Elk Mound school board gives go-ahead to apply for COPS Hiring Program grant
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By LeAnn R.Ralph
ELK MOUND — The Elk Mound Board of Education has approved a memorandum-of-understanding with the Village of Elk Mound to apply for a COPS Hiring Program grant available through the United States Department of Justice.
The Board of Education agreed to put the school district’s name on the grant application at the April 24 meeting for money that would be used by the Elk Mound Police Department to hire a school resource officer.
If the grant is awarded, then the school board will make a decision about whether to accept the money because at this point, the school board does not know what the state Legislature will do about education funding in the next two-year state budget, said Eric Wright, district administrator.
Conditions of the grant are to hire one full-time police officer. The COPS Hiring Program grant provides $125,000 over three years, and 25 percent of the applications receive the funding, according to information from the Elk Mound Village Board meeting on March 20.
A full-time police officer would cost in the neighborhood of $70,000 and $80,000 per year with benefits.
The officer would be a sworn officer with the Elk Mound Police Department and would be an employee of the department. The school district would pay for the police officer for the in-school time.
The resource officer assigned to the school district could cover events when stationed at the school so that another officer would not have to be there, such as for sporting events.
If there was an emergency situation, such as a multi-vehicle accident, the school resource officer could respond to other emergencies in the community.
Grant applications are due by the end of May.
The grant would require a five-year commitment, three years for the grant and the last two years from Elk Mound.
If the grant is awarded, but the amount is half of what was on the application, then that would be a game-changer, Wright said.
If the grant is awarded, then the Board of Education will re-evaluate the position of the school district and whether the district can participate in the program, he said.
Reorganizational meeting
Prior to the regular school board meeting, the Board of Education held the reorganizational meeting.
Incumbent Tim Sivertson and candidates Kayla M. Lombard and Troy A. Koser were on the ballot in the April 4 election and took the oath of office.
The Board of Education again elected Tim Sivertson as president and Mark Oas as vice-president.
Holley Sweeney was elected as clerk.
Gary Bodenburg was elected again as treasurer.
The Board of Education appointed Eric Wright to act as deputy clerk as needed.
Sweeney was appointed to serve as Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) meeting representative.
Bodenburg was appointed as the Wisconsin Association of School Boards convention delegate.
Mary Strand was again appointed as recording secretary for the Board of Education.
Other business
In other business, the Elk Mound Board of Education:
• Approved summer school course offerings. Many of the summer school courses will be the same as in the past and will be included in the school district’s May newsletter.
• Approved health insurance with Security Health Plan for the 2023-2024 school year with a 9 percent increase in the premiums.
• Approved on a second reading the Neola policy on advertising and commercial activities.
• Approved holding a thrift sale in June. The dates and times will be included in the school district’s June newsletter.
• Approved no increase for employee compensation until there is more information available on the state budget.
• Learned the staff recognition luncheon will be held on May 22 and that the Board of Education meeting will follow immediately at 5 p.m.
• Accepted the resignation of Abe Ferguson, middle school teacher, and Lucas Audorff, technology education teacher.
• Accepted the resignation of Billy LaBoy, custodian.
• Decided to leave the Board of Education e-mail address as is. With new members on the Board of Education, school board members were asked if they wanted their own separate e-mail addresses. Board members decided to leave the e-mail address as board@elkmound.k12.wi.us.
• Learned that the chiller, paving, doors and various hardware will be installed this summer.
• Learned that Grandparents Day will be May 5 at Mound View Elementary.
• Learned that Animals on the Lawn will be May 9.
• Learned the the Mound View Elementary PTO Carnival will be held May 12.
• Learned that the Elk Mound Middle School concert will be May 23.
• Learned that eighth grade graduation will be June 1.
• Learned that the Baccalaureate service for the Class of 2023 will be at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist church.
• Learned that Honors Night will be May 17 at 7 p.m.
• Learned that graduation will be May 19 at 8 p.m.
Following a closed session, the Elk Mound Board of Education:
• Approved individual teacher contracts for the 2023-2024 school year and approved support staff assignments.
• Approved Andrea Rosenthal as the student representative on the Board of Education.
The Elk Mound Board of Education’s June meeting will be held on June 19 at 7 p.m.