí attention and slow them down. But she warned that there are still stupid drivers who will not slow down no matter what.
Chuck Schulte also liked the idea. ìI would hate to think weíd lose a good road guard,î he said, which brought smiles from other board members, particularly Fruechte. He added that the state, which is now willing to pay an estimated $10,000 in engineering costs for the lights, had come 180 degrees on the project.
Fruechte abstained from the otherwise unanimous vote.
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