By Amber Hayden
BOYCEVILLE — The Boyceville Board of Education has approved the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) high school Aviation curriculum for freshmen.
“Beginning next year, we would like to offer freshmen the opportunity to take either Physical Science or the AOPA High School ninth grade curriculum,” middle/high school principal Tyler Moy said. “The science team feels this is the best place to start and see what the interest is,” he said at the school board’s January 15 meeting.
High school Science and Math reacher Andy Hamm would be the instructor for the year long, one credit course that will satisfy the first year science credit.
The new curriculum is aligned with the Next Generation Science standards and Common Core state standards for Mathematics.
“We are hoping for a 50/50 split on numbers for both Physical Science and the Aviation class,” Moy explained. “We had tried to offer a half credit class that was going to be put together by Mr. Hamm and there was not a ton of interest.”
The cost for the new curriculum is free to the school as long as they update AOPA with how many students took the class and how they are doing, AOPA does state that schools should plan for a cost of materials at $1,500 for 20-25 students, but the curriculum is only developed through sophomore year.
Moy noted that junior and senior year curriculum was in the process of being developed by AOPA, and that part of the senior class will be with the students as the pilots.
There is one student, however, taking an online aviation course and will have his license at the end of the second semester, according to Moy.
“We want to give that opportunity and chance to the freshmen,” Moy said. “If we have about half the class we will run one of each, if they sign up just for physical science we will run two physical science.”
Audit
After the 2019 audit, the Boyceville School District was pleased to hear they were still operating in the black.
Kim Shult presented the board with the audit packet showing that the unassigned general fund balance was at 36.47 percent, or enough funding for four and a half months, compared to where the government prefers districts to be at 17 percent or two months.
Shult also explained that Boyceville was operating under the maximum recommended bond rating at 9.33 percent, which is due to the regular payments the district has continued to make toward the general long-term debt.
D.A.R.E.
Superintendent Nick Kaiser stated that the TCE fifth grade students would resume the D.A.R.E. Program in the spring as Dunn County Sheriff Department officer Rebecca Merryfield has moved into the role.
Previously, retired Dunn County Sheriff’s Deputy Rod Dicus had been the D.A.R.E. Officer for Boyceville, but Dicus retired in February of 2019. This left the program in limbo until a new officer was appointed or a new program was added that was similar.
During the meeting the board of education:
• Approved Erika Sudbrink as a bus route driver.
• Approved April Stoveren as the Middle School Girls Basketball coach.
• Approved additional out-of-state and overnight field trips.
• Approved the 2020-2021 school calendar.
The Boyceville Board of Education will meet again on February 19, 2020 at 6 p.m.
