School board renews health insurance, postpones aciion on teacher salaries

At their regular meeting Monday March 17, the Hayward Community School Board approved employee health insurance coverage renewal with Health Partners for a premium increase of 7 percent for 2025-26 with no changes in the deductibles.

The district pays 95% of the premium and the employee pays 5%. The total premium increase will be $371,213.

But the board tabled action on proposed teacher and support staff salary increases for 2025-26, in order to discuss the topic further and act at their April 21 meeting.

The board's Finance Committee has recommended a teacher salary package increase of 3.123%, with an increase of 1% ($700) per "cell" of experience and professional development. Chairman Dr. Harry Malcolm said the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is 2.95%.

"We have worked to keep salaries equal to or slightly above comparable with other northwestern Wisconsin school districts," Malcolm said.

The Finance Committee also is recommending a 1 percent increase for co-curricular salaries, including athletic coaches and club advisors.

Malcolm said the 2025-26 school district budget is projected to have a $2.47 million deficit, which is "not unexpected." He said funding for the General Fund will experience a decline due to the federal Covid relief ESSER III Funding coming to an end, an estimated decline in student enrollment, the completion of the referendum project, and the fact that the state Biennial budget for 2025-27 has not been set.

Malcolm reported that the school district has 1,679 students as of the third week in January.

Also Monday, the board approved a change in the high school class rank and honor system, as recommended by administrators, to emphasize academic rigor and make it simpler for students to qualify for college scholarships.

The change eliminates the Laude (honors) system and moves Hayward High School back to ranking students based on cumulative grade point average (GPA).

Also Monday, Hayward Foundation for Educational Enrichment (HFEE) representatives highlighted two recent grants:

—A $4,550 grant to middle school vocal music and choir teacher Karin Jones to purchase a digital piano. The piano allows students co create their own compositions and record separate tracks on instruments to enhance the performance.—A $2,526 grant to high school Family and Consumer Education teacher Jeanette Alcoe to purchase Real Care Baby dolls for the parenting class. Students Robert Housel and Ricky Earle demonstrated how the dolls work.

Community member Darlene Kirchdoerfer asked how the cuts in the U.S. Department of Education have affected the Hayward Community Schools.

Supt. Craig Olson responded that "It hasn't impacted us at all. There are so many unknowns at the federal level."

Olson added that "What has impacted us is declining enrollment and (the expiration of)" the federal COVID relief funds known as ESSR, which were used for academic interventions.

Two Northern Waters Environmental School (NWES) students presented a "Be the 1" award to teacher Mike Lewandowski

School Resource Officer (SRO) Matt Frey reported on recent calls. He said 121 fifth graders completed the nine-week Drug Abuse and Resistance Education (DARE) program and graduated.

Community education coordinator Meredith Ingbretson said they are hoping to host a pickleball tournament at the Tamarack Health Fitness Center in May. Other classes include fly-fishing and cooking.

In other actions, the board:

—Appointed district business manager Leah Theder as delegate tp the Northern School District Dental Trust.

—Voted to hire Stephanie Kirchner as administrative assistant at the intermediate school.

—Approved a transfer of district physical therapist Maria Lietznan from 0.8 time to 1.0 (full) time.

—Received a letter of resignation from special education teacher Cathy Larson.

—Received a letter of retirement from special education paraprofessional Joanne Cobb.

The board expressed its willingness to have the Hayward Schools potentially host a Wisconsin State Legislature Joint Finance Committee public hearing, possibly in late April.

Northern Waters Environmental School senior Tyler Eaton spoke about a hunter education student trip to North Dakota last fall to hunt waterfowl. The trip was partly funded with a $4,000 donation from Sawyer County Outdoor Projects and Education (SCOPE). The students also toured North Dakota State University and learned about agriculture and watershed management.

Noah LeBlanc, Hayward-LCO head football coach, spoke about an opportunity next fall to recognize the LCO Ojibwe School's participation in the Hurricane football program with a jersey purchase, fully funded by the LCO Tribe. LCO School players would receive special recognition at one of the games next fall.

Donations

The board took note of the following recent donations to the schools:

—An anonymous donation of $80 to the Character Education Fund;

—Northern Lakes Cenex Pride Pump donated $413.36 from January sales;

—The Primary School received bags of sweatpants and shorts from the Spider Lake Church Women's Fellowship valued at $232.94;

—The High School Art Club received a $1,000 donation from Arclin Surfaces, to pay for bus transportation for their class trip to Minneapolis;

—Backroads Coffee donated freshly baked scones to each of the schools as a thank-you for all that the schools do;

—Shannon Judy received a Donors Choose of grant of $698 for hands-on learning with STEM kits;

—Brenda Wisner received a grant for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) equipment, valued at $203.