Mondovi Board approves utility tractor purchase; alternative education program, 2016-17 school calendar discussed

by Beth Kraft

The Mondovi School Board voted 5-1 in favor of replacing the district’s 30-year-old John Deere utility tractor with the same brand at its regular monthly meeting on Monday, March 28.

The district received three bids for a new utility tractor, which is used for mowing and other large maintenance tasks on school grounds. The Board approved the recommendation made by Superintendent Greg Corning to purchase a John Deere utility tractor from Tractor Central, Mondovi, for just over $30,000.

The bid was higher than those received by Lindstrom Equipment for a Massey-Ferguson tractor ($29,000) and from Value Implement for a Kubota tractor ($28,700), but Corning and the majority of Board members agreed other variables should be factored in to the decision besides the price alone.

Corning cited a strong working relationship with Tractor Central that provides the school with free use of a Gator for cross country meets and equipment for other events, like FFA activities. Any necessary service for the tractor would be right down the road as well.

It also comes down to simple math. While the district could have saved a few thousand dollars by going with a lower bid, Corning explains the district hopes to get 30 years out of the new John Deere tractor as it did the last one, which comes down to a difference of about $60 a year.

“What Tractor Central donates back to us is easily $500 worth of return,” said Corning of the local business’ assistance each year. “In our opinion that $60 extra is more than gained back.”

Additionally, the district needs a tractor with a 60-inch mower deck in order for it to fit on the district’s current trailer to transport it to Anthony Elementary, which was offered in the Tractor Central bid.

Board member Steve Williamson cast the lone ‘no’ vote, explaining that he was concerned that the specs of the tractors in the quotes varied quite a bit.

The seventh Board member, Jean Sandberg, was absent from the meeting that night.

Developing an alternative education program was also discussed further by the Board that night with input sought from middle/high school Principal Michael Bruning.

A few other Dunn-St. Croix Conference schools have alternative education programs to provide credit recovery options with individualized programming for students who may not otherwise graduate, Bruning explained.

“There are those kids that need something a little bit different,” he said.

MHS currently has remediation/credit recovery options, but it would be beneficial to add an alternative program for the roughly 20-25 kids who are behind on graduation credits, Bruning said. The catch is the anticipated cost of the program, he added, noting the school would likely need to hire another teacher to run it.

The program could also be designed to expand into an enrichment program eventually.

The Board plans to continue to brainstorm and discuss alternative education options.

The Board also approved the 2016-17 school calendar that night, which included some discussion regarding the last day of school on June 8, 2017, being a little on the late side.

Board member Barrett Brenner, who served on the calendar committee, said he didn’t have a problem with the calendar the group came up with, but he wondered if there was a way to eliminate some of the individual days off during the school year to allow students to get out for summer break earlier.

Corning said the district looks at other area school calendars and also considers days parents might have off work when devising its own school calendar.

A state-mandated rule that pushes the first possible day of school to Sept. 1 or after and teacher contracts set at 190 days makes it difficult to get out much earlier, Corning added. Additionally, the 2016-17 calendar is similar to the district’s 2011-12 calendar in terms of where school breaks fall, he said. The last day of school that year was June 7.

Changes are coming to the elementary summer school schedule this year, as presented to the Board by elementary Principal Paul Franzwa.

The 2016 summer school schedule will feature a two weeks on, two weeks off format with many of the sports classes moved to a new afternoon session to get kids to stay all day.

More information will be shared with parents within the coming month.

Also that night, Mondovi Police Chief Scott Smith visited the meeting to fill Board members in on recent discussions between city leaders and a local ATV club about opening all Mondovi streets to use by ATVs and UTVs.

The fact that ATVs could soon be in use around the school, particularly on Jackson Street, was something Smith said he felt school leaders should be aware of going forward.

A public hearing on the issue is set for Tuesday, April 12, at the Mondovi City Hall beginning at 6:30 p.m.

As part of his report, Corning advised the Board that new tables for the cafeteria arrived over spring break, giving the cafeteria a fresh, new look.

Updates for the building’s security system, including an additional camera for the parking lot/bus garage area between Jackson and Franklin streets as well as one more camera in the building, were set to be completed last week. High cost transportation aid dollars funded the additional purchases, Corning said.

Minutes from the Board’s special session on March 14 were also approved by the Board, which included the resignation of high school chemistry teacher Dan Linse. A half-time request that accompanied Linse’s resignation letter was denied by the Board, 5-0.

In other business that night, the Board approved the following:

• individual resignation for Lori Vetterkind, C-Team volleyball coach

• individual contracts for Lori Vetterkind, JV volleyball coach; Cherylin Yealey, C-Team volleyball coach; Randy Pongratz, assistant varsity football coach; Emily Erickson, assistant varsity track coach

• high school band and choir trip to New York City, to coincide with 2017 spring break

• gifts/donations—television for the Buffalo Lobby, donated by The Locker Room; anonymous donation to the Music Department

• 66.0301 contract with Durand for occupational therapist