Manawa School Board approves preliminary budget

The Manawa School Board approved a preliminary budget for the 2012-13 school year for $7.68 million. The approved preliminary budget is balanced.

The budget includes $3.54 million for salaries and $1.7 million for employee benefits. It also includes main revenue sources of $4.41 million from state sources and $2.73 million from local sources. The preliminary budget was approved unanimously.

After significant discussion, the board also approved installing a Key Fobs system in both the Little Wolf High School and the Manawa Elementary School. The cost of the system will be around $20,000.

The other option up for consideration was rekeying both the high school and the elementary school, at a cost of roughly $3,000.

The reason one or the other had to be done is the buildings haven't been rekeyed for more than 10 years, and the district is unaware of how many keys are in the community and who has them. Ed Dombrowski, district administrator, told the board keys are not supposed to be duplicated but they are.

During discussion, board member Paul Sturm originally suggested the board approve the rekeying option and then keep better track of the keys.

Board member Corrine Zielke said she was leaning toward the Fobs system because of the recent and upcoming technology purchases the district is currently doing. This means more technology items in the school buildings.

She also said with the Fobs system, it can be monitored who is entering the buildings and when.

Board member Rob Karski agreed and stated this is a security issue and the Fobs system is the best way to address the issue.

The Key Fobs system was approved by a 4-2 vote with board president Kurt Kreklow and Dave Strebe voting against it.

The adoption of the Laude System for Little Wolf High School was unanimously approved. Much discussion revolved around when the system would be implemented. The main discussion revolved around the Wisconsin Academic Excellence Scholarship and how this change would impact how the winner of this scholarship is chosen.

Sturm also said there still needs to be a valedictorian and a salutatorian to give students something to strive for.

After much discussion, it was decide that the implementation date would be determined at a future time.

"We are moving in the right direction," Kreklow said. "We just want to make sure it is implemented fairly."

The board also approved to sell the 34 acres the district owns on Butternut Road. The land will be sold by the district with a list price of $149,900.

The contract for Becky Marquardt was unanimously approved. She will be the new high school business education teacher.