Wisconsin School News - June/July 2017 by WASB

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December June-July 2017 2016 | |Volume Volume71 71Number Number10 5 T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E W I S C O N S I N A S S O C I AT I O N O F S C H O O L B O A R D S, I N C.

John H. Ashley Executive Editor

Sheri Krause Director of Communications

Shelby Anderson Editor n REGIONAL OFFICES n 122 W. Washington Avenue Madison, WI 53703 Phone: 608-257-2622 Fax: 608-257-8386 132 W. Main Street Winneconne, WI 54986 Phone: 920-582-4443 Fax: 920-582-9951 n ADVERTISING n 608-556-9009 • tmccarthy@wasb.org n WASB OFFICERS n

John H. Ashley

A NEW LEARNING LAB IN BRILLION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS DEVOTED TO STEAM LEARNING, page 4

Executive Director

Capt. Terry McCloskey, Stu Olson USN Retired Three Region12 Shell Lakes, Lake, Region President

Capt. Terry MaryMcCloskey, Jo Rozmenoski USN Retired

MaryBrett Jo Rozmenoski Hyde Muskego-Norway, Black River Falls,Region Region11 6 2nd Vice President Barneveld, Shell Lake, Region Region 91 Immediate Past President n WASB BOARD OF DIRECTORS n

Shelby Anderson

Brillion Public Schools’ new Exploration Station expands the boundaries of STEAM learning

Black Three River Lakes, Falls, Region Region 26 1st Vice President

Wanda Stu Olson Owens

Where Learning Takes Off

From Dissolution to Resurrection

Ben Niehaus

Leading for Equity Practices to promote equity in our communities and schools

It Takes Two Jennifer West A buddy program boosts reading confidence in Three Lakes

How the School District of Florence County rebounded

Mike Blecha Sue Todey Green Bay, Region Sevastopol, Region 33

BrettZellmer Hyde Andy Muskego-Norway, Region Montello, Region 10 11

Bill Yingst, Sr. Durand, Region 4

Nancy Thompson Waterloo, Region 12

RickPloeckelman Eloranta Cheryl Owen-Withee, Region Colby, Region 5 5

Rosanne Hahn Burlington, Region 13

Elizabeth Hayes Barbara Herzog Fond du Lac,Region Region7 7 Oshkosh,

Terrence Falk Milwaukee, Region 14

2 News Briefs

Steve Klessig Andrew Maertz Brillion, Region Reedsville, Region8 8

Ron Frea Pewaukee, Region 15

3 Viewpoint — Celebrating Our Accomplishments

Andy Zellmer Wanda Owens Montello, Barneveld,Region Region10 9

Wisconsin School News (USPS 688-560) is published 10 issues per year by the Wisconsin Association of School Boards Inc., 122 W. Washington Avenue, Madison, WI 53703. Contents © 2017 2016 Wisconsin Association of School Boards Inc. Subscriptions are available to nonmembers for $40 per year. Periodicals postage is paid at Madison, Wis. The views expressed in Wisconsin School News are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent WASB policies or positions. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Wisconsin School News, 122 W. Washington Avenue, Madison, WI 53703.

D E P A R T M E N T S

C O L U M N S

22 Capitol Watch — Congressional Deal on 2017 Federal Budget Postpones Fights Over Education Funding Until 2018

24 WASB Insurance — Who’s Driving My Child 26 Association News — Summer Leadership Institute, WASB Welcomes New Interim Directors, Upcoming WASB Webinars

28 Legal Comment — Volunteers in School 32 Service Associate Q&A — Erik Kass, National Insurance Services

NEWS BRIEFS

WISCONSIN TEACHERS OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCED

he Department of Public Instruction has named Wisconsin’s Teachers of the Year for the 2017-18 school year. They are:

b Mary Ellen Kanthack, a fifth-grade teacher in the Genoa City J2 School District (Elementary School Teacher of the Year);

b Matthew W. Miller Sr., an English learner teacher at North High School in Sheboygan (Special Services Teacher of the Year);

b Jill Runde, a school counselor at Indian Mound Middle School in McFarland (Middle School Teacher of the Year); and

b Brent Zinkel, a history teacher at Wausau East High School (High School Teacher of the Year).

State Superintendent Tony Evers visited each of the teachers’ schools and honored the educators during surprise ceremonies. “At some point in all of our lives, a teacher influences us in a life-changing way,” Evers said. “The impact of such a teacher stretches far beyond the walls of the classroom.” The teachers of the year will receive a $3,000 award from the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation, which has awarded $11.95 million to Wisconsin educators, students, and schools through August 2016. The teachers of the year will be honored during the State of Education address and awards program at the State Capitol in September. One of the four teachers of the year will be selected to represent Wisconsin in the National Teacher of the Year program. N

STAT OF THE MONTH

Students Report Feeling Safer at School; Less Incidents of Bullying

report from the National Center for Education Statistics shows a drastic decline in reported violent and non-violent student victimizations. The report, Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2016, found that in 2015, there were 33 incidents per 1,000 students ages 12-18 at school. In 1992, there were a reported 181 victimizations per 1,000 students – an 82 percent decrease. The percent of students who reported being bullied also dropped from 28 percent in 2005 to 21 percent in 2015. In addition, the report said students report feeling safer in school. In 1995, 11.8 percent of students reported “being afraid of attack or harm.” That percentage had dropped to 3.3 percent in 2015. “Overall, bullying and victimization is down in our schools and crime has decreased at our colleges and universities, but there is much work left to be done,” Peggy G. Carr, acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, said in a statement. N

Wisconsin School News

83% Percent of students who graduated from high school during the 2014-15 school year (the latest year that data is available). This is an all-time high and the fifth straight year to set the record. Source: U.S. Department of Education

Wisconsin’s Green Ribbon Schools Award Recipients

oulton Elementary School, in the Hudson School District, and Kromrey Middle School, in the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, are among a group of 45 schools nationwide recognized as a 2017 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School. In addition, the Washburn School District was one of only nine school districts in the nation to receive the District Sustainability Award. The University of WisconsinStevens Point was also recognized. Houlton Elementary School was recognized for its efforts in fostering student leadership, health and wellness and environmental sustainability. Students have opportunities to be active in different leadership groups including the R3 (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Squad, Health and Wellness Crew and Garden Club.

Kromery Middle School was honored for embracing sustainability in the construction of the school. Built in 2013, the school received Energy Star certification in 2016 and was named the U.S. Middle School Design Project of the Year (2016). The school is focused on environmental education. The school’s proximity to Pheasant Branch Conservancy provides teachers and students an opportunity to incorporate environmental education and outdoor learning. The Washburn School District was selected for its work in promoting sustainability education and health and wellness initiatives. Among other projects, school gardens provide hands-on opportunities for teachers to enhance their curriculum outdoors, including the Agripreneur Program, aquaponics lab, Monarch butterfly study, and several sustainability-based classes. N

VIEWPOINT

Jo h n H . A s h l e y

Celebrating Our Accomplishments

ongratulations on another great school year! You have a lot to be proud of and I hope you have an opportunity during this graduation season to reflect on your district’s accomplishments — not only those of your graduating seniors, but of your entire student body and staff. This past school year, I’ve had the honor of traveling the state to help a number of districts celebrate their accomplishments. You’ve kept me busy. I’ve participated in ground-breaking ceremonies, presented certificates and honors at school board meetings, and seen first-hand numerous student projects and initiatives. On one of my most recent trips, I had the opportunity to visit Brillion Elementary School where the district transformed an old gymnasium/ cafeteria into the Brillion Exploration Station – an exciting space for the district’s youngest students to engage in hands-on STEAM learning. It is an impressive undertaking that is a direct result of the dedication of the board members, administrators and staff in that district and of the commitment by its community members. I hope you enjoy reading about the Exploration Station in this issue of the Wisconsin School News. In addition to the events that I personally get to attend, I’m continually amazed by the positive stories that come from our school districts every year. Whenever we learn about them, we share the stories on our social media and Stand Up for

Public Education blog to help spread the word. We’re proud to share stories like the team of students from Kimberly High School who won the Rube Goldberg competition. The national competition promotes creativity and engineering skills by challenging teams to build a machine that completes a simple task through an overly complicated process. The team from Kimberly built a machine that applies a Band-Aid using 70 steps and was featured on the Jimmy Kimmel Live television show. We also love sharing stories that would otherwise fly under the radar. Like the story about a trip made by a delegation of school leaders from Milwaukee Public Schools to school districts in northern Wisconsin that have successfully built and incorporated Fab Labs into their schools. It was great to see the collaboration among school districts from different corners of the state. Three Lakes, Northland Pines, Florence, Crandon, and others should be proud of their work in preparing students for the future. The dedication of our teachers and administrators never fails to impress me. To name just a few of the state and national recognitions Wisconsin educators received this year: Sun Prairie teacher Chris Gleason was named a finalist for national teacher of the year; Kettle Moraine superintendent Patricia Deklotz was one of 14 district administrators across the country recognized by Education Week as a “Leader to Learn From;” and Erica Breitbarth, a music teacher at

Ronald Reagan High School in Milwaukee, was selected as a top 10 finalist out of 3,000 nominees for the Grammy Music Educator Award. These are but three examples of the many public school teachers and officials who bring passion and dedication to their craft and inspire students and co-workers all over our great state. We truly have much to be proud of in Wisconsin! It’s important to take time to recognize our successes and share them with our communities. While we work to continuously improve and move public education forward, we need to take time to celebrate our many accomplishments and successes. As this school year comes to an end, I’d like to remind everyone that our Summer Leadership Institute will be taking place July 14-15 in Green Bay. On Friday, July 14, there will be a networking dinner and keynote address from former Green Bay Packer George Koonce. On Saturday, July 15, there will be three tracks of programming for school leaders to choose from. We hope you can join us! We are also excited to roll out an updated and redesigned website this summer. The new website will be compatible with mobile and tablet devices and will feature extensive information and resources for school board members. We hope you will find the new website easy to use. Watch for updates from the WASB. Congrats to everyone on a successful school year. Thanks for all of your hard work and your dedication to our students! n

We truly have much to be proud of in Wisconsin! Connect with the WASB!

Twitter @wischoolboards

Facebook on.fb.me/1NBrEJq June-July 2017

Where Learning

Off

Takes

Brillion Public Schools’ new Exploration Station expands the boundaries of STEAM learning Shelby Anderson

t’s bright, open, colorful and fun. It’s Brillion Elementary School’s new “Exploration Station” — a place where students engage in STEAM learning. In the Exploration Station, the boundaries between science, technology, art, and math are broken down as students collaborate to build, design, plan, and present projects and ideas. Critical thinking and creativity are fostered. Large

Wisconsin School News

windows let in plenty of natural light. Bright colors make the space lively. In one corner, a space shuttle is built into the wall. A large mural depicts the periodic table of elements along with pioneers in various scientific fields. “It facilitates our students’ ability to engage in STEAM learning,” said superintendent Dominick Madison. “It’s getting exposure to STEAM career options to our youngest

students.” “I’ve seen kids who typically aren’t excited about learning come in here and become very excited,” said Carrie Deiter, Brillion Elementary School principal. “It’s hands-on learning versus sitting and getting. Students are much more engaged.” The Exploration Station is the result of a focused effort in the Brillion Public Schools to bring STEAM learning to all grades. It wouldn’t

 Students work together to build a circuit in Brillion’s Exploration Station.

Ideas and concepts are introduced to  students in the “Wonder Room.”

have happened without the support of its community and some major business partners supporting their local public schools. | STEAM in Brillion For the past decade, Brillion Public Schools has offered students opportunities to engage in high-level STEAM learning. In 2007, Brillion High School opened a new technology education wing outfitted with manufacturing equipment including electronics and robotic equipment, laser engravers and a materials processing lab. While that facility has helped generate excitement for STEAM learning at the high school, school leaders and educators in the district wanted to make it a focus in all grade levels. Steve Meyer, the district’s STEM coordinator as well as a technology and engineering teacher, said the district started small with simple STEAM exercises and lessons with elementary grade levels, including kindergarten. “When we started, we thought maybe kindergarten is too young but actually we found out it’s the opposite,” Meyer said. “This is the perfect time to have them learn about STEAM education, to mix disciplines together and to solve problems.” “When young people come into school, they’re extremely creative,” he added. “When you put problems out there, they come up with ideas that you never thought of.” However, the district quickly ran

June-July 2017

into a problem. The traditional elementary school classrooms weren’t the ideal spaces to engage students in hands-on, collaborative STEAM activities. “We were finding that trying to do that in the regular classroom as it is stereotypically designed is very difficult,” Meyer said. | Transforming an Old Cafeteria At one end of the Brillion Elementary School sat an old gymnasium/ cafeteria that was no longer being used regularly. Meyer and others in the district saw potential in the space. It is about the size of three classrooms and two stories tall. The idea to convert the space into a STEAM learning lab quickly took shape. “This all started with our STEM teacher, Steve Meyer, challenging the district administrator, and school board to build an Elementary STEAM Center for our younger students,” said Steve Klessig, a member of the Brillion School Board. “It was a space we weren’t using anyway. We brought lots of creative people into the process.” The district launched a fundraising campaign and created a website that included conceptual drawings of a

STEAM learning lab. In the end, about 80 percent of the cost of the $1.5 million renovation project came from private fundraising and the remaining funds were covered from a

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Wisconsin School News

 The hands-on projects promote collaboration among students.

2014 referendum. Remarkably, the Ariens Foundation and Endries Family Foundation each donated $400,000 to the project. In January, the learning lab, officially called the “Brillion Exploration Station” opened to students. On the ground floor, the Exploration Station has three spaces — the Wonder Room, the Discovery Lab, and the Idea Lab. Students start in the Wonder Room where direct instruction takes place. As a team, teachers introduce a topic or concept. On a recent visit, first-grade students were being introduced to the water cycle. In the Idea Lab, students begin to think more deeply about a project or concept and begin to imagine and plan. In the Discovery Lab, students create, test and improve their projects. Once a project is complete, students

“We wanted to create an environment that kids could understand and get excited about learning. A place where students could discover and create. We have created a space unlike any other STEAM environment where it engages students’ creativity augmenting the learning experience. A destination to explore ideas through an amazing adventure in discovery.” — Brillion Public Schools

can meet back up in the Wonder Room and present their work. According to the Brillion Public Schools Exploration Station campaign website, each space was deliberately created with the students and their exploration in mind. Opportunities for hands-on/minds-on, projectbased learning and best practices for young learners drove the layout and even the furniture selections — which must work for the smallest of kindergarteners to the tallest of elementary school students. “It also features plenty of natural

 Students demonstrate a stage of the water cycle.

light to give it a good and open feeling,” said Klessig. “It has lab and lecture facilities in the same space and catwalks for gravity and aeronautical experiments.” All three of the spaces are open and flexible. The spaces can easily be sectioned off to create individual spaces or opened up for a larger, open space.

June-July 2017

 Students from 4K-5th grade use the Exploration Station.

“It’s hands-on learning versus sitting and getting. Students are much more engaged.” — Carrie Deiter, Brillion Elementary School Principal

That’s just the first floor. A twisting staircase leads students to a series of catwalks. This second floor gives students more space to work but also allows teachers and students to add fun, interactive dimensions to their lessons. During a recent visit when first-grade students were learning about the water cycle, students dropped balloons from the catwalks to represent rain falling from the sky. The simple act of getting students off the floor and walking up the stairs got them excited and energized about the activity.

Wisconsin School News

| Supporting Critical Thinkers On one wall, the Exploration Station’s engineering process is prominently displayed. It includes the following steps: Ask (what is the problem?); Imagine (What are the solutions?); Plan (draw a diagram, choose materials); Create (build then test); and Improve (make it better). Each project or lesson follows these steps, which are flexible and interchangeable. For example, in one project,

students were challenged with building a structure that would most effectively capture wind energy. Students worked together to imagine and plan their structures. Then they created them out of wooden dowels and wax paper. The structures were tested and improved until they were most efficient at capturing wind. In some cases, students needed to go back to the imagining or planning phase because their first plan failed. In addition to using hard math skills, this kind of learning involves collab-

 The bright, colorful space energizes students and teachers.

oration, creativity, flexibility, and resiliency. “They’re more willing to try things that are challenging because we’ve set up an environment here, and in our classrooms, where it’s okay to fail,” said Deiter. Additionally, all students participate in the Exploration Station. “It’s so flexible, we can meet any special

needs of our students and we can give all of our students these learning opportunities,” Deiter said. Next school year, Deiter said they are looking into getting middle school students more involved in the Exploration Station. “It’s too good not to share,” added Deiter. School leaders in Brillion also hope to share the Exploration Lab with

other school districts interested in expanding STEAM learning in their district. “We hope we can use this as a model facility and have others visit to show them how we’re doing STEAM here in Brillion and how you can really change the culture in your school,” Meyer said. n Shelby Anderson is editor of Wisconsin School News.

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June-July 2017

Wisconsin School News

From Dissolution to

RESURRECTION How the School District of Florence County rebounded | Ben Niehaus

“

Positively Affect the Lives of Children.” That is the vision that the School District of Florence County embodies each and every day when the school bell rings. However, upon conclusion of the 2004-05 school year, that vision almost disappeared as the district began the process of dissolution. A number of factors had caused the school district to fall into severe financial trouble. It began when the state implemented revenue limits in 1993; the district levied very conservatively, creating a low per-pupil spending threshold. Things came to a head when the district built a new elementary school in 1998, but did not accurately budget for the additional operational costs of a new campus. In addition, almost immediately after the opening of the new elementary school, enrollment declined

from more than 900 students to less than 600, primarily due to an exodus of several area industries. All of this took place just as the Great Recession began to build. At this point, the level of trust the community had with the district was at an all-time low. The district had two failed referendum attempts and only $214,000 in its general fund. Closing the school district for good appeared to be the only option. Before dissolving, the school district decided to try one last time to pass a referendum and save the school district. District leaders ramped up communication efforts to community members, attended town meetings and reached out to the public. Representatives from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) held informational meetings and school leaders and various stakeholders shared the implications for the county if its only school

district were to close. The outreach efforts worked. In the fall of 2005, the community passed a referendum that allowed the school district to stay open. Voters realized that not having a school in Florence County would be detrimental to a way of life and that their school was critical to their collective prosperity. The School District of Florence County had resurrected itself in its service to students, families and community. Yet even today, some from afar still comment, “I thought that school was closed.” Today, it is quite the opposite. Not only does the School District of Florence County continue to proudly serve all of Florence County, the district is excelling in its mission. The passing of a $14.5 million referendum during the fall of 2016 to completely renovate the aging high school is evidence that Florence

Today, not only does the School District of Florence County continue to proudly serve all of Florence County, the district is excelling in its mission.

June-July 2017

County Schools has resurged from darker times a decade ago. The school provides an array of opportunities for the 370 students in grades 4K-12, and does so at an exemplary level. The elementary school has earned numerous Title I School of Recognition awards, earning another this past spring. And this past year, Florence County High School was recognized by US News & World Report as a “Best High School in America.”

Wisconsin School News

| Florence County Schools The transition from a district on the brink of dissolution to having a high school that is recognized as one of the best in America did not happen overnight. Once the referendum was passed in the fall of 2005 to save the district, school leaders in Florence worked hard to strengthen the district’s finances and academics. The district rebuilt its general fund as quickly as possible so it didn’t need to short-term borrow. School leaders adopted a 10-year

capital plan that helped school leaders carefully manage the district’s finances. In addition, leadership charged the staff to come forth annually before the school board with responsible budgets and do away with the “If we don’t spend it, we will lose it” budget mentality. The district also worked hard to maintain class offerings (even when the head count was less than 10) so that students received the courses they needed in preparation for postsecondary education. Most impor-

Most importantly, school board members from this time period said the key was that they slowly regained the trust of the community. tantly, school board members from this time period said the key was that they slowly regained the trust of the community. They emphasized the importance of maintaining and keeping that trust and remembering where the district came from. | Cutting Edge Learning Today, we’re proud of the educational opportunities our small school district offers to students. Beginning with the 2015-16 school year, Florence County High School opened a Fab Lab and presently is partnering with UW-Stout in 4K-12th grade STEAM curriculum development. During the past two school years, the outpouring of support and collaboration focused on the Fab Lab from the community and local and regional business partners has been growing in leaps and bounds. The school district meets quarterly with an industry advisory council that helps to provide guidance, support, and real-world, relevant learning experiences, along

with donations in supplies, equipment and monetary gifts. This work is benefitting our students. “I believe the Fab Lab and my technical classes will help me in my future career as I intend to go into the engineering field,” says Joshua Sonkowsky, a junior at Florence High School. “When I do go out into the engineering field, I will have a head start over the other people who I will be competing against.” Even with an enrollment that is half of what it was only a decade ago, the high school’s offerings are more than ever. If a student wants to take a course not directly offered at Florence, there’s a strong likelihood that the course, or a similar one, is available via NWECS (Northern Wisconsin Educational Communication Systems). Our district and community has also benefitted from a close partnership with the local technical college — Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC). During the 2009-10 school year, NWTC

entered into an agreement with the district to utilize a former elementary school for what is now a highly utilized and successful business incubator. NWTC has further expanded its use of the business incubator facility to provide Youth Options programming for not just Florence High School but several other surrounding districts. Most recently, during this past winter, the district and NWTC reached an agreement to transfer ownership of the vacant elementary school to NWTC and turn it into the Woodland Regional Learning Center. The development of the learning center will be guided by a three-year strategic plan, formed with the support and facilitation of one of the larger regional employers. Because of this partnership with area schools NWTC and industry, the future is now brighter than ever for what was a vacant building. The partnership with NWTC has also positively impacted our classrooms. Through these collaborative

About Florence County School District As one of only two countywide school districts in Wisconsin, the School District of Florence County is the 10th largest in the state geographically, covering 488 square miles. The district-owned bus fleet is comprised of eight routes that travel 600 miles per day. This contributes to long bus rides, like those of many rural districts, and nearly $400,000 per year in transportation costs. After passing a referendum in the fall of 2005 and saving the district from

dissolution, Florence County is beginning to see their school again as it was during the often recollected “Glory Days” of the 80’s and 90’s. During this time, the district’s enrollment was more than double what it is today and the high school athletic teams were terrorizing the field of play in northeast Wisconsin. Today, the district features a Fab Lab and is building partnerships with local business partners and technical colleges. N

June-July 2017

partnerships and the utilization of staff who can teach for dual credit, 31 students of the graduating class of 2016 walked across the stage with 224 college credits earned. | Collaboration The new found success and growth of Florence County Schools was not accomplished alone. Beginning in 2005, Florence County hired an economic development director. The theme of economic development resonated, and the message to the community was that economic success relied on the success of the school district. Florence County passed a resolution to raise the county sales tax by 0.5 percent and to provide these revenues to the school for several years to help alleviate the fiscal challenges the district experienced. Lifelong resident, alumni and County Board Chair Jeanette Bomberg, whose grandkids, nieces and nephews attend Florence Schools today is one of the school’s greatest champions. “We strongly believe that our school is our past, present and

Wisconsin School News

future,” Bomberg said. “Without a school, communities lose their identity, we did not want that for Florence. Thanks to the dedication of school leadership, county officials, town officials and residents of the county, everyone worked together to rally and save our school. The future for Florence School is nothing but bright, and we can be so proud to say we are from Florence, a school leader in academics and cutting-edge technology that puts students first.” Today, Florence County Economic Development Director Wendy Gehlhoff corresponds almost weekly on cooperative endeavors with the district. Together, we coordinate all meetings with industry partners, and, among other success, have written numerous grants together.

One recent success story was the hosting of a second annual tech fair that brought industry partners, NWTC and many other supporting agencies to the district to meet with all 7-12th grade students. Students presented their work from the Fab Lab and other STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) projects across all content areas, while employers shared what they are looking for in future employees. It was great to see local employers asking students about their project designs. Students are always inspired when they see those from outside the walls of the school are highly interested in what they have accomplished. Collaboration within our district has also been a focus. A few years ago, the teachers and administrators realized that for a culture of learning to grow, staff had to reflect and ask, ‘What must we do to further change the culture of the school, close gaps and increase achievement levels?’ Upon investigation, and with the support of the school board, the district began steps to fully initiate

a Professional Learning Community (PLC) model. This collaborative effort has broken down the “silos” in instruction, created capacity for data analysis and time to plan for strategic interventions to see students succeed. There is much more work to be done. The willingness and desire of the staff to work together in the interest of all students has brought forth a swift change in culture, particularly in the high school. “Major disciplinary referrals have decreased by 57 percent in one year,” states high school principal Brandon Jerue. “This is due to our focus on culture and building for positive behaviors through PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports), along with a continual reflection of best practices to improve a culture of learning and respect. In addition, student achievement has increased each of the past

three years, specifically in our efforts to close achievement gaps through RtI (Response to Intervention).” | The Future The positive change in culture in our district has occurred not just from within, but from outside the walls via a supportive county that shows great pride in its school system. With the offerings of a Fab Lab, renovation of the high school campus, and a plethora of dual credit opportunities in addition to many extracurricular and co-curricular activities, the future is bright for the School District of Florence County. Our partnerships continue to grow with local and regional industry. They recognize the need for graduates with a quality education and technical skill set. Our community recognizes the importance a good school system plays in local

economic development. The district continues to move forward. We are currently focused on STEAM integration across all grade levels to support the growing demand for career and technical education. We also look forward to the implementation of academic and career planning to provide students with guidance and direction to success. With a resurgence in commerce and employment opportunities, there is great optimism that enrollment will increase and maximize available seats. The past is the past, but surely is not forgotten in Florence County. A continual reflection upon the past, in the present, will keep Florence County’s focus on its vision of “Positively Affecting the Lives of Children” for the future and many generations to come. n Ben Niehaus is district administrator for the School District of Florence County.

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June-July 2017

Leading for Equity Practices to promote equity in our communities and schools Editor’s note: The following article is excerpted from “Leading for Equity: Opportunities for State Education Chiefs,” published in February 2017 by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the Aspen Institute Education & Society Program. The paper was informed by state education chiefs, district leaders, equity advocates, researchers, and teachers. It caps State Superintendent Tony Evers’ term as CCSSO board president, during which he engaged the nation’s chiefs around the pressing need for action on equity.

n an equitable education system, personal and social identifiers such as gender, race, ethnicity, language, disability, family background, and/ or income are not obstacles to accessing educational opportunities. The circumstances children are born into do not predict their access to the resources and educational rigor necessary for success. Within such a system, all individuals attain sufficient knowledge and skills to pursue the college and career path of their choice and become active and contributing members of their communities. Both inputs and outcomes must be considered when evaluating equity in education. Inputs such as distribution of funding, access to high-quality teachers, rigorous coursework, support services, supportive school climates, and extracurricular opportunities all play a role in contributing to educational equity. Outcomes such as achievement and attainment rates, graduation rates, suspension rates, access to social capital, post-secondary enrollment and completion, and access to well-paying careers are all measures of equity. Equity does not mean creating equal conditions for all students, but rather targeting resources based on individual students’ needs and circumstances, which includes providing differentiated funding and supports and

Wisconsin School News

respecting students’ voice and agency. Targeting supports in this way is intended to remove barriers and create the same opportunities for low-income students, students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities that their more advantaged peers experience. Although federal, state, and local educational systems play an important role in monitoring, promoting, and ensuring equity in education, individuals and communities must also have agency to authentically inform and influence public education to create and maintain true equity. | Prioritize Equity Make the case that equity benefits everyone in society. If education is treated as a zero-sum game in which some need to lose to provide greater opportunity for others, it will be difficult to create buy-in and maintain momentum for change. The benefits of greater equity in education extend to all; when inequity persists, it costs everyone in terms of lost opportunities for economic development, greater dependence on government supports, and fewer Americans ready to serve our country as leaders across sectors and in the military. Proactively initiate and lead conver-

sations about equity. This may include publicly examining data on current performance and trends (including preschool, K-12, postsecondary achievement and attainment rates, and workforce participation), as well as opportunity gaps and disparities in funding and resource allocation. A diverse group of stakeholders, including policymakers, educators, district leaders, community leaders, parents, and students should be engaged in this process. | Start from Within Lead conversations on the impact of poverty on education and advocate for the resources students and families need. With one in five children living below the federal poverty line and communities across the country dealing with entrenched intergenerational poverty, state education chiefs and their leadership teams must be prepared to discuss the effects of hunger, homelessness, housing insecurity, and/or lack of access to quality healthcare on the students they serve and the importance of providing these children with rich educational experiences regardless of their background. | Measure What Matters Set ambitious and achievable interim and long-term goals for English learners and ensure they are making

adequate progress achieving English language proficiency. Clearly define the meaning of English language proficiency and ensure accountability systems include the measures needed to track progress toward and intervene when schools are off-track. Integrate English language learning into broader curriculum and instruction, professional learning, teacher preparation, and recruitments efforts. Collect data and report on school climate. ESSA’s (Every Student Succeeds Act) accountability provisions include a new indicator for school quality or student success, such as chronic absenteeism, student engagement, postsecondary readiness, or school climate and safety. | Start Early: Invest in the

Youngest Learners Prioritize trainings and resources on cultural and linguistic services for the early grades. In some communities, the pre-K population is far more diverse — culturally and linguistically — than the K-12 student population; certain communities are experiencing rapid levels of growth amongst their youngest learners and thus need more resources targeted to those students. Modify suspension or expulsion policies for children in early childhood education programs and primary grades. Analyze data on

trends in suspension and expulsion rates by race, income, and age and train early childhood educators on developmentally appropriate behavioral interventions to ensure educators can manage their classrooms without resorting to exclusionary discipline practices. School discipline policies should account for student time spent outside of the classroom and seek to reintegrate students as quickly as possible. Develop educators’ expertise on social-emotional development in the early grades, and emphasize how investments in this area could help reduce teachers’ dependence on exclusionary discipline practices for young children. | Monitor Equitable

Implementation of Standards and Assessments Monitor district course offerings and screening practices to determine whether low-income students and students of color are being provided a college- and career-ready course of study. Compelling evidence establishes that all students accelerate and deepen their learning through advanced courses, such as gifted and talented tracks, Advanced Placement® (AP), International Baccalaureate®, early college high school courses, college prep courses, and dual enrollment in postsecondary courses. Yet fears that these courses will be too hard for certain students

beget persistent gate-keeping practices (e.g., GPA prerequisites, teacher recommendations). When rigorous courses are offered, monitor fidelity of implementation and provide resources and support as needed. Provide guidance around universal screening practices that can better identify low-income students and students of color who are often underrepresented in advanced courses or gifted and talented tracks. Remove financial barriers to college- and career-readiness. This may include subsidizing AP course or test fees, offering universal and free PSAT, ACT, and/or SAT administrations, and/or providing support materials such as graphing calculators, test prep, or keyboarding skills for students taking computer-based assessments. | Focus on School Culture,

Climate, and SocialEmotional Development Create a common framework and vocabulary for addressing students’ social and emotional development and academic mindsets, and establish outcomes, measures, and benchmarks for schools to pursue. Research continues to mount that non-academic factors have profound impact on student learning, including students’ sense of belonging; an atmosphere that encourages intellectual risk-taking and active student engagement; and

S TAT E S U P E R I N T E N D E N T E V E R S P E R S P E C T I V E

s past president of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), State Superintendent Tony Evers played an important role in the development of the report excerpted in this article. “Across the nation, kids of color, kids with disabilities, those learning English, and those from economic disadvantage face challenges that their peers do not. And unfortunately, some of those challenges are a result of policies and practices we have influence or control over. As leaders of state education agencies, we have a moral imperative to help remove any barriers

that stand in the way of a student’s success.” “I am confident that the resources we have developed will help education leaders achieve that goal. I am proud of the work my fellow state chiefs have poured into this issue and would like to thank both CCSSO and the Aspen Institute Education and & Program for their assistance. My hope is that we can capitalize on the momentum we have built to close opportunity gaps for all kids.” n

June-July 2017

students’ beliefs about the relevance of schools and the efficacy of their efforts. Invest in principals’ ability to lead schools that support the whole child. Principals set the tone and have the greatest influence over the culture of a school, including whether all groups of students feel safe and valued. Connect principals with high-quality professional learning opportunities focused on building schools and supporting teachers to make social-emotional development a priority. Integrate analysis of teachers’ ability to teach social-emotional competencies into licensure requirements and teaching frameworks. Research suggests teachers have a differential impact on students’ attendance, engagement, and behavior. Connect with effective coaches and professional development providers to ensure teachers can equip students with

strong social-emotional competencies. Teacher evaluators should know how to coach teachers to improve all of the different facets of their practice, including how to support students’ social-emotional development. Revise exclusionary discipline policies and explore alternative strategies. Revisit zero tolerance policies, considering both the intended purpose of disciplinary practices like suspensions and expulsions for keeping schools safe and orderly as well as the devastating effects these policies can have on student outcomes. Explore alternative behavior management strategies such as positive behavioral supports, including restorative justice efforts. This support can be targeted to schools with the greatest need as identified by analyses of school discipline data. Schools should adopt disciplinary policies that create safe schools without jeopardizing students’ life chances.

BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM

KEWAUNEE

SCHOOL DISTRICT The new agricultural learning lab contains flexible classroom space; a greenhouse; an animal lab; and a multi-use lab for hydroponics, cheese-making, and soils/crop testing. It will provide career-ready training that’s key to both student success and the area’s vital agricultural industry.

An equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.

Wisconsin School News

MIRON-CONSTRUCTION.COM

| Conclusion Many schools are already addressing inequitable outcomes and opportunities for students. However, to truly build a system that eliminates systemic and historical barriers to students’ success, there is much more work to be done. Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable … Every step towards the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals … This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action. — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. n Excerpted from the report “Leading for Equity: Opportunities for State Education Chiefs” published (February 2017) by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the Aspen Institute Education & Society Program.

It Takes Two

n the heart of Three Lakes Elementary School is a library where sunshine streams in from skylights and bright carpeting covers the middle of the room. Throughout the space, twosomes of students sit cross-legged with books propped on their laps or held up so they can see words and pictures better. What’s quietly happening in the library on this day is the culmination of decades of experience for two teachers. Mari Lynn Garbowicz, first grade, and Beth Jacobson, fourth grade, have been running their own version of a reading-buddy program at the school for more than 20 years. It’s a program that has, in part, contributed to the school’s above-average reading scores. In the 2015-16 assessment tests, 50.6 percent of Three Lakes elementary students scored advanced/proficient in reading and language arts, compared to the state average of 42.4 percent. Scores like that have

A buddy program boosts reading confidence in Three Lakes

twice earned the school a Title I School of Recognition award from the Department of Public Instruction. | Reading Buddy Basics At their very core, reading-buddy programs are about fostering an interest in reading through mentoring. Typically, the programs pair a younger and older student, perhaps a grade apart or perhaps even a high school student and an elementary student. The programs can be as simple as one-on-one reading time or more complex, with follow-up activities and social interaction. At Three Lakes, the readingbuddy program is successful because of how Garbowicz and Jacobson layer and reinforce reading strategies. And although reading-buddies, now called peer-to-peer coaches or tutors, have become a popular teaching strategy, the two teachers like to point out they’ve been doing this long before it was trendy.

| Jennifer West

“Twenty years ago, the connection between language and reading was just beginning to be developed,” said Garbowicz, who was a speech and language pathologist before teaching first grade. “Beth and I had done collaborative teaching before, so I came to her and said, ‘Let’s combine language with reading to facilitate comprehension.’ She was game and we were the first ones in the district to do it.” The reading-buddy program started off with students simply reading to each other. A fourth grader (the mentor) and a first grader (the emerging reader) were paired together to practice reading once per week. “We’d model how to read to a young child, and we’d show the kids how to read to one another,” Garbowicz said. As the years progressed, the program become more sophisticated, and the two teachers began coordi-

June-July 2017

nating curriculum and strategies. “It just naturally evolved,” Jacobson says. “We take [Mari Lynn’s] reading strategies, and we pair them with what we call them in fourth grade. We take the first-grade information, and we translate it to what a fourth grader would call it.” Today, as the students sit in the cheery, light-soaked library, they practice “Eagle Eye,” which is firstgrade lingo for assessing information.

In fourth grade, the students know it as “pre-reading.” And if you listen carefully, you can hear the fourth graders — even those who aren’t confident readers — quietly encouraging their first-grade counterparts as they teach and learn together. “Anytime you give children the vocabulary and the structure from year to year, it gets reinforced,” Garbowicz said.

| Creating partnerships The success of the program also comes from very deliberate student pairings. Garbowicz and Jacobson meet early in the year to discuss reading abilities, benchmarks and more. “We schedule everything else around [creating the pairings] because we feel it is that important,” Garbowicz said. “We look at the previous year’s benchmarks, and we do a task analysis of the first-grade benchmarks and the fourth-grade benchmarks. Then we look at components of reading and assess strengths and weaknesses.” The pairings are also fluid, changing throughout the year, as students’ needs change. For Jacobson and Garbowicz, that means constantly reassessing the students, which requires a lot of planning, communication and a strong working relationship. “We’re very careful about the pairings,” Garbowicz says. “We want the fourth graders to feel

Strang, Patteson, Renning, Lewis & Lacy congratulates one of its founding shareholders, Attorney Kirk D. Strang, for being selected by the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators (WASDA) as the recipient of the 2017 WASDA Award of Special Recognition for Service to Wisconsin.

Your goals • Our mission strangpatteson.com

Wisconsin School News

positive, so we would never pair a first grader who could outread a fourth grader. It’s flexible and includes all levels of kids.” It’s that type of confidence building that has made the program a hit with the students as well. The first graders thrive and become confident readers while the fourth graders reinforce reading skills and take on a leadership role. “If you ask my first graders what their favorite part of reading is, 90 percent will say ‘reading buddies,’” Garbowitz says. “I think it’s because they can see how their reading skills will progress if they work hard at it. The can’t wait until they’re a fourth grader.” “Oh, that’s just the cat’s pajamas, to be the fourth grader,” Jacobson added. “Some of my students gain a confidence because they’re in that teacher role, and they gain self-esteem.” | Planning Curriculum The two teachers also strategically

plan their curriculum, so the topics align across both grades. “Common Core says we have to teach nonfiction, so the fourth graders had to pick a nonfiction book to read to the first graders that was appropriate,” Garbowitz said. “We also taught text features, such as captions, bold print and diagrams. While they’re reading the nonfiction, they have to use the strategies that they’ve already learned, but they’re also looking for specific text features.” The curriculum is spiraled between first and fourth grades so that what students learn before fourth grade is really put into practice when they become the mentor in the reading-buddy program. “It’s an active learning strategy,” Jacobson said. “They’re synthesizing what they learned and applying it.” By the end of the school year, after weeks of reading to and with each other, the reading buddies have established a friendship. To cap off the

year, the fourth graders plan a surprise: a puzzle based on reading strategies. The mentor students sketch a drawing depicting a reading strategy and then the drawing is sent to the school’s Fab Lab, where it’s cut into a cardboard puzzle. The parting gift is presented to the first grader at the end of the year as a keepsake. Jacobson said some of her fourth graders still have the puzzles they received as first graders. “You’re always looking for ways to apply what kids learn,” said Jacobson. “It’s an age-old difficulty in education.” But at least for today, these first and fourth graders are excited about reading, all because of a buddy program that is helping to create lifelong learners, and perhaps friends. n Jennifer West is the PR/communications coordinator for the Three Lakes School District.

Find the right match. The WASB’s Search Services will help ensure your school board makes the right hire. Our dedicated consultants are your trusted partner, considering your district’s long- and shortterm goals and how they connect with your search for a superintendent. Contact the WASB today. Search Services

608-257-2622

877-705-4422

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June-July 2017

C A P I T O L W AT C H

Dan Rossmiller

Federal Education Spending Up in Air Congressional deal on 2017 federal budget postpones fights over education funding until 2018 Editor’s note: The state Legislature’s budget-writing Joint Finance Committee had not yet taken up the education-related portion of the state budget in time for us to write about their actions in this issue. So, rather than speculate, we are going to update you on what’s happening at the federal level. To stay updated on the state budget debate and other state issues, please follow the WASB Legislative Update blog at wasblegupdate.wasb.org.

hen President Donald Trump broadly outlined his budget priorities for the 2018 federal spending year in mid-March, he proposed a 13.5 percent ($9.2 billion) cut in the budget of the U.S. Department of Education. These proposed cuts to education and other domestic programs were seen as paving the way for more national security and defense-related spending, a priority for the administration. The choices made on education funding also signal a shift in policy towards promoting school choice. The administration’s budget outline called for $1.4 billion in new investments in charter schools, private schools and other school-choice initiatives. At the same time, it would eliminate a $2.1 billion grant program for teacher and principal recruitment and development (Title II) and a $1.2 billion grant program that supports after-school and summer programs (the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program). Against this backdrop, it was somewhat surprising that the deal reached by Congress in late April for

the remainder of the 2017 federal spending year included few significant cuts to federal K-12 education funding. Even more surprising was that the compromise, which funds federal programs through Sept. 30 of this year when the federal 2017 spending year ends, increased funding for some of the same K-12 education programs Trump aims to cut while making cuts in other areas. Overall, U.S. Department of Education spending in fiscal 2017 will drop by only $60 million from fiscal 2016 and will total $71.6 billion. In its budget deal, Congress increased 2017 funding for the two largest federal programs that benefit public schools: Title I aid for economically disadvantaged students and aid for students with disabilities (under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA).

b Title I grants received a $100 million increase to a total of $15.5 billion.

b Special education grants will

grow by $90 million to a total of $12 billion.

Title II funding for teacher and principal development dropped $294 million from its fiscal 2016 funding level. While the cut is far smaller than the 50 percent reduction the Trump Administration had sought, the administration calls for eliminating Title II funding entirely in fiscal year 2018. Another program on the chopping block in fiscal 2018 that received a reprieve in the 2017 spending year is the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which funds after-school and other enrichment activities. The fiscal 2017 budget increases its funding above fiscal 2016 levels by $25 million although the President has called for eliminating the program in fiscal 2018. The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program is a relatively small ($1.2 billion) appropriation in the big scheme of things, but it helps foster community partnerships between schools and non-profit organizations and greatly benefits communities that are implementing the “community schools” concept with “wraparound” services.

The relative lack of K-12 funding cuts in Congress’ 2017 spending year deal likely means the big fight over education spending will occur when negotiations over the fiscal 2018 budget get serious this summer. That debate will mark the first full budget year over which President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress will have complete say. No school leader should view the 2017 spending year agreement as a sign that education and other domestic programs will be protected against across-the-board cuts in 2018 and beyond.

Wisconsin School News

| Some Education Budget

Details Released As of this writing, Trump’s first full education budget has not yet been released — that is set to occur on May 23 — but some additional details are emerging. Among them is that federal grants for career and technical education are slated to be cut by $168 million (15 percent). Further, the administration will propose no funding for a new Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant program created in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Congress has authorized as much as $1.65 billion for the grants, but the administration’s budget for them in fiscal 2018 is zero. These grants are meant to help schools: a) provide all students with access to a well-rounded education; b) improve school conditions for student learning (e.g., mental health services, anti-bullying initiatives, more physical education, etc.); and c) improve the use of educational technology. They were funded at $400 million in federal spending year 2017. These proposed cuts help clear the way for an additional $500 million in proposed spending on charter schools, up 50 percent over current funding levels, and a new $250 million federal investment in “Education Innovation and Research Grants,” which would fund expanding and studying the impacts of vouchers for private and religious schools. As of this writing, it is unclear how much of this $250 million would be spent on research versus how much might be spent on vouchers. The Trump Administration will also propose allocating $1 billion in Title I dollars meant for low-income children to a new grant program — called Furthering Options for Children to Unlock Success or FOCUS — for school districts that agree to allow students to choose which public school they wish to attend — and allow those students to take their federal, state and local dollars with them. The goal is to do away with neighborhood attendance zones.

| Medicaid Cuts Loom for

Schools? Significant cuts in federal Medicaid funding are also likely to affect schools in coming years. Medicaid, a joint federal-state partnership, provides assistance to low-income persons and persons with disabilities, through a combination of federal and state funding. Public schools currently rely on Medicaid to fund certain medically related services and screenings, including services to students with disabilities. Nationwide, schools receive approximately $4 billion in Medicaid funding each year. Unlike the potential cuts described above, cuts to Medicaid likely will not be enacted through the normal budget process, but as part of Congress’ efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act also known as “Obamacare.” Currently, Medicaid payments to states are based on a matching formula with the federal government paying states a share of their costs. In early May, the U.S. House passed its version of the “repeal and replace” legislation, known as the American Health Care Act. That bill caps annual payments to states beginning in 2020 with different amounts going to different categories of recipients — children, the elderly and people with disabilities. A state that exceeds its spending cap would face reduced federal funding in the following year. The Congressional Budget Office estimated those changes would reduce federal Medicaid funding by $880 billion over 10 years. Advocates for students with disabilities worry that the caps will deprive schools of funding for an array of required services and harm the ability of schools to employ nurses and therapists. The Senate is expected to take its time as it develops its own proposal to “repeal and replace” Obamacare. Whether that proposal will keep the same Medicaid cuts as the House bill, scale them back or provide

protections for school-based Medicaid services remains to be seen. | Movement Underway to

Revamp Key Federal Career and Technical Education Law On a lighter note, bipartisan legislation to modernize the nation’s career and technical education framework appears poised to move through Congress. The “Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act” was approved by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. First enacted in 1984, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, which authorizes federal support to state and local career and technical education (CTE) programs, has not been updated in more than a decade. The bill approved by the House committee largely mirrors CTE reauthorization legislation approved by the full U.S. House last September on a vote of 405 to 5. Regardless of party, lawmakers seem to be more eager to support measures to help students gain the knowledge, skills and experience they need to succeed after high school than they have been in many years. This is especially evident in renewed support for career and technical education programs. | Contact Your Congressper-

son and Senators Both the House and Senate will also take a brief Independence Day recess during the first week in July and will take the full month of August as a recess period. This is a great time to contact your congressional representative, Senator Tammy Baldwin and Senator Ron Johnson, to share any concerns you may have or to thank them for actions they have taken. Neither the House nor Senate will be in session during the August recess. If you would like to schedule a meeting with your member of Congress or U.S. Senator during that time, now would be a good time to make that request. n Dan Rossmiller is the WASB Government Relations director.

June-July 2017

WASB INSURANCE

John Gibson,

cic, csrm

Who’s Driving My Child? Steps districts can take to decrease risk related to school transportation issues

hen my son was attending Darlington High School he was on the golf team. I was school board president at the time and I asked him how the team traveled out to the golf course after school. He said to me, “Coach has us all get in Joe’s car and drive out there.” I knew his friend Joe was still driving under GDL (Graduated Driver License) requirements and should not be driving a car full of high school athletes to golf practice. My risk management experience said this was not acceptable risk for the school. We addressed these issues as a school board, gathered policies from several school districts, reviewed our student transportation policy, and made some revisions to reduce risk to the district. As an insurance respresentative, I receive questions on transportation issues on a weekly basis from our school clients. The question is frequently “What is the risk to the school’s liability if we allow a parent/volunteer/student to drive their automobile for a school activity?” I would expand this question to several other areas — schoolto-work, youth options program, co-curricular activities and other school-endorsed activities. When school districts have non-employees driving on behalf of the district, the district does expose itself to a potential liability claim if an accident would occur. The ideal scenario is to provide student transportation via a yellow school bus, or, where that is impractical, to at least

use a district-owned vehicle. However, the reality is that buses and school owned vehicles are not available for all events and activities. If a district is going to provide or directly arrange for student transportation in such situations, personally owned vehicles have to be considered. This article outlines some of the considerations that apply to allowing an individual to provide student transportation using a personal vehicle. It also identifies some protocols and policies that can help decrease the risk to the district. | Minimum Legal

Requirements Wisconsin State Statute 121.555 outlines the minimum requirements for providing student transportation using alternative vehicles, including privately owned, personal vehicles. The specific vehicle, driver, and driver background requirements found in the statute vary according to (1) the ownership of the vehicle, (2) whether the driver is compensated, (3) whether the driver is an employee or contractor, and (4) whether the driver’s license already includes a valid school bus endorsement. The least complex situation addressed in section 121.555 would involve a non-compensated volunteer who is transporting one or more students in his or her privately owned vehicle. The requirements that apply in other situations (such as for drivers who are district employees or for

district-owned vehicles) are substantially more complicated. I encourage school officials to familiarize themselves with the relevant statutes and the related information that is available on the Department of Public Instruction’s website, and to also review the statutes and their application with the district’s designated legal counsel. | Transportation Policies Another important step is to ensure that your board has current policies in place that govern the use of personal or district-owned vehicles for school business, including policies for providing district-authorized student transportation. Such policies and their related procedures can identify the extent to which privately owned vehicles may be used to provide district-authorized transportation, establish the requirements that drivers and vehicles must meet to be approved (including local requirements that exceed the minimum legal mandates), inform parents about the different types of district-provided transportation, and establish expectations for the students who are transported. In researching several school policies provided by policy staff at the WASB, I like what the Green Bay Area Public School District has in their co-curricular student transportation policy. Their policy states the following: “Parents/guardians of students who are being provided district-autho-

When school districts have non-employees driving on behalf of the district, the district does expose itself to a potential liability claim if an accident would occur. 24

Wisconsin School News

rized transportation in private vehicles for school purposes (e.g., curricular or extracurricular activities) shall be given written notice of such transportation arrangements. The notice must include the destination, approximate time travel, who is providing the transportation, and type of vehicle used. This notice must be signed by the student’s parent/guardian and be returned to the school prior to the activity of event.” Green Bay’s policy also states that, except as otherwise authorized within the policy, students are required to travel with the coach, organization advisor, or faculty representative. In working with some of our smaller school districts, this is not always possible due to limitations with school vehicles and staff. | Motor Vehicle Driver

Records Several years ago, we had a school client that experienced an accident where a parent-volunteer was driving on behalf of the district in a personally owned vehicle. This volunteer had very low personal auto liability limits and the school’s policy was involved in the claim. During the discovery phase of the lawsuit, it was revealed that this parent had a terrible driving record. The school had no idea because they were conducting MVR (Motor Vehicle Record) checks only on employees. In the court case, the plaintiff’s attorney effectively communicated to the judge that the school had a duty to make sure anyone driving on school business had to be screened and cleared to drive on behalf of the school. To avoid or at least mitigate this type of claim, school districts should create a list of all authorized drivers who may drive district vehicles or personally owned autos for school business. The school district should also develop standards for acceptable driver records. Contact your insurance carrier as they may have standards for their underwriting purposes. Driver records should be evaluated against the standards for any new driver and at least annually

for everyone else. For some drivers, periodic driver record checks are expressly required by statute. Schools can obtain driver records by filling out a Vehicle/Driver Record Information Request form with the Department of Transportation. In addition, districts will need to have potential drivers fill out a simple Employee Authorization for MVR Review form, which gives permission to the district to obtain a motor vehicle record report. | Insurance Coverage Issues Here are several key coverage elements that need to be on the school’s commercial auto policy to properly protect the district. Please note that this is not a complete list. Each school should determine what is needed for their district with their insurance broker.

b Appropriate Limits. Verify that

people driving their own personal auto have an auto policy with appropriate limits. I recommend $250,000 occurrence and $500,000 aggregate liability limits as a minimum standard.

b Uninsured and Underinsured

Motorist (UM/UIM) Coverage. It is critical to have at least a $500,000 limit (most districts carry a $1,000,000 limit). Several years ago, a school client of ours had a severe accident where an Amtrak train hit a school vehicle. The coverage for the wrongful death portion of the claim was paid under the UM/UIM coverage and totaled $700,000. I still hear some consultants and brokers tell school districts that minimum statutory limits of $50,000/ $100,000 are fine. I strongly disagree with this perspective. Schools have UM/UIM claims every year. The other consideration is that statutory protection in other states is not the same as in Wisconsin.

b Auto Liability Limits. I encourage our school clients to carry a minimum limit of $5 million.

b Fellow Employee Coverage. This

coverage addresses claims made by an injured employee against a fellow employee. Some insurance advisors have told districts that you do not need this coverage, but our recommendation is to have any exclusion of this coverage removed from your auto policy.

b Broad Coverage. Make sure the

definition of who is an insured is broad. This should include employees, board members, volunteers and any agent of the district. Similarly, ensure that your policy covers owned, hired, and non-owned vehicles.

b Personal Auto Policy. If you are

driving a personal auto on school business, it is very important to review your personal auto policy. Most personal auto polices exclude coverage if you are being paid mileage or other forms of remuneration when driving for a third party. Check your policy!

In summary, when analyzing your school’s liability exposure related to transportation, be sure to look at all the various modes of transportation for students, volunteers, and employees. Be sure to utilize the policy services at the WASB for sample transportationrelated policies and other information. I reviewed several well-written district policies, but policies and procedures in this area are often district-specific, and any samples must be adapted with care. If you have further questions, feel free to contact me at jgibson@tricorinsurance.com or call 608-778-6441. n John Gibson is a partner and vice president of Program Business at TRICOR Insurance, endorsed agency through the WASB Insurance Plan. For more information, visit wasb.org.

June-July 2017

A S S O C I AT I O N N E W S

Upcoming Event | July

14-15: Summer Leadership Institute

R ADI S S ON, GRE E N BAY

chool board members are invited to the Summer Leadership Institute, taking place July 14-15 at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Green Bay. This event will provide school board members and administrators an opportunity to network with colleagues from around the state and gain the knowledge necessary to successfully lead your school district and improve board governance. The two-day event will begin on Friday, July 14 with dinner and an inspiring keynote address from former Green Bay Packer George Koonce. George will share his experience of growing up in a socially and economically deprived area of eastern North Carolina, finding success on the gridiron with legends Brett Favre and Reggie White, and how the importance of education drove him to receive a doctorate and dedicate his second career to higher education.

A full day of sessions covering a variety of important school leadership issues will take place Saturday, July 15. Some of the sessions include:

b Introduction to the Key Work of School Boards;

b Coming to Order: How to Plan and Conduct Effective School Board Meetings;

b Board Engagement: The Tenets of Master Planning;

b Fundamentals of Wisconsin School Finance;

b Guiding Board Operations

and Fiscal Authority Through Policy-Making;

b Community Engagement; and b Board/Superintendent Relations. Attendees will be able to select the sessions of particular interest, allowing participants to customize their experience. For more information, visit wasb.org. n

WASB | Webinars | Upcoming

WASB Webinars

The WASB hosts a series of webinars throughout the year. Here is a look at the upcoming webinars from the WASB:

n Annual and Special Meetings:

n Pupil Records

Notice, Procedures and Powers June 14 | noon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 pm Barry Forbes, Associate Executive Director and Staff Counsel

August 2 | noon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 pm Bob Butler, Associate Executive Director and Staff Counsel

This presentation will review the notice requirements for annual and special meetings, cover meeting agendas and procedures, and discuss the division of powers between the annual meeting and the school board in common school districts.

This presentation covers state and federal laws relating to the maintenance and release of pupil records. We will cover the basics of the pupil records law and focus on limitations to the release of pupil records and on recent changes in the law.

Wisconsin School News

WASB Welcomes New Interim Directors Sue Todey and Andrew Maertz join the WASB Board of Directors Sue Todey, a member of the Sevastopol School Board, and Andrew Maertz, a member of the Reedsville School Board, have joined the WASB Board of Directors. Todey will serve as interim director of Region 3 while Maertz will represent Region 8 as an interim director. Both were appointed by the WASB Board of Directors in April following the resignations of the directors in their respective regions. Todey has served on the Sevastopol School Board for the past 11 years and serves as chair of the CESA 7 Board of Control. She has worked in education as a teacher, school counselor, central office administrator, university ad hoc faculty member, and consultant with the Department of Public Instruction. After retirement from full-time employment, Todey has continued to do some consulting work. “I am honored to be appointed to the WASB Board of Directors,” Todey said. “I look forward to utilizing my background and experience to help promote excellence in education for all students in Wisconsin as they prepare to be college, career, and community ready.”

Maertz has been a member of the Reedsville School Andrew Maertz Sue Todey Reedsville Sevastopol Board for School Board School Board nine years. He has served as delegate to the WASB Delegate Assembly for eight years and has served tor two years as a member of the WASB Policy and Resolutions Committee. Maertz has also served on the CESA 7 Board of Control since 2010. “I am looking forward to being able to serve in a regional, as well as a statewide role, while making sure public education continues improving and changing to meet students’ needs,” Maertz said. “It is also a goal of mine to maintain Wisconsin’s reputation as having some of the highest achieving students in the nation.” Both Todey and Maertz will serve in an interim capacity until the board of director elections at the WASB Fall Regional Meetings. n

n School District Referendums — Legal & Policy Considerations August 9 | noon – 1 pm

n Pupil Expulsion September 13 | 1:30 – 2:30 pm Barry Forbes, Associate Executive Director and Staff Counsel

Barry Forbes, Associate Executive Director and Staff Counsel

This webinar presentation covers state and federal laws relating to pupil expulsions. The presentation will provide a roadmap for considering the expulsion of pupils and to help avoid common pitfalls when doing so. The presentation will focus on procedures for administrators as well as for boards that conduct their own expulsion hearings. n

More and more school districts are going to referenda for funding and facilities. This interactive webinar will cover the legal and policy considerations that you should consider before going to referenda. The webinar will provide detailed analysis of the different types of referenda, the procedure and timing of referenda, the use of district funds and resources during a referendum, the roles of the board, individual board members and staff during a referendum, and how districts, staff, and boards may interact with thirdparty groups, e.g., “vote yes,” “vote no,” etc.

Please note: These and all previous webinars are recorded and available on demand. WASB members can purchase any webinar and watch when their schedule allows. Upcoming live and pre-recorded webinars are listed on the WASB Webinars page at wasb.org.

June-July 2017

LEGAL COMMENT

B oard m a n & C l ar k LL P

Volunteers in Schools

olunteer programs serve important functions for school districts. They promote community involvement and investment in schools while freeing up teachers and other district staff to focus on instruction and other essential duties. Districts use volunteers for a wide variety of tasks, from assisting in the classroom to coaching athletic teams. While the presence of volunteers in schools can be a great asset, it also gives rise to a variety of legal concerns. This Legal Comment will provide an overview of some significant legal issues that arise in connection with districts’ use of volunteers.

| Screening Volunteers Neither federal nor Wisconsin laws require districts to conduct background checks on individuals who want to provide volunteer services to districts. Districts that use volunteers are generally expected to exercise reasonable care in their selection.1 Many districts find criminal background checks to be a useful tool in the volunteer selection and screening process, but districts that make use of background checks must be sure to do so in accordance with the law. Districts may obtain background checks from a number of different sources. Wisconsin’s Consolidated Court Automation Program’s (CCAP) database stores case information from Wisconsin circuit courts, including records of criminal arrests and convictions within Wis-

consin. CCAP can be accessed free of charge by the public on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website, and the consent of the prospective volunteer is not needed in order to search the database. However, a CCAP search will not turn up all relevant records of criminal offenses. CCAP only contains records of arrests and convictions that took place in Wisconsin, and older records may not be retained in the system.2 In addition, some records may not appear on CCAP because state law allows them to be expunged by court order in certain circumstances, for example when an individual under the age of 25 commits a felony or misdemeanor for which the maximum prison term is six years or fewer.3 Another source of criminal background check information is the Wisconsin Department of Justice Crime Information Bureau (CIB). CIB’s centralized criminal history database contains detailed information regarding arrests, charges, prosecutions, court findings, sentences, and correctional system admissions and releases. Like CCAP, this database only covers Wisconsin occurrences, but the information it provides tends to be more detailed than CCAP. Currently, the cost to run a name-based search is $12 by mail or fax, or $7 online. Many districts use this source to conduct background checks because it is relatively inexpensive and fairly

comprehensive, and the prospective volunteer’s consent is not needed. In addition, under the federal Volunteers for Children Act,4 districts may also ask CIB to run a national fingerprint-based background check on volunteers. In order to make use of this service, the district must obtain fingerprints and a signed waiver from the prospective volunteer. The current fee is $30 per search. Districts may also hire a thirdparty consumer reporting agency to prepare a consumer report on prospective volunteers. Before obtaining such a report, districts should be aware that the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) imposes certain requirements on the district.5 Among other things, the district must notify the prospective volunteer in writing that the district may obtain a consumer report and must obtain the prospective volunteer’s written consent. In addition, the district must make certain certifications to the consumer reporting agency and, if the district takes adverse action based on the report (e.g., denying a prospective volunteer’s application), it must provide the prospective volunteer with a copy of the report and a summary of consumer rights under the FCRA. Because of these and other legal hurdles put in place by the FCRA, most districts choose not to obtain consumer reports for volunteer applicants.

A well-drafted volunteer policy not only helps to reduce the risk of injury to students and volunteers, but also reduces the risk of liability for the district.

Wisconsin School News

In addition to ensuring that background checks comply with the FCRA, if applicable, districts should take care to avoid selecting volunteers on the basis of discriminatory criteria. While volunteers are generally not protected from discrimination by state or federal employment discrimination laws, volunteers who believe they have been discriminated against on the basis of their race, sex, religion, or other “suspect classification” may raise discrimination claims against a district under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. | Liability Depending on the circumstances, a district may be held liable for a volunteer’s conduct if the volunteer acts as a “servant” of the district.6 In general, a master-servant relation-

ship arises under the law when a district controls or has the right to control the volunteer’s physical conduct. This is a determination that depends on the particular facts and circumstances surrounding the relationship and the incident, but since volunteers are typically required to follow district instructions, their conduct likely is “controlled” by the district. In addition, a district may be required to indemnify and pay the legal defense costs incurred by a volunteer who is sued for actions taken while volunteering because Wisconsin’s indemnification statute applies not only to a district’s employees and officers, but also to its “agents.”7 Whether a volunteer is acting as a district’s agent is a question of fact that will depend on the circumstances of the case, but courts generally consider a variety of

factors, including whether the volunteer is acting on the district’s behalf, whether both parties consented to the relationship, and whether the volunteer is subject to the district’s control.8 The rationale behind this indemnification law is to protect public employees, officers, and volunteers from personal financial loss associated with their service to the public. Thus, if a volunteer is sued for an act taken while acting as an agent of the district, the district or its insurer may be required to pay the liability judgment and, if the district did not provide legal representation to the volunteer, reimburse the volunteer for attorney fees and costs associated with defending the lawsuit. | Volunteer Immunity Although districts may be liable for actions taken by volunteers, certain state and federal laws

Organizational Effectiveness The WASB Organizational Consulting Services provides member school districts with a wide range of services in analyzing and evaluating systems and programs, developing master and strategic plans, and resolving unique challenges. Contact the WASB today to learn more.

Organizational Consulting Services | 608-257-2622 | 877-705-4422 | Visit wasb.org

June-July 2017

LEGAL COMMENT

provide immunity for volunteers in particular situations. For example, the federal Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 (VPA) provides certain limited immunity to volunteers for harm resulting from their negligence when the volunteer was acting within the scope of his or her responsibilities at the time of the negligent acts or omissions.9 Under the VPA, a volunteer is defined as an individual performing services who does not receive compensation for the services other than reimbursement for reasonable expenses actually incurred or any other thing of value in excess of $500 per year. The VPA does not provide immunity for acts of willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct, or a conscious, flagrant indifference to the rights of others. The VPA’s immunity also does not extend to the district, which can be held vicariously liable for the ordinary negligence of its volunteers even if the volunteers themselves are immune from liability. Wisconsin’s governmental immunity law, which provides immunity for certain types of discretionary acts,

[continued]

generally applies to volunteers to the same extent as it applies to district officers, officials, and employees.10 In addition, a number of other state laws provide varying levels of immunity to volunteers for acts or omissions in specific circumstances such as rendering emergency care to a pupil,11 attempting to prevent a pupil’s suicide,12 or administering certain types of prescription or non-prescription drugs to pupils when authorized in writing to do so.13 | Liability to Volunteers In addition to being held liable for actions taken by volunteers, districts may also be sued by volunteers. One potential source of exposure is under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which requires that covered nonexempt employees be paid minimum wage for all hours worked and overtime for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Under the FLSA, “bona fide volunteers” are not employees, and thus are not entitled to minimum wage or overtime pay. However, districts must be careful to avoid providing “compen-

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Wisconsin School News

sation” to volunteers; otherwise, the volunteers may be treated as employees for FLSA purposes, giving rise to potential liability for unpaid minimum wages and/or overtime. In crafting the definition of “bona fide volunteer,” Congress attempted to walk a careful line to avoid discouraging volunteerism while also ensuring that employers do not attempt to manipulate the minimum wage and overtime requirements by pressuring individuals to “volunteer” their services. In order to qualify as a “bona fide volunteer,” an individual must (1) perform service for civic, charitable, or humanitarian reasons, without promise, expectation, or receipt of compensation for the services rendered; (2) offer his or her services freely and without pressure or coercion, direct or implied, from the district; and (3) not perform the same type of services for the district as a volunteer as he or she does as a district employee.14 A “bona fide volunteer” under the FLSA may not receive any “compensation,” but the district may pay “expenses, reasonable benefits, or a nominal fee.” In general, stipends or payments will constitute a “nominal fee” if they amount to no more than 20 percent of what the district would have otherwise paid for the services and if they are not tied to productivity.15 Districts must be particularly attentive to possible FLSA claims when a district employee volunteers services to the district. If a district employee wishes to volunteer for the district, the employee must not perform the same type of services while volunteering as the employee provides to the district in the employee’s regular position. For example, a full-time bus driver may volunteer to coach a basketball team, but if the driver “volunteers” to drive the basketball team to away games, the district must treat the time spent driving the team as compensable “hours worked” for the purposes of

minimum wage and overtime laws. There is a limited exception for district employees volunteering in their own child’s classroom or with activities directly involving their own child’s education.16 In general, Wisconsin’s worker’s compensation law does not provide coverage for district volunteers.17 Thus, volunteers are not covered under a district’s worker’s compensation policy and may not collect worker’s compensation benefits if they are injured during the course of their volunteer service. However, this allows a volunteer to bring legal action against the district to recover damages for the injury, which would not be permitted if it was compensable worker’s compensation injury. Finally, while employee safety laws generally do not apply to volunteers, this is not the case with respect to Wisconsin’s Safe Place Statute, which requires employers to “furnish a place of employment which shall be safe for employees therein and for frequenters.” District volunteers are considered “frequenters” of district buildings, and are therefore protected by the Safe Place Statute.18 Thus, if a volunteer is injured by an unsafe physical condition in a district building, the volunteer may bring a claim against the district to recover damages for that injury. | Minimizing Liability There are a number of different measures districts can implement to reduce their potential exposure to liability in connection with their volunteer programs. Districts should have in place a written policy related to the volunteer program, covering issues such as background checks, training and supervision, and standards of conduct. Once this policy is in place, it should be applied consistently and uniformly. A well-drafted volunteer policy not only helps to

reduce the risk of injury to students and volunteers, but also reduces the risk of liability for the district. The policy can be used in court as evidence that the district took reasonable steps to ensure the safety of its program. The existence of a written volunteer policy may also deter an injured party from filing a lawsuit. Districts should ensure that volunteers are properly trained and supervised. In addition to training volunteers to safely and effectively perform the tasks they have been assigned, some districts provide additional training in subjects such as emergency procedures for student accidents or illnesses. These types of trainings, along with proper supervision of volunteers, decrease the likelihood of accidents or other liability-producing events. Even the best training and supervision will not eliminate all potential liabilities arising from volunteer activities. Thus, districts should examine their insurance policies to make sure they cover volunteer activities. While districts may not provide insurance to third parties, they are permitted to procure liability insurance covering the acts of volunteers.19 Thus, the district’s liability policy may provide coverage for acts and omissions of volunteers acting within the scope of their volunteer duties. In addition, districts should consider having volunteers sign an agreement under which a volunteer agrees to waive any legal claims the volunteer may have and to hold the district harmless from any liabilities arising from the volunteer activities. These exculpatory agreements are strictly construed and will only be found valid if they clearly, unambiguously, and unmistakably inform the volunteer of what is being waived. Districts should consult with legal counsel in drafting such agreements.

| Conclusion Community volunteers are a valuable resource for districts, but the presence of volunteers in schools gives rise to a variety of legal concerns. Understanding the various sources of liability associated with volunteer programs can help districts be more thoughtful in the way they select, train, and make use of volunteers in order to minimize the district’s legal risk. | Endnotes 1. James A. Rapp, 5 Education Law s. 12.15[4][e] (Matthew Bender, 2015). 2. SCR 72.01. 3. Wis. Stat. s. 973.015(1m)(a). 4. 42 U.S.C. s. 5119a. 5. 15 U.S.C. s. 1681 et seq. 6. See Arsand v. City of Franklin, 83 Wis. 2d 40, 46, 264 N.W.2d 579 (1978). 7. Wis. Stat. s. 895.46. 8. See, e.g., Rasmussen v. General Motors Corp., 2011 WI 52, ¶ 33, 335 Wis. 2d 1, 803 N.W.2d 623 (quoting Marten Trans. Ltd. v. Hartford Specialty Co., 194 Wis. 2d 1, 13-14, 553 N.W.2d 452 (1995)). 9. 42 U.S.C. s. 14501 et seq. 10. Wis. Stat. ss. 893.80(1b), (4). 11. Wis. Stat. s. 118.29(3). 12. Wis. Stat. s. 118.295. 13. Wis. Stat. s. 118.29(2)(a)3. 14. 29 C.F.R. s. 553.101. 15. DOL Opinion Ltr. FLSA2005-51 (Nov. 10, 2005). 16. DOL Opinion Ltr. FLSA2004-6 (July 14, 2004). 17. Wis. Stat. s. 102.07; Hall v. Sch. Dist. of St. Croix Falls, WC Claim No. 20050003827 (LIRC June 25, 2007). 18. Gennerich v. Zurich American Ins. Co., 2010 WI App 117, ¶ 16, 329 Wis. 2d 91, 789 N.W.2d 106. 19. Wis. Stat. s. 66.0137(2). This Legal Comment was written by Michael J. Julka, Julia K. Potter and Steven C. Zach of Boardman & Clark LLP, WASB Legal Counsel. For additional information on related topics, see WASB Legal Notes, “Volunteers” (Spring 2000).

Legal Comment is designed to provide authoritative general information, with commentary, as a service to WASB members. It should not be relied upon as legal advice. If required, legal advice regarding this topic should be obtained from district legal counsel.

June-July 2017

Q&A

S E R V I C E A S S O C I AT E

Addressing Risk Management, Health Insurance and More SE RV I C E

A S S O C I AT E

Can you give examples of some of the biggest risk management challenges facing school districts?

The biggest challenge we see with school districts is balancing the budget while maintaining the traditional, high-quality employee benefits that attract and retain talented staff. It’s just not enough anymore to shop carriers year after year, hoping for a better deal. We find it’s imperative for districts to create a multi-year benefits roadmap that contains well-researched options. This way, when key decisions are made, all of the legwork is already completed.

Q. What is new in your field that

school board members and administrators should be aware of?

A. More and more employees are looking for benefits that suit their individual needs. The benefit needs of a family is very different from those of a single millennial, for example. The most successful districts offer competitive wages in combination with a wide choice of health plan options. Each option comes with different deductibles, co-pays and/or various medical savings accounts (i.e., HRA, HSA, FSA). Another area of individualized benefits is the growth of worksite benefits offered on a voluntary basis. These plans provide specialized benefits such as critical illness and accident coverage at low prices, and participants can choose whether to enroll annually.

Q. What can school leaders do to

stay current with important insurancerelated issues?

A. Rely on your associations such as WASB, as well as your brokers, carriers and partners. Attend presen32

Wisconsin School News

Q & A

tations, conferences and webinars. Read those newsletters that show up in your inbox. These opportunities are almost always free to districts, and they provide great and timely information on various employee benefit topics.

However, you are likely bombarded by information daily, and it’s easy to get “information overload.” There are only so many texts, articles, tweets, emails and posts you can pay attention to at one time. One option is to identify a professional consultant in the field of employee benefits to partner with. His/Her job is to keep you informed of the ever changing landscape of employee benefits. The consultant can keep you up-to-date, not only to the district leadership but can help educate staff as well.

Q. If you could give one piece of insur-

ance advice to schools, what would it be?

A. There is a tendency for benefit managers to hyper-focus on health insurance because it’s the largest expense item and the most problematic. This is natural, but it’s useful to recognize how every benefit works together, and how each one affects the other. Examining how medical pricing drives contracts, how retiree benefits and OPEB balances relate to each other, how voluntary products drive benefit choices and how district contributions affect cash flow; just to cite a few examples. Find a partner/consultant/broker that can help manage all of your employee benefits, not just health insurance. Partnering with someone who understands your benefit structure, personnel and political atmosphere is immeasurable. As a full benefits consulting firm, we work to integrate all employee benefits

Erik Kass National Insurance Services (NIS)

for active and retired staff and make sure that the investment in these benefits fit together.

Q. Do you have any other recommendations for school districts?

A. My advice is do what you can to fully engage staff to take more ownership of the employee benefit process. We see great success with employee benefit committees that center their purpose on wellness and understanding the claims and utilization data. Participating staff become champions for the benefit plans, helping to educate staff within their buildings about the changing landscape of employee benefits. In fact, we are currently writing a guide for districts about forming those committees. Keep an eye out for it. n Erik Kass is an employee benefits consultant for National Insurance Services (NIS). Erik worked 14 years in finance and human resources for school districts in Wisconsin and was named the 2016 Wisconsin School Business Manager of the Year by the Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials. The WASB Service Associates Program includes businesses and organizations that have been recognized by the WASB Board of Directors as reputable businesses and partners of public education in Wisconsin. For more information, visit wasb.org and select “Service Associates.”

Educational Services And Products 2 0 1 7 WA S B S E RV I C E A S S O C I AT E S

Architecture, Engineering, Planning, Interiors and Construction Management

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Plunkett Raysich Architects LLP 414 359-3060 skramer@prarch.com prarch.com Architectural and interior design services

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Computer Hardware, Software, Consulting

Skyward, Inc. 800-236-7274 ben@skyward.com skyward.com Developer of student, budgetary and human resource administrative software exclusively for K-12 school districts.

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Management, |Construction Contracting, Consulting J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. 608-257-5321 cmlsna@findorff.com findorff.com

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With offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Findorff is one of Wisconsin’s leading builders. J.P. Cullen 608.754.6601 kevin.hickman@jpcullen.com jpcullen.com J.P. Cullen is a family-owned, fullservice construction management firm that specializes in budgeting, planning and constructing the tough jobs.

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VJS Construction Services 262-542-9000 cbathke@vjscs.com vjscs.com A top-10 construction company in southeastern Wisconsin with 65 years of experience.

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Benefits, |Employee Risk Management Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services 608-828-3740 kristina_winterfeldt@ajg.com ajgrms.com Specializing in serving the risk management and insurance needs of public schools.

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Associated Benefits and Risk Consulting 608-259-3666 Al.Jaeger@associatedbrc.com associatedbrc.com Our focus is financial security options that protect and assist growth. We go beyond simply protecting against the loss of assets and property.

Banking, |Financing, Consulting Robert W. Baird & Co. 800-792-2473 BBrewer@rwbaird.com rwbaird.com/publicfinance Robert W. Baird & Co. provides school finance solutions through its Public Finance team and business office consulting services through its School Business Solutions team.

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Key Benefit Concepts LLC 262-522-6415 info@keybenefits.com keybenefits.com Actuarial and employee benefit consulting services.

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M3 Insurance 800-272-2443 marty.malloy@m3ins.com M3ins.com The dedicated education specialists at M3 Insurance provide over 50% of Wisconsin school districts with the very best in risk management, employee benefits, and insurance services.

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National Insurance Services of Wisconsin, Inc. 800-627-3660 slaudon@nisbenefits.com NISBenefits.com

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We’ve been a specialist in public sector benefits since 1969. Our insured products include: health, dental, disability, life and long-term care insurance. Our financial solution products include: health reimbursement accounts, OPEB trusts (fixed or variable), special pay plan and flexible spending accounts.

| Insurance Community Insurance Corporation 800-236-6885 khurtz@aegis-wi.com communityinsurancecorporation.com Dedicated to providing school districts with the tools they need to economically and efficiently address today’s changing insurance and risk management environment.

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EMC Insurance Companies 262-717-3900 philip.lucca@emcins.com emcins.com Property and casualty insurance

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TRICOR Insurance 877-468-7426 john@tricorinsurance.com tricorinsurance.com We now insure over 150 public schools. Our School Practice Team is made up of a diverse group of experienced individuals who are extensively trained and specialized in school insurance products, risk management, support services, loss control, human resources and claims advocacy.

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| Energy Services Midwest Energy Procurement (MEP) Solutions, LLC 608-273-4464 steve.grams@mepsolutions.org mepsolutions.org MEP Solutions is a Wisconsin-based energy procurement and consulting firm, which provides clients with comprehensive energy procurement analysis and solutions.

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| Leadership Consulting 

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| Transportation 

Dairyland Buses, Inc.

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SUPPORTING, PROMOTING AND ADVANCING PUBLIC EDUCATION

2017 SUMMER LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE Friday dinner and keynote:

Former Packer George Koonce will share his experience on the football field and how the importance of education drove him to dedicate his second career to higher education.

July 14-15, 2017 Radisson Hotel & ConfeRenCe CenteR, GReen Bay

Saturday conference topics include: • Policy making • School finance • Board/superintendent relations • Employee engagement • Mental wellness • And more! Choose sessions from three tracks to customize your learning. One track is designed for new board members. The conference will wrap up with a legislative update.

Visit

wa s b . o r g f o r co m p l e t e i n f o r m at i o n a n d to r e g i s t e r .

Ph: 608-257-2622 Fax: 608-257-8386