2016-17 Boyceville School Tax Levy approved by board

BOYCEVILLE — The School Board approved the tax levy and mill rate for the 2016-2017 school year at their meeting Monday evening, October 24th. The school’s tax levy of $3,137,543 is just 1.9 percent higher than last year’s tax levy.

District Superintendent Kevin Sipple explained that the levy mirrors the figures that were presented at the district’s annual meeting held on October 10th. Last year the district had a 14.5 percent reduction in the tax levy, which Sipple credited to the district having refinanced the school’s debt.

The tax levy will support the total school budget of $11,801,999. Of the total budget, $996,496 will be used to pay down the referendum debt with another $46,477 payment on a non-referendum debt. According to information presented at the annual meeting the debt service fund will decrease to $7,901,644.

Sipple explained to the board that the district would be getting a little less state aid because of three items that affect the budget. They include that the debt is lower, property values are up, but the school enrollment is down a little. In his report to the board, Sipple stated: “we had 730 attending in the district on the 3rd Friday in September.”

Property values in the school district increased over five percent this year, which followed a five and a half percent increase from the previous year. The equalized value in the Boyceville School District is $284,335,850. The last three years have seen the equalized value increase, but the previous four years the valuation declined. The equalized value peeked in 2008 at $285,999,115.

In other action the school board approved an expenditure to spray coat the track that circles the football field. The bid from Fisher Tracks include two structural spray layers and then color-coded metric striping per National Federation of State High School Associations. During the board discussion on the track, Sipple noted that when the track was installed in 2009, the school knew this item was needed to be done at a future time. He told the board that the work would be done next summer after the spring track season is over.

The cost of the track work was bid in at $65,708, with Sipple noting that a year ago the cost was $1,200 less and if the district waited, the cost would increase. Sipple praised the school staff for their work in keeping the track in good shape.

In her report to the board, Bonnie Barker, the School’s Director of Special Education/School Psychologist told the board that she just returned from the State Superintendent’s Conference on Special Education and Pupil Services at Wisconsin Dells. “I appreciate being allowed to attend the conference,” she told the board and then highlighted several items from the conference.

Baker also presented the board with a eight page form called “Individualized Education Program” and noted that these forms will be required to be used starting in January. “But, I don’t like to wait, so we are using them now,” she told the board. She indicated that it takes about four hours to complete one form. “The form asks good questions,” she told the board. “Not only to the staff, but to parents.”

Middle and High School Principal Steve Glocke informed the board that over the next two to three weeks all students in grade 6-11 would be introduced to a new software program called “Career Cruising”. It has been approved by the DPI for the Academic and Career plans. “It will allow student to collect all their needed information into one package as they move onto college,” he told the board.

Glocke also noted that the Drama Club will be presenting a one-act play called, “14 Ways to Screw Up a College Interview.” The play is set for this Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. He also informed the board that the school had a simulated drill with an active shooter/intruder with the students practicing the principles of ALiCE, the new county wide protocol for dealing with this type of incident.

Glocke also noted that three Middle School students, Nathan Corr, Grace Edlin and Connor Sempf would be participating in the Shell Lake Honors Band.

Elementary Principal Nick Kaiser spoke about the book program at the elementary school that is funded with a grant. The program is for K through Third grade and provides books for those grades. He noted that the school has more points in the program than the student can use and “we suggested that those points could be shared with upper grades.” He noted to the board that the company running the program never thought about moving points to share. He also noted that they had a great attendance at the parent/teacher conferences.

In his report Sipple reminded the board that their next meeting is set for Monday, November 7th. “This is to allow time for deer hunting and Thanksgiving. He also reminded the board about the coming winter season and the schools guideline about inclement weather and that information can be found on the school’s website under Parent Resources/Emergency Closing/Delays. “It’s a good review for all,” Sipple noted.

He also said that he had the privilege of touring the school building with 15 to 18 members of the Class of 1958. “I enjoyed their company and the stories they had.”

The board accepted the resignation of Jordon Anderson as Middle School Wrestling coach. Board President Tim Sempf praised Anderson for his hard work and energy on behalf of the district.

The board also accepted two grants, each in the amount of $2,000. One was from the Ann Marie Foundation, which was used to defray the cost of the Anti-Bullying speaker, and the other was from the 2016 Alfalfa Fest.