Colfax school board renews cooperative agreement with Bloomer for gymnastics
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — The Colfax Board of Eduction has renewed the cooperative agreement with the Bloomer school district for gymnastics, which includes adding the Cadott school district to the agreement.
Colfax has had a cooperative agreement with Bloomer for gymnastics for a couple of years, said William C. Yingst Jr., district administrator, at the Colfax school board’s December 16 meeting.
Cadott would like to join the cooperative agreement, and Bloomer has already approved adding Cadott, he said, noting that he does not know how many gymnastics students Cadott would add to the program.
The Cadott Community School District has a few more than 800 students. The Colfax school district has about 725 students. The Bloomer school district has about 1,200 students.
This year, Colfax has one student out for gymnastics, Yingst said.
If the Colfax school board approves the cooperative with the addition of Cadott, that means Colfax will be splitting the cost of the program three ways instead of paying half of the costs, he said.
Is participation from Colfax students expected for the 2025-2026 school year? asked Jacklyn Ackerlund, school board member.
“All indications” is that there will be participation from Colfax in the 2025-2026 school year, Yingst said.
The Colfax Board of Education unanimously approved the cooperative agreement for gymnastics.
Voting in favor of the motion were school board president Todd Kragness, and school board members Andrew De Moe, Jodi Kiekhafer, Ken Bjork, Kyle Knutson, Jacklyn Ackerlund and Ken Neuburg.
The Colfax school board approved the first gymnastics cooperative agreement with Bloomer in March of 2022 on a two-year trial basis.
The cost estimate for Colfax to participate in gymnastics in March of 2022 was $5,000.
Broadband Task Force
During his report, Yingst noted that the Dunn County Broadband Task Force, on which he serves, has made quite a lot of progress.
There are a few places southeast of Colfax that need better internet service yet, he said.
The district is becoming covered “pretty well” with high-speed fiber optic internet service, which benefits families, students, businesses and people who work from home, Yingst said.
40 years
Yingst also reported that Colfax Board of Education member Ken Bjork will be recognized at the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) convention in January for 40 years of service on the school board.
Viral stacking
Many readers have probably experienced this at one time or another: you come down with a respiratory virus, and it hangs on for weeks or maybe a month or more.
Yingst said he had learned that this is called “viral stacking” from Erica Vosters, the school district nurse.
People are almost recovered from one virus, then they contract another virus and then maybe another virus, he said.
School staff seem to dealing with many instances of viral stacking this year and almost seem like they have a walking-pneumonia type of illness, Yingst said.
Kathy Dunbar, school district resident, asked if posters have been put up around school about hand-washing, since frequent washing of the hands is one of the best ways to avoid spreading illnesses.
Yes, there are posters up, Yingst replied.
There have been many cases of illness at Colfax Elementary this year, too, Hovde said.
It seems like a “balancing act,” Bjork said.
Students have to be at school in order to learn, but we do not want them at school if they are sick, he said.
Other business
In other business, the Colfax Board of Education:
• Learned that school staff members have raised $2,000 for families in the school district who are in need of assistance by paying $5 for “Jeans Day’ to “pay” for wearing jeans to school on a particular day. Staff are not required to participate, but they usually do participate, said John Dachel, principal at Colfax High School.
• Learned that the Science Olympiad team competed at the meet in Boyceville and that the Colfax team finished 12 out of 28 teams. There were 3,000 competitors all together, Dachel said.
• Learned that the high school mentoring program participants are meeting regularly with elementary students who have been recommended to participate in the mentoring program.
• Learned that elementary students in third grade through eighth grade will participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee again this year through CESA 11. The school-wide spelling bee will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, January 9.
• Learned that adult crossing guard week will be February 17 to 21. Usually the crossing guard recognition event is held in January. Elementary students are invited to write notes of appreciation to Colfax crossing guard, Wendy Lausted. Trevor Hovde, principal at Colfax Elementary, assumes crossing guard duties for one morning during the week to give the crossing guard a break from the cold weather.
• Learned that 50 students were sponsored for the Christmas Giving Tree. Gifts arrived the week of December 2, and the Giving Tree Committee packed them so that families could pick them up the week of December 9. Enough donations were received so that each family received a gift certificate to Viking Bowl for bowling and pizza, said Polly Rudi, pupil services director and director of special education.
• Learned that the Colfax school district receives an average of $102,185 per year by billing Medicaid for medically based services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy and attendant care. Speech and language staff do most of the billing and receive time each month to work on it. The Colfax school district began billing Medicaid in 2018, Rudi said.
• Learned that Colfax High School student Leila Hurlburt will be a student correspondent taking photos and conducting interviews for the school district’s social media sites. The students who participate will receive training about posting on social media platforms.
• Learned that all school offices will be closed from Monday, December 23, through Wednesday, January 1. School resume on January 2.
• Learned that the staff recognition awards banquet is scheduled at the Whitetail Golf Course on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
• Learned that the open enrollment application period is from Monday, February 3, until Tuesday, April 30 for the 2025-2026 school year.