Mondovi District to take on no added costs for 2015-16 health insurance

by Beth Kraft

School districts have grown accustomed to double-digit increases for insurance policies from one year to the next, but the Mondovi District won’t be shelling out any extra funds to keep its current insurance plan next year.

District administrator Cheryl Gullicksrud was happy to announce at the Mondovi School Board meeting on Monday, May 18, that the district received a zero percent increase to renew its 2015-16 plan through Group Health.

The district was originally quoted at a 10 percent increase, Gullicksrud said, but the company later agreed to keep the Mondovi Schools’ policy costs the same as this year after reviewing its claims again.

Gullicksrud also noted she is anticipating a balanced budget for 2015-16, though it will be interesting to see the outcome of decisions that will be made on public school funding within the state’s biennial budget.

At the time of the Mondovi Board meeting, school districts from across the state were waiting to learn how decisions by the Joint Finance Committee would impact public school budgets for next year and beyond.

Due to that financial uncertainly, a decision on approving an alternative high school program at Mondovi was tabled.

Gullicksrud explained the program would assist students at risk of not graduating by offering flexible scheduling and personalized learning. Adding the program would mean the district would need to hire an additional staff member, Gullicksrud said, something the district is cautious about doing until more concrete budget figures are known for next year.

If approved, the alternative high school program would likely enter the planning stage next year.

Also that night, the Board conducted its annual reorganization resulting in shifts for three out of the four Board officer roles.

Now serving as Board president will be Ron Keys, as elected by Board members. Laura Wolf, former Board president, will return to the vice president’s role, a position she has held in the past. Jean Sandberg will replace Keys as clerk and David Dregney will continue on as treasurer.

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

• increase lifeguard salaries $1 per hour to match Fairfax Pool, $8.25/hour. Also increase WSI certified Year 1 to $8.70/hour (50 cent increase) and WSI certified Year 2 to $8.85/hour (35 cent increase)

• retirement for custodian/bus driver Tony Rohloff, a district employee for 13 years

• resignation for Shay Lehman, technology education teacher

• individual contracts for Brendan McCabe and Casey Van Pelt, elementary teachers

• increase contract for bus driver Jim Weisenbeck to .30 FTE due to addition of an afternoon route

• donation of 10 desktop computers from Marten Transport

• 2015 summer school teachers

• 2015 swimming pool program staff

• 2015-16 open enrollment applications—16 in, 11 out

• 2016 graduation date set for May 21