Prom and Graduation draw discussion at Boyceville’s March School Board meeting
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
BOYCEVILLE — The Boyceville Board of Education had discussions about Prom and Graduation during its regular monthly meeting held Wednesday evening, March 17 in the middle school/high school IMC.
The discussion came toward the end of the meeting as Tyler Moy, high school/middle school principal, updated members on some options and dates for the events.
Moy told the board that there are still questions concerning Prom like, “What is the best time to hold it and who will run it?”
Moy stated that a parent group had stepped forward to help with the Prom preparations having already reserved a couple of dates at an outdoor venue that could host the event.
The dates that the group reserved were April 23 or 24, a Friday or Saturday, and Friday, June 11, which was after graduation.
Moy also said financing the event might pose a problem for the junior class as it currently has just $528 in its account compared to nearly $6,000 that this year’s seniors had raised for their event which never happened due to the COVID-19 lock down.
According to Moy, the outdoor venue offers hand-washing stations, socially-distanced tables and seating, a pair of open-air structures and meals for attendees. Parents would assist with keeping social-distance protocols in place throughout the event.
“This venue held all of its outdoor events last year without any issues,” noted Moy in reference to COVID.
Board member Jeremy Mittlestadt questioned the later date, saying that having it after graduation and school being done may not entice the seniors to attend. It could interfere with the spring sports and their tournaments schedules, which have been pushed back into June due to the insertion of the alternate fall sports season enacted by the WIAA due to school district’s concerns with returning to playing organized fall sports during the pandemic. This alternate season, which just got underway, runs until the end of April.
Weather was also a concern for the April date, especially if it is held outdoors.
Members discussed options to help such as providing some monetary support and transportation to and from the venue.
But Superintendent Nick Kaiser told the board that any involvement in the event would likely mean that Prom would need to adhere to the district’s current policies and procedures concerning COVID even at an outdoor site not connected to the district.
The continued discussion of Prom seemed to raise the ire of member Peter Score who spoke passionately about having a “Festival of the Arts” instead of a Prom.
He reminded his fellow board members that students in band, choir and the arts are receiving grades for these endeavors and should be able to have an opportunity to showcase their works and talents.
Score noted that the annual “Festival of the Arts” had been canceled along with many other school-sponsored events when the school shutdown last spring as the COVID-19 pandemic sweep across the country but, while many of those other events have now been scheduled to take place sometime this spring, the Festival of the Arts has not.
“I may be the Lone Ranger here,” started Score. “But, I am going to challenge each of you to reconsider.”
“I can’t support having a Prom when we are not going to do a Festival of the Arts or a live drama production,” added Score.
That prompted some more discussion on the matter but in the end the board did not take any action or give a direction instead asked Principal Moy to keep them updated on the progress of the event.
The board then moved on to discuss this year’s graduation plans which went off with little comment.
“We are planning as normal a graduation as possible,” Moy told the board.
“We will use the gym with a possible reduction in numbers,” he added.
Moy continued by telling the board that the administration is asking graduates and attendees to adhere to the district guidelines as it pertains to COVID and social distancing.
Moy also stated that he had instructed the band and choir directors to be ready for Graduation which will be held Friday evening, May 28 and will be live-streamed.
During his administrative report to the board, Moy informed members that the school’s drama club had completed its production of “Virtually Together – A Scene Showcase.”
The online-only production, which involved about a dozen students, was filmed in sections and then spliced together. Moy said that it was to premiere last Friday evening, March 19 and would run for about two weeks.
For a $6 fee, anyone can stream the play directly to their homes. Moy noted that of the $6 nearly $5 would be returned to the school and as of March 17 , the production was $200 in the black.
Moy and his elementary counterpart DeeAnn Thompson had good news to report concerning COVID numbers in the district. Moy’s report stated that there were no remote or quarantine cases in seventh through 12th grade while Thompson said that only two students were under quarantine at Tiffany Creek Elementary as of Monday, March 15.
Thompson also reported that there were currently just 11 students remote learning at TCE compared to 47 at the beginning of the school year.
During her report, Bonnie Barker, Special Education Director and School Psychologist presented the board with information on the upcoming 14th Annual World Autism Awareness Day which is April 2.
Boyceville will be looking to replace several coaches in its volleyball programs after the board accepted three resignation during the action items portion of its March agenda.
The board approved the resignations of head varsity volleyball coach Kacey Lane, C-team volleyball coach Marki Wolf, and middle school volleyball coach Holly Sweeney. Both Lane and Wolf are expecting children while Sweeney is retiring as a educator in the district. The board thanked all three for their service to the school and athletes.
During that time, the board also approved applications for the Summer and Fall 2021 Start College Now and Early College Credit programs which allows district seniors to apply for secondary educational opportunities at local universities and technical colleges with the district covering tuition costs up to 18 credits. Two students have applied for the Start College Now program with three others opting for the Early College Credit program.
Also approved by the board were the 2021-2022 CESA Shared Services contract, updates to the board policy, and a trio of donations.
The board graciously accepted a $1,700 grant from the Community Foundation of Dunn County that will be used to create 20 mental health video modules for students in kindergarten through third grade; a donation of steel siding and trim for the new softball dugout totaling $6,362.44 from Mike Knutson of Cumberland Ace Hardware and Lumber; and $500 from retired Boyceville educator Mike Kneer earmarked for the Science Olympiad program.
