KENOSHA UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD - Ad from 2022-08-01

REGULAR MEETING OF
THE KENOSHA UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD
HELD JUNE 28, 2022
A regular meeting of the Kenosha Unified School Board was held
on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, at 7:00 P.M. in the Board Room
of the Educational Support Center. Ms. Adams, President,
presided.
The meeting was called to order at 7:08 P.M. with the following
Board members present: Mrs. Schmaling, Mr. Price, Mr.
Meadows, Mr. Battle, Mrs. Modder, and Ms. Adams. Dr. Ormseth
was also present. Ms. Stevens was excused.
Ms. Adams, President, opened the meeting by announcing that
this was a regular meeting of the School Board of Kenosha
Unified School District. Notice of this regular meeting was given
to the public by forwarding the complete agenda to all requesting
radio stations and newspapers. Copies of the complete agenda
are available for inspection at all public schools and at the
Superintendent’s office. Anyone desiring information as to
forthcoming meetings should contact the Superintendent’s
office.
There was not a student ambassador present.
There were no awards or recognitions.
There was one Administrative Appointment. Dr. Ormseth
presented Mr. Duane Sturino as Principal at Jefferson
Elementary School.
Dr. Ormseth gave the Superintendent’s Report.
Mrs. Modder gave the legislative report.
Views and comments were made by the public.
Remarks by the President were made by Ms. Adams.
Board members considered the following Consent-Approve
items:
Consent-Approve item X-A – Revised Recommendations
Concerning Appointments, Leaves of Absence, Retirements,
Resignations and Separations. Ms. Adams noted that a revised
report was provided to board members.
Consent-Approve item X-B – Minutes of the 5/24/22 Special
Meeting and Executive Session, 5/24/22 Regular Meeting,
5/25/22 Special Meeting and Executive Session, and 6/9/22
Special Meeting.
Consent-Approve item X-C – Summary of Receipts, Wire
Transfers, and Check Registers submitted by Mrs. Lisa Salo,
Accounting Manager; Mr. Tarik Hamdan, Chief Financial Officer;
and Dr. Ormseth, excerpts follow:
“It is recommended that the May 2022 cash receipt deposits
totaling $2,590,447.02,
and cash receipt wire transfers-in totaling $13,918,099.16, be
approved.
Check numbers 612483 through 613246 (net of voided batches)
totaling $3,731,717.97, and general operating wire transfersout totaling $4,175,105.90, are recommended for approval as
the payments made are within budgeted allocations for the
respective programs and projects.
It is recommended that the May 2022 net payroll and benefit
EFT batches totaling
$11,935,086.09, and net payroll check batches totaling
$6,174.43, be approved.”
Consent-Approve item X-D – Policy 5437 – Threats/Assaults
and Administrative Regulation 5437 submitted by Mr. Anthony
Casper, eSchool Principal and Administrative Review Chair;
Ms. Kim Fischer, Regional Coordinator of Secondary School
Leadership; Mr. William Haithcock, Chief of School Leadershp;
Mrs. Ruder; Chief Communications Officer; and Dr. Ormseth,
excerpts follow:
“To ensure KUSD practices and procedures align with Policy and
Rule 5437 and Administrative Regulation 5437, both have been
reviewed and updated.
The majority of edits include eliminating the administrative
regulation and reducing repetitive statements in the current
policy and rule in an effort to streamline the content for ease
of reading and understanding. Additional language was added
to allow the administration to assess the legitimacy of threats,
as well as language to reflect threats of mass violence toward
district staff, students, and/or buildings. Language was also
added to ensure any other visitors to District property (e.g.
contractors, volunteers, visitors, etc.) are covered by this policy.
Finally, statutory references were also updated. One addition is
the reference to Wis. Stat. §947.019, which states any individual
who threatens to cause the death of or bodily harm to others or to
damage any person’s property (including District property) under
any of the circumstances enumerated in the statute is guilty of a
Class I felony. This statute is relevant to include in the policy/rule
because it would encompass bomb or school shooting threats.
Another addition is the reference to Wis. Stat. § 175.32, which
mandates that the District immediately notify law enforcement
for any serious and immediate threat to the health or safety
of a student, District employee, or the public. This statute also
encompasses any bomb or school shooting threats.
Administration recommends that the board approve the
proposed revisions to Policy and Rule 5437 - Threats/Assaults,
as well as the elimination of Administrative Regulation 5437 Threats/Assaults, as a second reading on June 28, 2022.”
Mrs. Modder moved to approve the consent agenda
which included a Revised Recommendations Concerning
Appointments, Leaves of Absence, Retirements, Resignations
and Separations. Mr. Battle seconded the motion. Unanimously
approved.
Dr. Ormseth and Ms. Tatjana Bicanin, Executive Director
at Building Our Future, presented the Building Our Future
Partnership Affirmation submitted by Mr. Hamdan and Dr.
Ormseth, excerpts follow:
“The official start-up year for BOF was 2017. This partnership
works to align all Kenosha County stakeholders towards a
common vision of equitable outcomes, improved social and
economic mobility opportunities, and a thriving community for
all students.
On February 28, 2017, the Kenosha Unified School District
(KUSD) Board of Education unanimously voted to approve the
recommended proposal to establish a new program within the
KUSD Community Services (Fund 80). The approved financial
commitment was established as $50,000 per year for five years
beginning in the fiscal year 2017-18 and ending in the fiscal year
2021-22.
The administration recommends that the Board renew the five
year partnership/funding with Building Our Future and approve
the $50,000 per year commitment beginning with the 2022-2023
school year.”
Mr. Price moved to renew the five year partnership/funding
with Building Our Future and approve the $50,000 per year
commitment beginning with the 2022-2023 school year. Mrs.
Modder seconded the motion. Motion passed. Mr. Battle
abstained.
Mr. Hamdan presented the Board Approved Student User Fees
and Recreation Department Fees for the 2022-2023 School Year
submitted by himself and Dr. Ormseth, excerpts follow:
“As a component of the budget development process, a review
of fees charged by the District is conducted annually. The
administration is not recommending changes to the 2022-23
student user fees or the recreation department fees for the
upcoming school year, with the exception of allowing schools
to charge a pro-rated $15 parking fee for the 4th quarter if
spaces are available. Given the recent irregularity attributed to
the pandemic, it is recommended that the District reevaluate all
student user fees once we establish our new “normal.”
Attachment A delineates the proposed 2022-2023 Student User
Fees Schedule and Attachment B delineates the proposed 20222023 Recreation Department Fees Schedule.
District-wide Fee Procedures:
All fees and payments for a student will be maintained in Infinite
Campus by the school at which the student is primarily enrolled.
Schools will have access to create fees based on circumstances
(e.g. field trips, yearbook, clubs, and activity accounts).
Charter schools are required to collect all applicable districtrequired user fees according to the Board-approved fee
schedule. Charter schools may retain the fees as part of the
individual charter agreements.
All schools looking to charge for workbooks or any other
supplemental consumable materials, not covered by the base
fees, must submit the fee to be reviewed and approved by the
respective school leadership department prior to the allocation of
any funds for the purchase of these materials, or the assessment
of any such fees.
Administration recommends that the Board of Education
approve the attached schedules in order to establish the fiscal
year 2022-2023 student user fees and recreation department
fees. The Administration also recommends that the Board
engage in further discussions on student user fees around the
month of January should they choose to entertain changes for
the following fiscal year 2023-2024.”
Mr. Battle moved to approve the attached schedules in order
to establish the fiscal year 2022-2023 student user fees and
recreation department fees and that the Board engage in further
discussions on student user fees around the month of January
should they choose to entertain changes for the following
fiscal year 2023-2024. Mr. Meadows seconded the motion.
Unanimously approved.
Dr. Ormseth presented the Changes to Building Permit Fees and
Regulations and Board Policy 1330 – Facilities Use submitted by
Mr. Patrick Finnemore, Director of Facilities; Mr. Hamdan; and
Dr. Ormseth, excerpts follow:
“It has been several years since building rental fees have been
increased due in part to the temporary hold that was placed on
permits during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. In light
of the impacts of inflation and the costs related to operating our
buildings, an increase in building use permit fees is warranted
starting in the 2022-23 school year. The primary change being
proposed is an across the board increase of 4% to all rental fees.
As in years past, the 4% increases involve either a round up or a
round down to the nearest whole dollar amount. The choice of a
4% increase was based in part on actual cost increase in areas
directly related to rental uses.
In addition to the 4% rental fee increase, there are several other
changes being proposed with this revision. All of the changes
are reflected in red on the attached draft of the Permit Fees &
Regulations for the 2022-23 school year (Attachment 1). These
changes include:
Increasing the permit handling fee from $20 to $25. This fee
covers the labor costs that KUSD incurs related to the processing
of each permit. The $20 fee has been in place for over a decade
and has never been increased.
Removal of the $20 disinfecting fee that was temporarily added
for the 2021-22 school year as permits were re-introduced as we
began to come out of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Increases to the hourly rates charged for staff that directly
support building permits. Staff members can include custodians,
kitchen supervision, stadium managers, and field prep and
managers for the high school baseball and softball fields. These
rates are not increased annually and so when they are increased
they are done to attempt to cover wage increases for a 2 or 3
year period. They include overtime where that is appropriate as
well as the costs for the benefits for these positions.
One change is needed to the Board Policies and Rules related
to building permits. That change is in Rule 1330 as it specifically
referred to the dollar amount of the $20 permit processing fee.
The proposed change would be to remove the dollar amount
and only refer to it as the permit processing fee so that the Rule
does not need to be revised on future increases. A mark-up for
the changes related to Rule 1330 is provided as Attachment 2
to this report.
Administration recommends Board approval of the changes to
the permit fees and regulations as described in this report. It is
also recommended that the Board approve revised Board Rule
1330 as a first reading on June 28, 2022.”
Mr. Battle moved to approve the changes to the permit fees and
regulations as described in the report and also approve revised
Board Rule 1330 as a first reading. Mrs. Modder seconded the
motion. Unanimously approved.
Dr. Ormseth presented Policy and Rule 3643 – Emergency
School Closings and/or Learning Adjustments submitted by Mrs.
Ruder and Dr. Ormseth, excerpts follow:
“Policy 3643 was developed to give the Superintendent and/
or their designee guidance when determining whether or not to
close schools due to inclement weather and/or emergencies/
crises. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the policy was
updated to allow for virtual learning. Unfortunately, this was not
always well-received and attendance on the virtual days was
typically lower than expected, requiring work to be repeated
when school resumed. In addition, funding to maintain a 1:1
district is currently not available, making this option even more
difficult to implement.
The policy has been adjusted to allow for the first two days to
be true closures where no students or staff, other than specified
facilities staff, report. It also outlines makeup requirements
for staff. It also maintains language about closures due to
circumstances, such as another pandemic.
Administration recommends that the board approve revised
Policy and Rule 3643 – Emergency School Closings and/or
Learning Adjustments as a first reading on June 28, 2022, and a
second reading on July 26, 2022.”

Mr. Price moved to approve revised Policy and Rule 3643 –
Emergency School Closings and/or Learning Adjustments as a
first reading. Mr. Meadows seconded the motion. Unanimously
approved.
Mrs. Julie Housaman, Chief Academic Officer, and Mr. Aaron
Williams, Coordinator of Career and Technical Education,
presented the Education for Employment Plan submitted by Mr.
Edward Kupka, Coordinator of Student Support; Mr. Williams;
Mrs. Jenny Schmidt, Director of Special Education and Student
Support; Mrs. Housaman; and Dr. Ormseth, excerpts follow:
“The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has
revised the Education for
Employment (E4E) administrative rule (or Chapter PI 26)
(Appendix A). The purpose of Education for Employment
programs is to prepare elementary and secondary pupils for
employment, to promote cooperation between business and
industry and public schools, and to establish a role for public
schools in the economic development of Wisconsin.
The district ACP leadership team had provided guidance on
the implementation and input on marketing and communication
information to schools, students, and families. In 2020, the
leadership shifted to school teams. School teams were led by
a school administrator and assembled at each middle and high
school with the expectation to meet four times annually and to
document meeting minutes.
This review is an information update to the school board about
the Kenosha Unified School District’s Education for Employment
Plan as required by Wisconsin Administrative Code PI 26.03.
Kenosha’s plan provides students, parents, and community
members with an understanding of learning outcomes and the
implementation of E4E programs and services in the district.
A student’s pathway to a career includes all relevant learning
experiences that help to inform his/her investment in
postsecondary education or training; and it positions the student
for success in a career of interest.
As the Kenosha Unified School District continues to update its
Education for Employment plan each year, the economic growth
in Kenosha County (regionally and in the state) is studied.
Some of the major developments in Kenosha are industrial,
healthcare, housing, and retail. It is important that economic
development continues to be shared with staff and students
so that students are being educated about labor market needs
and educational and training requirements for occupations that
will fill those needs. Long term planning with the Education for
Employment plan, Career and Technical Education Department,
and Academic and Career Planning will work to align goals and
indicators to the Kenosha Unified School District’s achievement
plan.
Kenosha Unified School District’s E4E plan aligns with the
required components in WI PI 26.03 (Appendix B).
This is an informational report.”
Mr. Kristopher Keckler, Chief Information Officer, presented the
2022 Parent/Guardian Survey submitted by Ms. Laura Sawyer,
Research Analyst; Mr. Haithcock; Mr. Keckler; and Dr. Ormseth,
excerpts follow:
“School Board Policy 1110 Parent/Guardian/Caregiver Survey
stipulates that KUSD implement a parent/guardian survey
every two years. However, the current contract with the Studer
Education provides a Parent/Guardian survey annually.
The 2022 Parent/Guardian Survey contained questions or
statements in the following areas:
• School Climate;
• Cleanliness/Safety;
• Student Achievement/Grading/Assessment;
• Communication/Follow Up;
• Expectations; and
• Shared Decision-making.
Responses for each item were presented using a Likert-type
scale where respondents were asked to rate their agreement
using response categories that ranged from Strongly Agree (5)
to Strongly Disagree (1). A Neutral category was also available.
The 2022 Parent/Guardian survey summary is provided as an
informational item only, as mandated by School Board Policy
1110. The survey results for each building have already been
shared and presented to district and school staff, and some
of the school results will be incorporated into the new school
achievement plan process.”
The 2022 Parent/Guardian Survey was administered in the
Spring of 2022. A specific link to the anonymous survey was
distributed to each parent/guardian account through their Infinite
Campus Parent Portal. Parents/guardians were informed of the
survey through various media notifications, from both the central
office and the local school building.
KUSD Parents and Guardians provided 5,189 responses, which
is 20% less than the responses from the 2020-21 survey (6,473).
Parents had the ability to complete multiple submissions so they
could reference different schools if they had multiple children
enrolled. Because of the small number of responses for several
buildings, the quantitative analysis was completed for KUSD as
a whole.
Two (2) buildings had less than ten (10) parent responses. On
the KUSD report, 5 out of 17 benchmark items earned higher
than a 4.00 mean score, which is in the agreeable range. This is
a decrease from last year, which was 11 out of 17.
The overall mean for the survey was 3.88, which is a slight
decrease from the 4.01 score achieved in 2021. The individual
survey questions resulted in 1 out of 3 responses being reported
as “Strongly Agree.”
It is evident that parents feel connected to their child’s school
and the district with top items including “My family is treated with
respect …” (4.14), “I am proud to say I have a child at this school”
(3.96), and “I would recommend this school to other parents”
(3.97). Other top items included “My child has the necessary
classroom supplies and equipment for effective learning” (4.15),
“My child’s learning is a high priority at this school” (4.07), “I am
confident in my ability to support my child’s learning at home,”
(4.02), and “The school is clean and well maintained” (4.04).
The less agreeable areas related to “The District makes
decisions that are in the best interest of children and parents.”
(3.13), and “receiving positive [notifications] about my child…”
(3.43) and “receiving regular feedback from school staff on how
well my child is learning.” (3.58). While these were the lower
performing areas, they are all still above a “neutral” level (3.0).
The 2022 Parent/Guardian survey summary is provided as an
informational item only, as mandated by School Board Policy
1110. The survey results for each building have already been
shared and presented to district and school staff, and some
of the school results will be incorporated into the new school
achievement plan process.”
Mr. Keckler presented the Proposed Changes to the KUSD High
School Instructional Calendar submitted by Mr. Haithcock, Mr.
Keckler, and Dr. Ormseth, excerpts follow:
“The state of Wisconsin has recently approved changes to the
grades 9 and 10 accountability assessments. The previous
state required assessment for these two grades was the ACT
Aspire. ACT has announced that the ACT Aspire will not continue
and the new contract stipulates that the Pre-ACT will be used
starting with the 2022-23 school year. The Pre-ACT assessment
covers multiple content areas consistent with the grade 11 ACT
with Writing, but is shorter in duration with a smaller quantity of
questions.
KUSD has an existing grade 11 testing only day so school staff
can dedicate themselves to adhering to the very strict testing
and security protocols established by ACT and supporting all of
the students taking the assessment. With this new development,
School Leadership and the High School Administrators reviewed
possible options to support the Pre-ACT in the same manner.
By implementing a dedicated grade 9 and 10 assessment
day, each school will be able to properly support all of the
assessment protocols. To counter this loss of instructional
minutes, the proposal is to add 3 instructional minutes to the
Monday-Thursday high school schedule. For the 2022-23 High
School calendar, the Pre-ACT grade 9 and 10 only day would
be Tuesday, March 21, 2023, and the ACT with Writing grade 11
only day (previously approved) is March 7, 2023.
Any board-approved changes will generate new calendars, be
posted online, and shared with all respective school buildings,
staff and parents.
Administration recommends that the School Board approve the
proposed adjustment to the KUSD High School Instructional
Calendar at the June 28, 2022, regular School Board meeting.”
Mrs. Modder moved to approve the proposed adjustment to the
KUSD High School Instructional Calendar. Mr. Price seconded
the motion. Unanimously approved.
Dr. Ormseth and Mr. Finnemore presented the Lakeview
Technology Academy Relocation submitted by Mr. John Setter,
Project Architect; Mr. Finnemore; Mr. Hamdan; and Dr. Ormseth,
excerpts follow:
“Administration recommends Board approval of the proposed
relocation of LakeView Technology Academy to the new facility
being proposed in this report provided:
KABAF, GTC and the City of Kenosha can identify the remaining
funding needed for the project;
KUSD capital contribution to the project is limited to the actual
proceeds from the sale of the property adjacent to Richard Bong
State Park (not to exceed $1.3 million); and
A new lease agreement initially doubling the current rent
payment will be brought to the school board for approval.”
Dr. Ormseth gave a PowerPoint presentation entitled LakeView
Technology Academy Relocation Update which covered the
following topics: why, potential future home of LakeView Wolves,
how, additional funding, timeline, additional information, and
administrative recommendation.
Mrs. Modder moved to approve the relocation of LakeView
Technology Academy to the new facility being proposed in
this report provided KABAF, GTC and the City of Kenosha can
identify the remaining funding needed for the project, KUSD
capital contribution to the project is limited to the actual proceeds
from the sale of the property adjacent to Richard Bong State
Park (not to exceed $1.3 million); and a new lease agreement
initially doubling the current rent payment will be brought to the
school board for approval. Mrs. Schmaling seconded the motion.
Motion passed. Mr. Battle abstained.
Mr. Hamdan presented the Authorization of 2022-2023
Expenditures Prior to Formal Adoption of the Budget submitted
by himself and Dr. Ormseth, excerpts follow:
“The budget adoption cycle for Wisconsin school districts is such
that school boards do not adopt a final budget until October of
each year, despite the fact that the fiscal year begins in July. The
primary reason for this delay is that many of the factors needed
to finalize the budget are not known until October. Equalized
property values and official 3rd Friday student counts will not
be known until the end of September. Certification of state aid
from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) will not occur
until October.
It is customary for school boards to approve a resolution
authorizing district administration to expend funds between July
1 and the time that the budget is formally adopted in October.
Administration recommends that the Board authorize the
payment of all currently authorized salaries and benefits
beginning July 1 and continuing until the budget is formally
adopted. Administration also recommends that the Board
authorize expenditures in other areas to continue at the
discretion of the administration. Expenditures should not exceed
one-third of the funding authorized in the prior year’s budget,
unless Board action has occurred to modify specific programs or
activities. The one-third guide represents 4 of 12 months in the
fiscal year between July and October.”
Mr. Price moved to approve the authorization for payment of
all currently authorized salaries and benefits beginning July
1 and continuing until the budget is formally adopted and the
authorization of expenditures in other areas to continue at the
discretion of the administration. Expenditures should not exceed
one-third of the funding authorized in the prior year’s budget,
unless Board action has occurred to modify specific programs or
activities. The one-third guide represents four of twelve months
in the fiscal year between July and October. Mr. Battle seconded
the motion. Unanimously approved.
Ms. Adams presented the Contract Amendment for Interim
Superintendent of Schools.
Mr. Meadows moved to approve the contract amendment for
Dr. Bethany Ormseth, Interim Superintendent, which extends
the administrator contract to September 30, 2022. Mr. Battle
seconded the motion. Unanimously approved.
Mrs. Modder presented the Donations to the District.
Mrs. Modder moved to approve the donations to the district as
presented. Mr. Meadows seconded the motion. Unanimously
approved.
Ms. Stevens moved to adjourn the meeting. Mrs. Schmaling
seconded the motion. Unanimously approved.
Meeting adjourned at 8:17 P.M.
Stacy Stephens
School Board Secretary

PUB: August 1, 2022 #101711 WNAXLP