Hurley School plans overflow parking lot

By TOM LAVENTURE

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HURLEY, Wis. — The Hurley School District Board of Education on Monday started the process of doubling the school’s parking capacity.

The board 4-0 directed the administration to get bid estimates on the cost of removing a section of trees and creating a gravel overflow parking lot adjacent to the existing paved lot. The lot would have space for 130 to 140 vehicles to nearly double the approximately 150 existing spots.

Board member Andy Laurin was not present.

The action followed discussion at previous meetings over the concern that parking during large school events filled so much road space that it would be difficult for buses and public safety vehicles to access the school.

In the school administrator’s report, Kevin Genisot said the staff are prioritizing items they would like to include with a student safety and security grant application.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has selected the school district for an audit. The audit is an unfunded mandate that will cost the school $2,700.

The Wisconsin DPI also selected the school district for study on the impact of retirement benefits of employees on the school district. This is an unfunded two-year study that will cost the school district $4,100.

In the custodial manager’s report, Bill Trcka said that a new kiln for the art room was installed. New controllers for the security system were installed and are expected to transition to the new system in March.

In other board discussion, the members directed Genisot to draft a policy on board members attending meetings via electronic communication such as conference phone or video. The board agreed with an attorney letter recommending that to avoid liability issues to state in writing that attending a meeting through electronic communication and not being physically present is authorized and in accordance with open meeting policy.

The board also added language that a board member attending remotely by audio or video conference would not be allowed to vote or attend an executive session at that meeting.

The board scheduled a special meeting for 5:30 p.m. March 24 to hear proposals from three health insurance companies and four furniture vendors. Each vendor will bring samples and have a brief presentation followed by discussion.

Leslie Kolesar, treasurer, spoke of her experience attending the recent annual State Education Convention of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards. She was pleased to have been able to attend sessions on school finance, vaping, working with different personality types, mascot changes and school lunch programs.

The conference voted on 17 resolutions that will serve as reference material for education officials at the Wisconsin state capitol. These included more funding for English language learning programs, transportation aid in high poverty areas, social worker licensing and a Native American mascot ban.

“It was a great opportunity to network,” she said.

Scott Diehl, from MC Power Companies, presented the board with grant incentives and other options to install a 297 kilowatt photovoltaic solar panel system on the Hurley School grounds that he said would provide more than half of the school’s power needs. The cost would be approximately $530,000.

Joseph Simonich, board president, said he disagreed with the savings estimates, saying they didn’t adequately account for weather, maintenance, snow and the amount of sunlight. He said the board would research similar solar systems in northern Wisconsin to determine effectiveness and revisit the issue at the next board meeting.

Another board discussion topic was on when to close debate and call for a vote. The topic was put on the agenda to address situations when the board president should call for a vote on a pending motion when some members may still want to present questions or comments.

One community member addressed the board during the public comment period. His concern was that electronic learning was preventing youth from learning cursive writing, spelling, geography or history as strongly as they might need in the future.

Steven Lombardo, the pre-kindergarten to grade 5 principal, said students begin learning to write in cursive in the third grade. Kids, as much as adults, are writing less with so much digital communication but there there is still a focus on the fundamentals in the school district, he said.

Melissa Oja, Hurley grade 6-12 principal, said that grammar was covered adequately in English classes. There is some emphasis on other subjects, such as geography in the eighth grade, and four credits of history in the senior year, she said.

In her report, Oja said the statewide ACT plus writing exam will be held Tuesday, March 3. Students will be testing in the classroom setting rather than as a large group in the gymnasium.

“Students reported that the change to the classroom setting last year was more conducive to the test environment, and the classrooms provided a level of comfort and familiarity during the high-stakes exam,” Oja said in the report.

In other action the board approved an $11,511 bid from LaForce, Inc., for the purchase of four security doors to install in the school auditorium. The board also went into executive session.

Items to be placed on the March 16 meeting agenda include an offer to sell the school district 70 acres of land adjoining the school property.