BV School Board hears reports about athletic programs, area property values increase
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By Renee Bettendorf
BOYCEVILLE-At their meeting held on December 18 the Boyceville school board heard a fall sports report from athletic director Brian Roemhild.
“We had another amazing fall season across the board,” said Roemhild.
According to Roemhild, the number of high school athletes participating in fall sports this year was down a bit from last year, but this was probably due to the small size of the senior class. In the middle school fall athletic participation was up this year.
For high school fall sports there were 31 kids out for football, 17 for cross country, 20 in volleyball, 12 in cheerleading and five in dance. In the middle school there were 29 out for football, 23 in volleyball and 23 in cross country.
Roemhild spent some time recognizing the high school teams and top athletes. He noted that Zoey Hellendrung was first team all conference and Delaney Olson was honorable mention all conference in volleyball. The varsity team finished the season at 8-17 and it looks like numbers in the program should remain the same over the next few years with five to eight out per class.
In cross country the girls’ team were conference champs for the second year in a row, sectional champs for the first time in school history and took tenth at state. Blake Jeske was first team all conference and set a new school record. Ellie Engeman, Halle Tonn, Ashlyn Maska, Brooklyn Talmage and Michael Montgomery were second team all conference.
“The cross country team had an amazing season this year,” said Roemhild.
He is expecting participation in cross country to climb due to a strong middle school program that also had a lot of success this past season.
Football had a fine season with varsity finishing 11-2 and JV finishing 8-0. The varsity team were the sectional champs and made it to the level four playoffs state semifinals both for the first time in school history and many individual and team records were broken.
Several members of the team earned honorable mention, first team or second team all conference selection status, they were: Oliver Hoff, Nate Jensen, Landyn Leslie, Jon Madison, Zach Hellendrung, Carson Roemhild, Owen Konsti and Jake Bialzik. Carson Roemhild was named conference player of the year, offense for the second year in a row, Ryker Benitz, Jake Bialzik and Oliver Hoff received academic all state individual awards and the team as a whole received academic all state honors as well.
In high school winter sports, Roemhild reported that there are 17 in boys basketball, 14 in girls basketball, 16 wrestlers, six cheerleaders and no dance team. In the middle school there are currently 17 in boys basketball, 14 in girls basketball and 15 to 20 wrestlers.
Roemhild said that participation in winter sports has been down ever since the pandemic.
“Winter is the one that didn’t come back from covid,” he said.
In his written report Roemhild listed a number of events and activities the athletic department was involved in last fall and are planning for this winter. One event on the list he highlighted was the hosting of the Dunn/St. Croix conference cross country meet. He gave special thanks to Joan Klassen for all her work on that event.
“Without Joan that would not be possible, she does an amazing job,” he said.
Other highlights on his list included; the high school basketball teams will play at the Target Center on January 4 and will attend a Timberwolves game this winter and the wrestlers just returned from a two day tournament in Wisconsin Dells where varsity and junior varsity competed.
More Reports
In his report to the board district administrator Nick Kaiser spoke about the increase in property taxes and how it is not related to the referendum. He said that over the past two years there was an increase of 25% and 8% in property value in the district. As a result, property taxes were impacted.
“That did have an impact on your taxes, but just to be clear that is not a referendum impact,” he said.
Kaiser said that the school can’t control what they get in state aid. When property values go up by that much the state adjusts what they give to districts in aid. In the past the district was funded 68% by state aid and that went down to 62% and the extra six percent shifted to local taxes.
Kaiser updated the board on planning for referendum projects that will occur next summer. He said the bidding process is currently underway for roofing projects, elevator replacement and brick work.
Also in his report Kaiser thanked the music department for the MS/HS and TCE Chiristmas concerts, thanked the custodian team for all their work in getting events set up and cleaned up and said there was good attendance at the annual staff holiday luncheon.
Later in the meeting Kaiser told the board about a fundraising opportunity that has been offered to the district by the Bridge Stop gas station in Wheeler. The station is interested in designating one of their gas pumps as a ‘bulldog pump’. The pump would be decorated in school colors and for each purchase at that pump the station would donate a certain amount of money to the school. The board approved giving the station permission to create the fundraiser.
In his report to the board, middle/high school principal Pat Gretzlock told the board about recent staff professional development that’s been taking place. Staff have been analyzing the district’s accountability report card which was issued by the department of public instruction last month. They are looking at data from the report card and standardized tests and having conversations on how they can improve programming and curriculum resources.
“There’s a can-do attitude right now,” he said of the staff.
On one of their inservice days staff spent four hours of training in the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) within instruction. William Grube, of Gruvy Education presented staff with a general overview of AI and provided them with opportunities to engage with ChatGPT, said Gretzlock. They also learned about other AI resources geared toward education.
Gretzlock reported that he went to the Dunn County truancy committee meeting held earlier this month at the judicial center. A number of administrators from the county attended and learned about truancy trends in the county. An interesting fact he learned at the meeting was that while the overall national attendance rate continues to decline, students across Dunn County are attending more frequently, with less truancy referrals being made.
He said that as of December 11, BHS had an overall attendance rate of 98% and the middle school’s rate is 99.1%. He noted that 70 students in the middle school had perfect attendance during the month of November which accounts for 43.2% of the middle school student body.
“Incredible…well above the state average…higher than everyone else in the county. So, we’re doing something right,” said Gretzlock of attendance.
TCE principal Jerim DesJarlais told the board that K through third grade staff and special education staff were recently trained on how to administer the AIMSWeb assessments as mandated by Act 20. Others worked with Paula Moore from CESA 11 on math essential standards, ‘I can’ statements and some worked on identifying essential vocabulary.
DesJarlais reported that the TCE positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) committee has been very busy. They organized a penny drive last month that raised more than double what last year’s penny drive raised; talked with students about bus expectations, proper cold weather recess clothing and organized Christmas parties and other related activities.
“Our PBIS committee has been planning some really fun things,” he said.
Recently some district administrators and staff from both TCE and the middle school reviewed four math curriculum resource options as part of the math curriculum adoption process, said DesJarlais. They will meet again next month where representatives from two of the publishers will be presenting to provide more insight into what each curriculum offers.
In her report to the board special education director Rebecca Hanestad spoke about how pleased she is with staff. A few recent highlights were; another student met the criteria to be dismissed from special ed; another successful Little Bulldogs Playground occurred; HS/MS special education teacher Mrs. Lange’s class put on a Thanksgiving feast and the 4K Chiristmas party was well attended.
“We have such amazing staff,” she said.
In other business the Boyceville school board:
• Heard from DeAnna Westphal of Mosaic Technologies about a grant her company is applying for to get broadband internet to parts of Hay River township.
• Accepted the resignation of Wanda Feldman as an elementary paraprofessional.
• Approved hiring Shelly Bodsberg as a part-time elementary paraprofessional.
• Approved hiring Monica Miranda as wrestling cheerleader advisor.
• Accepted a $1,000 donation from Terry and Bev Mitchell to be used to support FFA student needs.
