WASB delegates turn down resolution for providing universal free school lunches
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — Delegates at the Wisconsin Association of School Board’s delegate assembly at the convention in January failed only one resolution out of 19 — the resolution to provide universal free lunches for school children.
Ken Neuburg, a member of the Colfax Board of Education and the board’s representative to the WASB delegate assembly, reported on the resolutions at the school board’s February 13 meeting.
Out of the 19 resolutions, the only resolution that failed pertained to universal free school lunches, Neuburg said.
Even though the state has a $7 billion surplus, there are better places to put the money than schools where parents can afford to pay for lunches for their children, Neuburg said.
The resolution failed on a vote of 101 “yes” to 130 “no,” he said.
Neuburg said that he had been among those who voted against the resolution.
According to the resolution, “WASB supports state supplemental funding sufficient to establish a universal free school meal program, enabling all students, regardless of family income, to receive free school meals at all schools, regardless of participation in the federal school meals program.”
The resolution goes on to say, “Proper nutrition plays an important role in preparing students mentally, physically, and emotionally for learning. Having the federal government provide money so that all students could eat during the pandemic greatly increased the number of meals served and provided access to balanced nutritional meals to many children who otherwise might not have had such food and it eliminated the stigma attached to free and reduced-price meals. It also eliminated schools having to deal with the issues of school meal debt or students who cannot afford to pay for their meal on any given school day. Having the state supplement or reimburse schools for the difference between the federal reimbursement and the cost of the meals would avoid these issues and enable all students attending a school participating in the federal school meals program to eat for free regardless of their family’s income level.”
Voting
Of the 421 public school districts in Wisconsin, 291 were present for the delegate assembly, which constituted a quorum, Neuburg said.
In other years, the delegate assembly has used electronic voting so that attendees could immediately see how many had voted for and how many had voted against a particular resolution, he said.
This year, assembly delegates used yellow paddles to vote, Neuburg said, except for the vote on the free school lunches.
By 4:39 the afternoon of January 18, only 239 delegates remained. If the assembly loses the quorum, then voting stops on the resolutions, Neuburg said.
By 5:30 p.m. that day, only 208 delegates remained, which was not a quorum, he said.
This may have been the first time in the history of the convention that the delegate assembly did not get through all of the resolutions, Neuburg said.
Ken Bjork, school board member, wondered why there were so many school districts that did not have delegates at the delegate assembly.
In years past, there have been 315 of 320 delegates, Neuburg said
Bjork wondered if the school districts were ever asked why the school board did not have a representative at the assembly.
“No, but they should,”Neuburg replied.
Jaclyn Ackerlund, school board member, said she was surprised by the number of schools that had only one or two board members attending the convention.
The Colfax Board of Education had all members at the convention, she said.
Neuburg said he had taken a tour of Vincent High School in Milwaukee, which was a school of agricultural sciences.
Subjects taught at the school included horticulture, food science, animal science, agri-business and more, he said.
In terms of agriculture education, “Colfax has a lot going for it,” Neuburg said.
Resolutions
Other resolutions approved at the delegate assembly included:
Amending an existing resolution: WASB further supports state high-cost transportation categorical aid for sparsely populated, geographically large school districts with per pupil transportation costs above the statewide average in addition to the transportation categorical aid paid to all districts.
Amending an existing resolution to include “voter education” as part of a well-rounded education. According to the resolution, “Voting in local, state, and national elections is regarded as a responsibility of our citizens. Educating students about this responsibility is one component of ensuring that our graduates are college, career, community, and civic ready. There is evidence from the world of political science and public policy research that life-long voting habits are formed in childhood and adolescence.
Amending an existing resolution that funding for charter schools not authorized by the local school board comes directly from the state and not from deductions in aid to the resident school district or a first draw on school equalization aids.
Repealing an existing resolution that reads, “WASB supports legislation which gives school districts IEP-Team appeal recourse in cases where the parent refuses to accept a program for a handicapped child when recommended by the IEP-Team under Chapter 115.”
Repealing and recreating an existing resolution to read, “WASB supports ensuring the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for a student with a disability is not infringed by discriminatory disciplinary policies.”
Approving a resolution supporting legislation to change parent contracts for the transportation of private school students from a “per pupil” payment to a “per household” payment if there is more than one eligible student being transported to the same private school.
Amending a resolution to include technical education in Career and Technical education aid and to included energy and sustainability CTE in school districts. WASB supports state funding for, among other things, startup costs, staff training/certifications coordinator positions, and development of a transition readiness program for students with disabilities.
Repealing a resolution pertaining to private schools participating in patently choice programs to accept and provide services to students with disabilities with additional state funding for the education of these students. The resolution is outdated because it was created prior to the Special Needs Scholarship Program.
Approving a resolution that “WASB supports state and local investment in preservice learning, training and ongoing professional development for all educators to meet the needs of students with disabilities across all general education settings.”
Approving a resolution that, “WASB supports legislation to provide all teaching license applicants with an alternative pathway to licensure that does not require passage of the Foundations of Reading Test (FORT) …Passing the FORT can be a costly and time-consuming process, with a relatively high failure rate, especially among teacher license applicants of color and applicants whose first language is not English.
Approving a resolution that “WASB supports that school personnel who resign from their position with a school district or CESA following the completion of their signed contract and have reasonable assurance of continued employment for the next contract year or school year, and subsequently accept a contract for the following academic year with another district or CESA, are not eligible for Unemployment Compensation since there is no gap in employment or expected loss of income.”
Adding language to a resolution that WASB supports all levels of government, private organizations, businesses and families in providing prevention, early intervention or other programs to address problems, such as gangs, violence, bullying and harassment (including by means of technology), poverty, homelessness, hunger, unemployment and any and all forms of discrimination, racism and injustice that are being manifested in our communities, which would help enable schools to focus on academic and not extracurricular endeavors.
Amending an existing resolution so that it reads, WASB supports legislation intended to ensure the safety of attending school and school-sponsored activities. The WASB will support legislation limiting or prohibiting the purchase or possession by children of all firearms, knives, spring guns, air guns, and other weapons on school grounds. The WASB will also supports legislation requiring school officials to be notified of the disposition of legal cases involving juveniles found guilty of weapons violations, assaults and other crimes which resulted or could have resulted in injury to others. The WASB supports safe learning environments for all children, free of guns and other weapons. Further, the WASB opposes any initiatives at the local municipal, state or federal level that would legalize any further ability for anyone, with the exception of sworn law enforcement officers, to bring a weapon or possess a weapon, including a facsimile or “look alike” weapon, concealed or otherwise, in school zones or lessen the consequences for violation of existing safe school policies relating to guns and other weapons regardless of CCW license holding status. Decisions about whether CCW licensees may possess weapons in school buildings must remain exclusively in the hands of the locally elected school board which governs the school. Notwithstanding the preceding, the WASB recognizes and supports the desirability of clarifying and aligning state law with the allowable exceptions in federal law for school-sponsored activities such as trap shooting teams.
Approved creating a resolution that WASB opposes attempts by federal agencies to impose policy mandates or edicts on local school districts and/or to withhold or threaten to withhold any school program funding through the issuance of “guidance” documents that are really enforcement documents in disguise.
Approved creating a resolution that WASB supports efforts to provide federal and state funds that will be targeted to fund local districts’ efforts to address learning loss caused by a disaster or emergency that affects large portions of the state, such as COVID-19.