School Board Bits: No Class on Veterans Day; Fees Stay Flat for '11-12

Academic Calendar

The District 122 Board of Education approved next year's academic calendar 6-0, but there were still a few talking points.

The first day of class is Monday, Aug. 22, and school gets out Friday, June 1, 2012, pending any snow days. Thanksgiving break is Nov. 24-25; winter break is Thursday, Dec. 22 through Wednesday, Jan. 4; and spring break is April 6-13, 2012.

School is off for most holidays, including Veterans Day this year. There was some debate last year whether school should be in session on Nov. 11, but most people seemed happy with the when school was in session this year to honor the veterans. The district is talking about switching off years to do big events every other year and have school off the next.

Personnel Update

The district is looking into how many employees will resign, retire or take leave so it can reassign people whose next year. Assistant Superintendent Peggy Manville has been reviewing the figures with all principals and updated the board Wednesday.

Two long-term substitute teachers were approved, Erica Archey and Jeanne Demma, both at . Two teachers resigned last month: Karen Blaze, a special education teacher at , and Michelle Michels, a second-grade teacher at . Melissa Thulin, a reading teacher at , will resign effective June 30.

Sally Wieclaw, the district's payroll clerk, will retire June 30 and her position will not be filled. Five teachers in the district have requested family medical leave or parenting leave.

No Change to Fees

After increasing fees for busing, activities and hot lunches last year, the district approved keeping all fees flat this year. Registration fees will remain at $285 for grades 3-8, $280 for grades 1-2, $275 for kindergarten and $160 for the Early Childhood program.

Activity fees will stay at $60 for band and orchestra and $25 for everything else. Because the state no longer reimburses the district for about 80 families who live within 1.5 miles of their school, those families had to pay a new $280 fee this year. This year, the board to $380.

Printing/Copying Plan

The board also approved a plan to reduce printing and copying costs to save about $43,000 annually. The plan includes putting all copiers under one maintenance agreement and reducing the number of black/white laser printers from 246 to 85 throughout the entire district.

Do-Not-Resuscitate Policy

The board approved a policy regarding what to do when a student goes into cardiac arrest and whether there are do-not-resuscitate orders.

The policy had been read at two previous board meetings and there were no public comments regarding it. Under law, signatures from parents or legal guardians, a physician and two witnesses are required to honor do-not-resuscitate orders.

If the district receives these orders, a school nurse will verify them and the school will conference with the parents or legal guardians. At a previous meeting, administrators said this policy is the same as the Special Education District 843 and it's been reviewed by the district's attorney.