Many assume summer is a quiet time for schools, but School Board meetings continued throughout the summer months. Following are key actions taken at June, July and August meetings.
Strategic Plan has 4 priority areas
School Board members reviewed the district’s 2017-2020 Strategic Plan that includes the four priority areas of:
- systems and learning assessment;
- social and emotional wellness;
- workforce and organizational wellness; and
- facility and technology long-range planning.
The new Strategic Plan was created May 16 and 24 by 40 district stakeholders including students, parents, community members and employees.
Employee handbooks revised
Employee handbooks were revised that:
- allow teachers, administrative assistants, confidential support staff and paraprofessionals to wear jeans and spirit wear each Friday;
- clarified how unused “unplanned time off” will be dispersed at the end of the school year;
- aligned Family Medical Leave Act language with legal counsel recommendations; and
- adjusted holidays for cooks, associate kitchen staff and paraprofessionals.
Plans, reports, handbooks approved
The School Board approved updated district documents including “Special Education Procedures Handbook,” “Emergency Nursing Services Policies and Procedures,” “Bloodborne Pathogens Procedures,” “Family and Consumer Education Curriculum,” “Education for Employment Plan,” “New Teacher Induction and Coaching Program”
Human Resources Director John Roubik and Instructional Services Supervisor Katie Little, Ph.D., presented reports on the district’s intervention programs for non-proficient students and employee supervision and evaluation. The School Board also approved 2017-18 academic standards.
Approved student handbooks include a description about school lunch accounts and notifications that parents receive when a student’s account has a low fund balance.
43 join district
The Hamilton School District will start the 2017-18 school year with 43 new employees and 19 familiar faces in different positions or locations. Hamilton High School hired the most new staff with 8.5, followed by Templeton with 7, Marcy with 6.5, Woodside with 5, Maple Avenue and Lannon with 4 each and Willow Springs with 2. In addition, 19 employees transferred to different positions.
Personnel business
In personnel business, the School Board:
- approved 1.6-2 percent salary increases for 16 positions that are paid hourly or per diem;
- modified contracts of Hamilton social studies teacher Kameron Cerroni form 67 to 84 percent, Marcy speech pathologist Anne Hayden form 90 to 100 percent, Lannon physical education teacher Mark Formanek from 80 to 83 percent, Marcy physical education teacher Devon Hauser from 40 to 46 percent, Woodside art teacher Becky Vitek-Vaughn from 91 to 100 percent, Marcy art teacher Katie Cormican from 78 to 81 percent, Lannon technology integrator Julie Kleist from 50 to 54 percent, Templeton choral teacher Megan Menzel from 44 to 50 percent, Hamilton guidance counselor Tricia Rigg from 100 to 70 percent and Hamilton guidance counselor Helen Geracie from 70 to 100 percent.
- granted retirement requests of Lannon associate kitchen employee Cathy Bertram, Marcy speech pathologist Katherine Schiele, Woodside library media specialist Eve Bruce and Hamilton custodian Richard Adams;
- accepted resignations of Templeton special service paraprofessional Sarah Pichler, Hamilton special service teacher Kathryn Foy, Templeton paraprofessional Matthew Nicolai, Maple Avenue cook Christine Jakubic, Woodside special services paraprofessional Susan Passow, Maple Avenue paraprofessional Jennifer Johnson, Maple Avenue physical education teacher Amanda Magalska, Marcy special service paraprofessional Maria Sfanos, Hamilton special education teacher James Nelson, Maple Avenue paraprofessional Kelly Downs, Marcy special services paraprofessional Elisabeth Leach, Marcy literacy interventionist Amanda Lindstedt, Willow Spring special services paraprofessional Karin Kinzel and Lannon grade 5 teacher Melissa Remmel.