Advertisement The board has attempted to change the policy several times during regular policy reviews since a child was bitten a couple years ago by a dog on school property during a park and recreation event.
The existing policy addresses prohibition of animals on school grounds during normal school hours but is silent on after-school activities and drop-off and pick-up times.
Board members Ann Bina and Ken Spraetz voted against changing the existing policy arguing there shouldn’t be a policy if it can’t be enforced.
“We’re always talking about they can’t come into the stadium, but how are we going to stop them?” Spraetz asked.
“If I want to walk my dogs on the track, I have to have them on a leash and I have to clean up their poop,” argued board member Tom Ward. “Who monitors anything? It’s just something that’s expected. Put up signs.”
Both student representatives to the board, Riley Shock and Warren Frank, gave examples of activities they have been at where an animal has been disruptive.
The board voted 5-2 to change the policy to read that animals, except service animals, are not allowed on school grounds during normal school hours, student drop-off and pick-up times or at school activities.
Audit findings
Also hounding the board were internal control issues with the financial audit for the 2008-09 school year. The auditor, Mike Brendel from Vig & Associates, indicated three internal control deficiencies and two reporting lapses by the administration.
Noting the deficiencies were common in schools of comparable size to West Salem, Brendel pointed out a problem of overlapping duties concentrated among a small number of accounting and administrative staff and inadequate controls for unusual or complex transactions.
The auditor also remarked that the board only receives abbreviated reports and summaries for the various funds rather than a complete set of financial documents.
Two reporting lapses were brought to the board’s attention. The auditor noted he was unable to audit a pupil transportation report filed with the Department of Public Instruction.
Burns explained that after filing the report with the DPI, which indicated costs of $835, the district’s copy was inadvertently disposed of by staff. Burns said the situation has already been rectified by a re-creation of the report made available to the auditor.
The second reporting problem the auditor noted was the board failed to provide a summary of the prior year activity of the Employee Benefit Trust Fund at the 2009 annual meeting as required by law.
Nevertheless, Brendel praised the board for bringing down the retirement debt level of the district and for facing post employment medical liabilities by making annual contributions to that fund.
Race to the Top
The board voted 6-1 to sign a memorandum of understanding to participate in the federal Race to the Top grant project administered through the state. It would mean $98,000 to the district if Wisconsin receives the grant. The district will have opportunities in the future to withdraw from the grant project.
Board member Linda Brown voted against the agreement. She was concerned there were too many unknown strings attached and that the district would get caught between state or federal legislative changes likely to happen during the two years the grant would be in effect.
Board members expressed concern about teacher pay being tied to performance, heavily opposed by teachers’ unions, but Superintendent Nancy Burns said there is a provision for those covered by collective bargaining agreements.
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