By Annette Aubinger
Editor
ASHWAUBENON – A second reading of the Ashwaubenon School District’s open enrollment policy came before the school board on Wednesday, Jan. 10.
Superintendent Brian Hanes told the board by law every year a review needs to happen for the open enrollment policy prior to the start of the open enrollment application period.
Two policies were reviewed.
The eligibility of resident/nonresident students is a policy for determining the eligibility of students to attend the schools of Ashwaubenon.
The open enrollment program policy states the district will participate in the Wisconsin Public School Open Enrollment Program in accordance with applicable law and the relevant policies and rules of the district.
Both policies were approved by the board.
After the policies were approved the board discussed the availability of open enrollment seats in the district.
Keith Lucius, assistant superintendent and business director for the district discussed with the board open enrollment available seats designation.
Lucius said it is a challenge to see how many seat designations are available in the district.
The district needs to look at how many students are leaving and needs enough room for move-ins.
Lucius said there are 347 open seats.
The number was based on maximum enrollment and actual enrollment.
Open seats for the district are the following: Cormier 4K-60, Cormier kdg-50, Pioneer kdg-0, Pioneer grade 1-14, Pioneer grade 2-18, Pioneer grade 3-3, Pioneer grade 4-3, Pioneer grade 5-4, Valley View kdg-0, Valley View grade 1-12, Valley View grade 2-15, Valley View grade 3-17, Valley View grade4-8, Valley View grade 5-4, Parkview grades 6, 7, 8-63, high school grades 9-12-91.
Lucius said the district does not expect to receive the maximum number of requests and some of the seats could be filled with students that move into the district.
The district can approve additional students in June if additional seats open due to students moving out of the district.
The district currently has 74 open enrollment students that are seniors this school year.
That means the district needs 74 new students to have the same number of open enrollment students next year.
There are no open enrollment seats in the special education area.
In a memo to the board it stated that open enrollment provides additional revenue for the district.
This revenue is from the state and does not impact the amount of the property tax levy.
State open enrollment aid will offset cost of accepting new open enrollment students.
The board approved the open enrollment seats as presented.
Board approves retirement
The board approved the request from Teresa Schroepfer from her full-time music choral instructor position with the district effective at the end of the 2017-2018 school year.
Schroepfer qualifies for the early retirement provisions by the district.
She has been with the district for 30 years.
PAC update
Hanes gave an updated report on the PAC.
To date, 20,305 people have attended programs.
The position of part-time director and administrative assistant will be opened later in January.
The 2018-19 series and other events are in the planning stages now.
The high school has been working with the administrator and the dates of next year’s high school musical has been determined as part of the events.
The next performance is this Friday, Jan. 19, Frank’s Tribute and All Star Band.
The show after that is Feb. 2, Recycled Percussion.
Superintendent interviews
Hanes publicly thanked the community for their comments on the superintendent search.
More than 300 people provided attributes.
Questions are being worked on.
It is anticipated there won’t be as many applicants as expected for the position.
There will only be three superintendent search meetings instead of four.