By Dennis Morgan
Co-Publisher
Policies.
A public body can’t function without policies to dictate how to handle any situation which may arise.
The District #18 Board of Education, meeting last week, dealt with their fair share of policies during a meeting which lasted just over an hour.
Following four public hearings, all six board members voted to approve the following policies:
• Policy 504.19 Student Fees. EPS Superintendent Mike Brockhaus said the school no longer collects student fees. The only collection the school is currently involved in is partial payment for the blue FFA jackets members wear.
The auditor recommended in the past closing the student fee fund which they’ve been doing the past two years with funds moved to the general fund, then to the activities fund. There is very little money left in the student fees account now.
• Policy 504.10 Bullying Prevention. Brockhaus said a three-person administrative team consisting of himself, K-12 principal Greg Wemhoff and Guidance Counselor Sonia Rittscher handle issues when they arise.
• Policy 1005.03 Parent Involvement. Noting how the school board has been fortunate not having issues where 40+ people show up to voice their concerns, Brockhaus said the school provides many opportunities for parents to become involved in their child’s academics.
• Policy 508.13 Wellness. Nothing major to discuss, the superintendent said, noting how some minor changes have been made. “It’s good to look at every year,” Board President Lisa Welding said.
As if that wasn’t enough, the board then approved on first reading policies involving non-resident student option enrollment; standards for acceptance/rejection of option enrollment students; and an option enrollment resolution.
Brockhaus said new requirements handed down from the state will require option enrollment applications to be acted on no later than October 15 for the next school year. An example would be October 15, 2023 for the 2024/25 school year. Also, he said the board must notify the parents of the decision by certified mail with an explanation for the decision they made.
Other policies approved on first reading involve weapons and student organizations, behavioral points of contact, part-time enrollment and foster care transportation. Second round approval will be considered at the July meeting with final approval expected to come in August.
The other item of note from the meeting involved the matter of purchasing of Hudl cameras being tabled. Athletic Director Trent Ostransky told the board how Hudl cameras could be used for live streaming of sports and other activities at the school as well as other benefits offered through the service. Brockhaus indicated a number of businesses have offered financial support for purchase of the cameras which would allow people to watch school sports and other events on their computer or television. The matter was tabled to allow time for school officials to speak to Pope John/St. Boniface representatives to gauge their willingness to participate through Hudl.
For information on other action taken by the board, see this week’s edition of the Elgin Review.
