Proposed intramural program has too many ‘hidden costs’
By Tracy Ouellette
Editor
The East Troy Middle School athletic program will remain in place for the 2015-16 school year. The East Troy School Board voted unanimously May 11 to fund the sports program through the Fund 80 account instead of switching to an intramural program that had been suggested as part of the recent budget cuts.
Middle School Principal Peter Syens and High School Principal Rick Penniston came to the board May 11 to detail some of the problems they had encountered in switching over to an intramural program – namely the inability of the eighth graders to play at the high school level, which was originally thought to be allowed.
Penniston told the board after some research, he was told that eighth graders could practice with the high schools teams, but not compete with them.
Penniston said two other school districts he had talked to about this had decided to fund their middle school sports program out of the Fund 80, or Community Service Fund, after he had told them the East Troy School Board had considered the option, but decided against it.
“I brought it to them and we’re not doing it,” Penniston said.
Because of the recent loosening of Fund 80 guidelines, school districts can us the fund for middle school sports program is the programs are open to students from parochial and private schools in the district’s boundaries. The East Troy Middle School sport program is already open to those students, so using the funding from the Community Service Fund would not be an issue.
After some discussion by the board, the members voted to fund the Middle School sports out of Fund 80.
Construction update
The board also heard from Matt Wolfert of Bray Architects about the progress on new elementary school and other district improvements approved by the voters in the April 7 referendum.
Bray said the architects have been meeting with staff at the High School and elementary schools to discuss needs and how the new facility and renovations can meet them.
School Board member Martha Bresler asked Wolfert if there would be special consideration to local contractors if they wanted to. She said it was one of the reasons the district selected Miron Construction as the general contractor in the first place, because they use local contractors.
Bray said if the board wanted to, individual projects could be broken out for local contractors who wish to bid on them.
District Administrator Chris Hibner said there will be a stakeholders meeting with area businesses at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, in the High School library, to discuss the vision the community has for the technology improvements at the High School and possible future apprenticeship programs once those new spaces are available for use.
“We just need to know what that area can do for the kids once they leave high school,” Hibner said. “We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, we just need to find what works for us.”
