Posted: 5/24/05
Touchdown club banner request denied
There wonít be any banners at Caledonia High School football games in the future.
The ISD #299 school board voted unanimously against the banner request at its May 16 meeting.
The vote came in front of a group of about 15 parents who supported the idea.
They had asked the board in April to consider the proposal to put banners on the fence around the football field during games. They said it would be a way to recognize and thank their supporters.
They had also asked if sponsors could be listed on programs that are handed out at the game, and announced during the game.
The board tabled the request in April, then had its building and grounds committee meet to discuss it further.
That committee of Mike Novak, Charlie Wray, and Barb Hurley gave the OK to the programs and announcements, and the full board followed suit on May 17.
Wray said that the board couldnít have a consistent policy if it allowed the banners, because signs are not allowed in the gymnasium.
He felt the board would also be giving one group preferential treatment if it allowed the banners.
Superintendent Mike Moriarty agreed. He said he could not personally support the signs because not everyone would benefit.
Naomi Fruechte said she had received phone calls from people opposed to the banner idea.
Jean Meyer said most of her phone calls had been positive. If one group supports its team better than other, that is to the credit of that group, she said.
Hurley said she had initially liked the idea, but her thinking changed after receiving a call from a business person. That person said if his competition put up a banner, he would feel obligated to put his sign out too, and in that case, only the football club would be receiving his money. ìWe as a board have to think of all the students,í she said.
She also praised the football club for their efforts.
Ken Frank spoke on behalf of the touchdown club. He said that all sports would benefit from the money raised from the banners. He also disagreed with Wrayís comparison to the gymnasium sign ban, saying that the building and grounds are different. He asked that the board look at the separation between the building and grounds for issues in the future.
Half-time fifth grade teacher
In other business, the board voted 6-1 to hire a half-time teacher for fifth grade for the 2005-2006 school year.
Moriarty said money had been freed up due to staff shifts and several retirements.
With the half-time teacher, next yearís fifth grade will have three sections of language arts, math, and science; and two sections of physical education, music, and social studies.
Mike Novak voted no. He said the board should hire at least a two-thirds position, or better yet a full time one. ìThereís no money issue here,î Novak said. ìThatís been resolved.î
He said when the issue had been discussed earlier, the board had agreed that the position would be reinstated if money were available. Having only two sections of social studies is shorting the social studies, Novak added.
Personnel items
The board accepted four resignations in addition to Craig Gieserís (see sidebar). They are for Chris Miron, Developmentally Adaptive Physical Education and physical education teacher; Andrew McNamara, ag teacher and FFA advisor; Dave Meyer, head boys basketball coach; and Bea Doering, middle/high school kitchen helper.
They also accepted a maternity leave request for the start of next school year for speech clinician Kellie Rhinerson.
Public comment
In the public comment portion of the meeting, Michelle Werner asked if there was a way that school board agendas could be made more public. She was speaking on behalf of a friend who had wanted to be present when the topic of all-day, every-day kindergarten had been discussed.
Charlie Wray said that anyone can call the district office and request an agenda. He said publishing them in the paper would not work because they are not ready in time for the paperís deadline.
Superintendent's assistant Karen Schiltz said that people could call her too and she could tell them what is on the agenda.
ìMy encouragement would be to come to school board meetings,î Chuck Schulte said.
Other business
ï Testing: Middle School principal Brian Doty said he would be proposing an internal group to review what to emphasize for student instruction and to make recommendations for staff development in response to the proliferation of testing that the district does. Doty will be in charge of the testing starting next year, a job that had previously been done by community education director Nancy Runningen.
Some formal structure is needed to give a better view of the testing, and to help the community and parents, and what they can do, Doty said.
ï Erosion problem: The board discussed an erosion issue on the west side of school property. They looked at a letter from Root River Soil and Water Conservation District manager Ralph Tuck that made recommendations to fix the problem. One of the recommendations was to put in a grass waterway on adjacent cropland owned by Hillary Allen. Charlie Wray said he would like the building and grounds committee to meet with Allen to discuss it.
ï No shared fence: Moriarty told the board that he had received a letter from K9 XPres owner Marcie Jensen at Caledonia Mall asking if she could tie into the school district fence for an exercise yard that she plans to build. Moriarty said he told her he would not recommend it, and that she should have her own fence. He would like to see at least a two foot setback from the school property line, which is six inches from the school fence. He said he would write a letter to Caledonia City Clerk Bob Nelson asking for the cityís input, since there are setback requirements for fences in the city. Board members agreed with Moriarty.
ï Honors on-line: High School principal Ron Helmersí report stated that 15 students had shown interest in taking an honors on-line course from Southeast Technical College in Winona. An entrance exam will be given for this at the school on May 24.
High school registration is complete, Helmers report stated. Schedules will be given to all students before the end of the school year. Helmers was absent from the meeting.
ï School-aged care: Community education director Nancy Runningen handed out results of a survey on the school offering day care for school-aged children. She also visited sites in Rushford and La Crescent, and said that they were growing and were not costing the districts any money.
The survey showed a strong indication for the potential need, Runningen said. She will bring a proposal to the board in June with staffing and budget information.
ïNew textbooks: Elementary principal Connie Hesse showed board members new math textbooks which students in grades K-12 will be using next year.
ìWe have lots of new textbooks in the studentsí hands, thanks to the referendum, so that was very powerful,î she said. An excess levy referendum that passed in 2002 is paying for new textbooks in six different subject areas: science, language arts, math, social studies, fine arts, and vocational. It started in 2003 and will finish in 2008. The math textbooks cost $80,000, Hesse said.
ï Evaluation: The board meeting was closed at the end to do an evaluation of Moriarty based on a 10-topic evaluation form. Wray said on May 18 that Moriarty met or exceeded expectations in all areas.
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