R-P Looks to Future Needs

At the Rushford-Peterson School Board regular meeting on February 26, the board approved a proposal to allow ATSR to come into the school to see what people see as future needs for the school. ATSR Planners/Architects/Engineers is a company that does 98% of its work with schools. It has worked with R-P since 2011 and designed the current school. 

The board approved Phase 1 of the proposal for architectural services. Phase 1 allows the firm to come into the school to assess how spaces are used, if the spaces work best for educational purposes (educational adequacy) and the physical conditions. After this assessment, ATSR will present the data to the district. This phase will be at no charge to the district.

After recently learning that the same state funding aid that was applied to building the school is still available to R-P, the board decided to investigate options for future needs. No decisions have been made other than allowing ATSR to complete the assessment. 

Public Comment

Before opening the public comment period of the meeting, Chair Amy Woxland reminded the public that comments were limited to five minutes and the board would listen, but not respond at that time. 

Marg O’Laughlin, parent of a ninth grader, addressed the board regarding her concerns about a three-week-long unit entitled “Madness Unit” being taught in the literature class. O’Laughlin felt that 13 of the 17 stories being read by the students were too dark and inappropriate for ninth graders. 

Having done her homework, O’Laughlin shared a six-page document with the board and administration that included the titles and authors of the stories as well as direct quotes from the stories. She read several of the quotes which included graphic, descriptive details of murders and corpses. “It’s just not right; it’s wrong!” O’Laughlin declared after reading the quotes.

O’Laughlin had also checked on how texts and curriculum are normally chosen at R-P. She had learned that the protocol for the selection of textbooks used in other classes involved more than one person, but that literature chosen was at the discretion of the instructor. In O’Laughlin’s opinion, that protocol should change and more than one person should be involved in selecting the stories and books to be read in literature classes as well.

Resignations and Hires

The board accepted resignations from elementary teacher Hannah Pape and Athletics Director, Community Ed Director, and Head Football Coach Joel Hinke as well as 7th/8th grade baseball coach Chris Drinkall, MS volleyball coach Lacey Drinkall and MS volleyball coach Kendra Vix. Chair Amy Woxland expressed the board’s gratitude to HInke for the work he had done at the school. 

Approved were the following hires: Jeremy Tesch, assistant softball coach; Xander Auman, assistant speech coach; and Ethan Giewitz, substitute custodian. 

Six volunteer baseball coaches were added: Hale Stensgard, Malachi Bunke, Even Kammerer, Riley Tesch, Todd Schneider and Andrew Hillary.

Other Business

In other business the board:

• Passed a resolution allowing for reductions in staffing if necessary; this is a routine, annual resolution – no reductions are being planned;
• Approved a new Food Service Employee Handbook; the handbook will be included with other handbooks in the fall;
• Renewed Food Service Director Kari Blum’s contract;
• Authorized Superintendent Bernard to advertise for milk, bread and gasoline bids for next year;
• Approved the second reading policies with no discussion;
• Rescinded the 2024 version of policy 522-Title IX Sex Nondiscrimination and reapplied the 2020 version;
• Did a first reading of three other policies;
• Received for review a draft school calendar which has seniors graduating one week before school is dismissed for the summer; the calendar will be considered for approval at the March board meeting;
• Accepted a total of $35,664 in donations – $30,000 from R-P Booster club for track and field improvements; $2,600 from R-P Booster Club, $1,039 from the American Legion Fish Fry and $2,000 from the Peterson Legion for the senior class trip; $25 for miscellaneous from an anonymous donation.