The Fennimore School Board held it’s annual meetings, as well as a regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at the Fennimore Elementary School Cafeteria.
Board treasurer Shelia Ruchti gave the treasurer’s report for the fiscal year, which was flowed by several approved authorizations such as the district operating a hot lunch program, transportation for students, accident insurance, and issuing of free textbooks.
From there, district bookkeeper Chad Freymiller, gave an overview of the district budget, which was highlighted by the taxable amount levied on all taxable property in the school district at $3,127, 533.
The mil rate, which is the amount of tax payable per dollar of the assessed value of a property was set and approved at $8.69, which is a decrease from last year’s rate of $9.08.
District Administrator Jane Wonderling pointed out during the regular meeting portion that the mill rate had decreased by 19% over the last six years.
Fennimore Elementary School Principal Carmen Burkum gave the board some highlights on “goings-on” at the school. Burkum stated their Friday morning assemblies have been successful with both the students and staff. The students enjoyed the STEM Shuttle mobile classroom,which brings a unique hands-on earning opportunities to students during its stop here.
Burkum thanked the Friends of Fennimore Elementary for the installation of the Gaga Pit which was installed this past summer.
Finally Burkum praised the Fennimore High School students visits to the elementary school which goes towards their graduation silver cord. Fennimore Middle/High School Principal Boone Tollefson shared Burkum sentiment that the students elementary school visits benefits both the high school and elementary school students.
On the middle school side of things, Tollefson stated to the board that the school just had another successful trip to Washington D.C., and toted the middle school’s successes with spelling and geography bees, and quiz bowl. He also praised the amount and turnout for the middle school’s co-curriculars which are “impressive” for a small, rural middle school.
For the high school, Tollefson praised the high school’s U.S. News and World Report High Schools in Wisconsin ranking in the top 6%.
The forensics team continues to be one of the best in the state, if not in the nation in his opinion.
And the recent 2023 graduating class had 32, or nearly half of the class graduate with dual college credits and eight graduating having taken part in youth apprenticeship programs.
Closing out the annual meeting portion, Wonderling said that the district, “could not do what all they do without the help from the community,” and called he community the “driving force” in the district’s successes.
During the board’s regular monthly meeting portion, Burkum gave the board information on the elementary school moving to a Standard Based Report Card for student standards testing.
The previous testing would only give a general grade for math and reading, which as she stated “is hard to interpret.”
Now, students, teachers, and parents would see what “they can do, and what they need to work on,” Burkum explained.
For example, in math a students may be proficient in addition, but needs to work on subtraction.
Information on this will be shared by teachers during the upcoming parent-teacher conferences.
The board approved the “final draft of the upcoming community survey which will be sent out to all homes in the school district in early November.
There also will be two public community survey meetings scheduled for on Nov. 15 and Nov. 29, both from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Fennimore Middle/High School Gym. The Nov. 15 meeting will be live streamed on the school’s YouTube page.
The Forming Fennimore’s Future meeting was also scheduled for Nov. 15, but Wonderling stated that meeting had been moved to Dec. 13, to accommodate the school’s public meeting date.
The board recognized three recent donations to the district. Collision Specialist’s $2,290.00 donation from its “Back To School” program to students in need, Embroidery Express’ donation of t-shirts worn by students during the recent Washington D.C. trip, and Bill Ritcher’s donation of a used car to be used in tech ed classes.
Tollefson informed the board that 30 junior and senior high school students had sent applications in for the Start College Now program, which gives students the opportunity to ern college credits while still in high school.
The board also approve the hiring of Jessica Starkey as the school nurse, following the resignation of former school nurse, Sara Peterson. Starkey had been serving as a long term sub, and is a state licensed/registered nurse.
Board treasurer Shelia Ruchti gave the treasurer’s report for the fiscal year, which was flowed by several approved authorizations such as the district operating a hot lunch program, transportation for students, accident insurance, and issuing of free textbooks.
From there, district bookkeeper Chad Freymiller, gave an overview of the district budget, which was highlighted by the taxable amount levied on all taxable property in the school district at $3,127, 533.
The mil rate, which is the amount of tax payable per dollar of the assessed value of a property was set and approved at $8.69, which is a decrease from last year’s rate of $9.08.
District Administrator Jane Wonderling pointed out during the regular meeting portion that the mill rate had decreased by 19% over the last six years.
Fennimore Elementary School Principal Carmen Burkum gave the board some highlights on “goings-on” at the school. Burkum stated their Friday morning assemblies have been successful with both the students and staff. The students enjoyed the STEM Shuttle mobile classroom,which brings a unique hands-on earning opportunities to students during its stop here.
Burkum thanked the Friends of Fennimore Elementary for the installation of the Gaga Pit which was installed this past summer.
Finally Burkum praised the Fennimore High School students visits to the elementary school which goes towards their graduation silver cord. Fennimore Middle/High School Principal Boone Tollefson shared Burkum sentiment that the students elementary school visits benefits both the high school and elementary school students.
On the middle school side of things, Tollefson stated to the board that the school just had another successful trip to Washington D.C., and toted the middle school’s successes with spelling and geography bees, and quiz bowl. He also praised the amount and turnout for the middle school’s co-curriculars which are “impressive” for a small, rural middle school.
For the high school, Tollefson praised the high school’s U.S. News and World Report High Schools in Wisconsin ranking in the top 6%.
The forensics team continues to be one of the best in the state, if not in the nation in his opinion.
And the recent 2023 graduating class had 32, or nearly half of the class graduate with dual college credits and eight graduating having taken part in youth apprenticeship programs.
Closing out the annual meeting portion, Wonderling said that the district, “could not do what all they do without the help from the community,” and called he community the “driving force” in the district’s successes.
During the board’s regular monthly meeting portion, Burkum gave the board information on the elementary school moving to a Standard Based Report Card for student standards testing.
The previous testing would only give a general grade for math and reading, which as she stated “is hard to interpret.”
Now, students, teachers, and parents would see what “they can do, and what they need to work on,” Burkum explained.
For example, in math a students may be proficient in addition, but needs to work on subtraction.
Information on this will be shared by teachers during the upcoming parent-teacher conferences.
The board approved the “final draft of the upcoming community survey which will be sent out to all homes in the school district in early November.
There also will be two public community survey meetings scheduled for on Nov. 15 and Nov. 29, both from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Fennimore Middle/High School Gym. The Nov. 15 meeting will be live streamed on the school’s YouTube page.
The Forming Fennimore’s Future meeting was also scheduled for Nov. 15, but Wonderling stated that meeting had been moved to Dec. 13, to accommodate the school’s public meeting date.
The board recognized three recent donations to the district. Collision Specialist’s $2,290.00 donation from its “Back To School” program to students in need, Embroidery Express’ donation of t-shirts worn by students during the recent Washington D.C. trip, and Bill Ritcher’s donation of a used car to be used in tech ed classes.
Tollefson informed the board that 30 junior and senior high school students had sent applications in for the Start College Now program, which gives students the opportunity to ern college credits while still in high school.
The board also approve the hiring of Jessica Starkey as the school nurse, following the resignation of former school nurse, Sara Peterson. Starkey had been serving as a long term sub, and is a state licensed/registered nurse.
Lastly, the board also approved the hiring of middle school math teacher Joe Carl as the new middle school boys’ basketball coach. Carl replaces guidance counselor Jonah Roth who recently stepped down from the coaching position.
