School Board appoints Mongan as high school principal
The Hamilton School Board appointed Candis Mongan the new Hamilton High School principal at its April 24 meeting. Mongan, who as been associate principal and extended learning opportunities coordinator at Hamilton for the past three years, will begin her new post effective July 1. She replaces David Furrer, who announced his retirement this spring after 15 years at the high school – 12 as its principal and two as associate principal.
Mongan was hired in the district in 2001 as a transitions counselor for the high school and Templeton Middle School. In that role, she coordinated middle to high school transition activities was responsible for remedial and honor student identification and programming as well as the implementation of standardized tests. Her more recent high school responsibilities included coordination of extended learning opportunities and the accreditation planning process, supervision of several departments, applied engineering curriculum improvements, standardized testing and student attendance and disciplinary matters.
Before joining the Hamilton School District, Mongan was a school counselor and middle school teacher in Wauwatosa. She began her career as a sixth grade teacher at a private school. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary and middle education in 1992, master’s degree in counseling in 1998 and administrative license in 2003 – all from Concordia University in Mequon.
“Ms. Mongan is a strong instructional leader who will honor the accomplishments that the high school has realized while continuing to move it forward,” Superintendent Kathleen Cooke, Ph.D., said.
“She is a child advocate and a collaborative leader who will help set goals and challenge students and staff to reach higher levels,” Cooke said. “We are pleased to appoint a person of Ms. Mongan’s caliber who is an excellent problem-solver and communicator.”
Positions added to address specific student needs
Another 1.8 full-time equivalency (FTE) positions will be added to address intervention needs among students in the district.
One FTE will be added to support students who speak languages other than English in their homes. Among the 176 English Language Learners (ELL) in the district, at least 30 different languages are spoken, and the number of ELL students rises steadily each year. School Board members approved adding two half-time positions – one based at Marcy that will also serve the high school and the other housed at Templeton and serving that school along with the other three elementary schools and Willow Springs Learning Center.
The School Board also approved adding .8 FTE to increase the number of teachers providing Early Mathematics Empowerment services from 1.8 to 2.6 FTEs. The current positions are split among the four elementary schools with Lannon getting .6 FTE and the others getting .4 FTE each. The additional staffing will increase Maple’s FTE to .6 and Woodside’s to 1.0. The staffing is assigned based on number of students who are not reaching mathematics proficiency on state standardized tests.
Staffing plan
The number of full-time equivalency (FTE) teaching positions in 2006-07 will stay the same if student projections are accurate. Human Resources Assistant Superintendent Dean Schultz reported that preliminary data show the high school will have the same number of FTEs, the middle school will be up two positions and the elementary schools will drop two positions. The changes reflect a large fifth grade class that will enter sixth grade at Templeton next year.
In addition, Schultz recommended that the School Board include:
- 1.34 FTE for increased Advanced Placement offerings at the high school;
- 1.0 FTE for Special Education contingencies;
- 1.0 FTE for increased enrollment expected at the middle school; and
- .83 FTE for increased enrollment at the high school..
First draft of budget presented
Business Services Director Bryan Ruud presented the first draft of the $42.3 million budget that includes a 4.75 percent increase in expenses and keeps the mil rate at 9.5 percent. The proposed mil rate is expected to be $9.50 per $1,000 of property value. The budget was built using conservative assumptions that there will no additional state aid and the property growth rate will increase 7.6 percent. Ruud noted that because of those conservative assumptions, the mil rate may be less than the current year’s.
The School Board will approve a final budget in May to present to citizens at the June 19 Annual Meeting.
Students and staff recognized
Hamilton Principal David Furrer and business education teacher Skip Hay presented students who qualified for state competition at the Distributive Education Clubs of America conference. They made special note of two students, Anthony Joseph Kerhin and Brian Bialobrzeski, who qualified to compete at the national event. Students who were honored were Allison Umhoefer, Ashley Reimer, Dave Paton, Katherine Rodenkirk, Nichol Flynn and Phillip Laper.
Furrer credited Hay with developing a successful DECA Club that has grown from 17 to more than 100 members in the last four years.
Marcy music teacher Rodney Loren, Ph.D., was recognized for outstanding work in the field of music education. The School Board honored him for being named “Music Teacher of the Year” by the Milwaukee Civic Music Association.
Newly elected board members sworn in
Three School Board members were sworn in following their election on April 4. Lynn Kristensen, a first-time candidate attended her first meeting as a School Board member. Her seat represents Menomonee Falls. Incumbents Deborah Briggs, who ran for the Butler position, and Dawn VanAacken, whose holds the Lisbon position, also took their oaths of office.
Personnel business
In personnel business, the School Board:
- Accepted the resignation of Woodside second grade teacher Joanne Kubisch;
- Appointed Shannon Flaherty as a Templeton technology education teacher, Rebecca Tomsovic as a Templeton family and consumer education teacher, and Daniel Carey as a Templeton fitness education and health teacher; and
- Increased the half-time contracts of Templeton fitness education and health teacher John Plese and Hamilton mathematics teacher Dan Krill to full time. Each had been teaching this year under a half-time regular contract and half-time replacement contract.