Gilmanton Board discusses possible upcoming maintenance projects for summer

by Dana Serum 

The yearly election results for the Gilmanton School Board officers will not look too differently for the 2015-16 year, as an unanimous motion passed to continue as is during the meeting on Monday, May 11. The officers are as follows: Daren Bauer - President, Tim Urness - Vice President, Martin Hallock - Treasurer, Tammy Olson - Clerk and Diane Ross - Member. 

The conversation moved forward concerning the open enrollment applications for the 2015-16 school year. According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction website, the inter-district public school open enrollment program allows parents to apply for their children to attend public school in a school district other than the one in which they reside. Currently at Gilmanton, there are 31 students enrolled out, and 13 in. Denk said the current projected cost to the district per students would be around $6,635 out and a revenue to the district of around $6,635 for each student in; adding that students are enrolling out from all grade levels but one. 

“Sometimes people relocate and they just don’t start here,” Principal Kory Rud said, noting the numbers will not be finalized until June. 

After the Board approved to continue the cooperative sports of track, softball and baseball with Independence High School, Rud mentioned the one downside to the co-op programs is the need of a bus driver. Rud said the school takes a van when they are able, but often times due to the number of students in middle and high school, a bus is necessary.

Later, Rud told the board of some discussion of summer maintenance projects, adding that bids or proposals will be looked in to for a majority of the jobs. Some of the projects discussed were: to replace old electrical panels that will have circuit breakers in the high school, to change some elementary carpeting to linoleum, several painting needs, updates to the high school security doors and alarm system, to redo the computer system and telephone server room near the main office by removing a wall for better air circulation and re-organizing the current equipments set up, and to update some elementary computers. 

“Expenditure and needs can change a lot from May to July,” Denk said. 

Rud also mentioned that a few school items were listed for sale in the school newsletter which will be mailed out this month: two school buses, two lunch tables and some other smaller items. 

In closing, Denk shared that the district is in good shape for its 2014-15 expenses and revenues report with the current spending of the budget before some end of the year costs near 70 percent.  The costs and expenditures in function 400,000 of $261,210.29 will occur in June plus most of the maintenance and summer project costs.

“It should be close, it might even be a little under,” Denk said. “I’m comfortable saying that I’m sure we will be close to where we need to be.” 

Later that night, the board approved the following: 

support staff resignation, Connie Loesel, employee since July 2007

Marty Hallock elected CESA #10 convention representative for 2015-16, Tim Urness as alternate 

donation of Alliance Bank debit card payout