By LeAnn R. Ralph
ELK MOUND — The Elk Mound Board of Education has finalized the community survey that will be mailed to residents in the school district to find out which projects they would support at the high school and middle school.
The school board finalized the surveys at the September 16 meeting after holding two focus groups sessions earlier this month — one at the high school and one at the middle school.
Luke Schultz of CESA 10 attended the board meeting to talk about the focus group meetings.
CESA 10 completed facilities studies for the school district.
Approximately 45 to 50 people attended the two meetings to find out more information and to discuss their thoughts and ideas, Schultz said.
Potential projects at Elk Mound High School include moving the weight room to the band/choir room, building an addition for band/choir or demolishing the swimming pool and remodeling the space for band/choir, adding a girls’ athletic locker room and updating the other locker rooms, remodeling the metal and wood shop areas and updating infrastructure, such as boilers and control systems.
Potential projects at Elk Mound Middle School would include updating the gymnasium.
School district officials were pleased with the focus group turnouts, said Eric Wright, district administrator.
Now that the survey has been finalized, surveys will be sent out to school district residents October 1.
Residents in the district will have until October 21 to fill out and return the surveys.
People can fill out the survey in paper form, or they can go online and fill out a survey, Wright said.
Typically, there will be one survey filled out per household, but if a husband and wife, for example, have very different ideas about how the survey should be answered, they can ask for an additional survey, he said.
School Perceptions will be presenting the results of the survey on October 28 at 6 p.m. in the Elk Mound High School auditorium.
The Elk Mound Board of Education’s October meeting will follow the presentation.
Other business
In other business, the Elk Mound Board of Education:
• Recognized Jennifer George for her notable educational contributions. George is a history teacher at Elk Mound High School and also works with students on Academic Career Planning (ACP). She is always working to develop good relationships with students, and “we are fortunate to have her in our district,” Wright said.
• Approved increasing substitute teacher pay from $110 per day to $120 per day, with a half-day rate going from $55 per day to $60 per day.
During a closed session, the Board of Education:
• Approved hiring Wendy Erdman as a crossing guard.
• Approved hiring Brandon Powell as the Elk Mound High School Science Olympiad advisor.
• Approved hiring Ryan DeRoeck as the middle school basketball coach for one year.
