PTSA  &  PTO COUNCIL MINUTES
24 February 1999
Jefferson School

Those present: Julie Rehberg, Sharon and Jim Menzel, Kris Reinecke, Blia Yang, Judy Pflugradt, Larry Weiser, Pam Bork, Colette Swiech, Lynne Carlson, Barb Ruesch, Carol Weston, Bill Hettler, Marilyn Cornwell, Randy Peelen, Mark Koepke, Trish Cal Baker, Michele Byella, Lynn Holborn, Chuck Iberg, Susan Zach (secretary)

Minutes of last PTSA and Board meetings approved unanimously.

Minutes of last PTO Council meeting approved unanimously.

Treasurer’s Report: Colette Swiech reported that the PTSA has a total of $l,736.70 in its account. The PTSA made payments totaling $397.09, and received $389.00. The PTSA account is now at the Pineries Bank.

No Treasurer’s Report from PTO Council. Treasurer was absent.

Correspondence: Announcement of "Bright Kids" presentation, 3-9-99

Public forum on implications of w-2 on childcare, 4-22-99

Tony Gordon’s memo opening his technology training sessions to the community: 3-39 and 3-30, "Intro. To Kid Pix" at Bannach School

Video of Local School Funding Forum on Web at ptsa.org.

By-Laws Up-date: Our local PTSA unit by-laws need up-dating.  Proposed changes were handed out in the packets; please review as they will be discussed at our next meeting.

Pam Bork, Principal of Jefferson School, welcomed us all and discussed three grants she has recently applied for:

1. SAGE – implemented this year. Brings class size to 15:1.
2. A grant to establish collaborative governance
3. An after-school programming grant, which would mainly use the funding for tutoring. Community grants are also available – any PTSA members with grant-writing skills???

Report on Assembly Bill 94, which seeks to repeal and amend some of the provisions of  legislation pertaining to Wisconsin State Testing. Bill was introduced by Luther

Olsen, et al. (E-mail: Rep.Olsen@legis.state.wi.us). It was brought up that our PTSA could sponsor a community forum on this, and

that there are grants available from the state PTSA.

 School Board Report: School Board liaison, Barb Ruesch, answered questions about the financial status of the district and recently announced budget cuts. She reported that there seems to be no real push for a referendum at this time among Board members, neither for a referendum to exceed revenue caps, nor for a referendum on building projects.

 Collaboration on Referendum on School Funding: Most of the meeting dealt with this agenda item. After much discussion, members voted to present a statement from the PTSA at the next School Board Meeting on March 8, 7:00 p.m., Bliss Center. Members also planned to attend the Finance Committee Meeting on March 1. The draft statement is: The PTSA, which represents parents and students in all the schools in the district, supports our School Board going to referendum on two issues:

                    1) Building up-grades at the elementary and secondary levels

                     2) Exceeding the operational budget

This statement will be revised and will include the PTSA’s intent to enlist the support of community leaders and organizations. Strategies will include letters to the editor, calling Board members, presentations at organizations about town, small group discussions, tours of school facilities, recruiting key leaders.  The statement will also include a sense of urgency, since the state will pay 2/3 of the costs of these referendums. The PTSA sees this as a window of opportunity which may close in the future.

 

Next meetings: PTO Council: March 22 at 7:00 p.m. at McKinley School

Joint PTO Council and PTSA: April 28, 6:30 p.m. at Jackson School

PTO Council: May 19, 7:00 p.m., Madison School

webmaster@ptsa.org