Delavan-Darien school district to hold special meeting to approve lease
By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
The Delavan-Darien School Board voted on May 13 to hold a special meeting on May 29 at 7 p.m. to allow residents of the district to vote on a lease agreement with Kristen and Marc Marseo to operate a childcare center at Wileman Elementary School.
The board previously voted to reopen Darien Elementary School for the 2019-20 school year for grades 3 and 4 and rename it Darien Intermediate School. The board also approved moving the current programing at Wileman to Turtle Creek Elementary in anticipation of opening a childcare center at Wileman.
District Administrator Jill Sorbie said the board found out from its attorney that a public meeting much like the annual meeting must be held to approve the lease agreement because Wileman is a public building.
Sorbie has sought a childcare option at Wileman as a way to keep potential young Comets from leaving the district through open enrollment. The district has been losing many students in past years who never attended the district.
The Marseos currently operate a small childcare center in Waterford that they plan to close, a larger facility in Salem, and a larger facility in Elkhorn called TLC, The Learning Curve. The Delavan facility will be called TLC Little Comets Learning Center.
According to the agreement, the Marseos would rent 45 percent of the building including five classrooms, the gym, the library, and the kitchen facility. The rest of the building would be used for storage of district items the district currently stores in Darien or in a storage facility at a cost.
The center will pay $5,500 a month in rent plus 45 percent of utility costs. The center will also be billed by the district for lawn care and snow removal.
Bus routes revised
The board approved an amended contract with Dousman Transport that will save the district $110,000 next year. Sorbie said some bus routes were revised and two were cut resulting in the savings.
When asked how that could be done while still serving the needs of the students, Sorbie said students will not be on the buses any longer than they currently are and may actually average a few minutes less on the buses. She also said there would be no shuttle buses, so students will not have to take more than one bus to get to school or home unless they are attending a wrap-around childcare program. Bus stops will be located at Wileman and Turtle Creek for wrap-around care.
“The district is looking at every aspect to save money,” Sorbie said.
New hires continue
Sorbie said the district has hired about half of the new teachers it needs to hire for the 2019-20 school year. She said the referendum that was passed in November allowed the district to hire 18 new teachers to alleviate the overcrowded classes that resulted from the layoffs the district was forced to make last year.
Due to retirements and some teachers choosing to leave the district, Sorbie said the district will end up hiring about 30 teachers.
District earns kudos
Sorbie recognized the efforts of all of the teachers and staff members who helped out on May 13 when the district hosted Representative Tyler August and Senator Steve Nass for tours of the district and discussions about issues the district is facing.
Sorbie also recognized Kelly Pickel for her work during her first year as Director of Career and Occupations.
Sorbie also said the district received an award from the Walworth County Sheriff Department for allowing the several area departments to train at Darien Elementary School this year while the school was closed.
I couldn’t find the meeting. This article didn’t say where the meeting was. It was not posted in the Municipal Building, nor the library. There was only one car at Wileman. I’m sure the School Board meets somewhere regularly, but I don’t know where that is. As a matter of fact, I do approve of leasing Wileman, but I would have liked to state that in person to support the Board.