Lake Holcombe School Board; Public can still access board meetings in online format

Because not every student can earn their diploma in a traditional manner, the Lake Holcombe School District awarded Dakota Craker (left) and Zackari Salzgeber, with their graduation certificates June 21, as part of a regular school board meeting. The two completed graduation requirements and received the recognition to applause from the board. “I’ve always said throughout my career, that a person is much better off with a diploma, than without one,” said superintendent Kurt Lindau. Photo by Ginna Young By Ginna Young It’s been over a year, since Lake Holcombe School instituted a live streaming policy of board meetings, as a way to keep the public informed about what’s happening in the district, while still following COVID procedures. Now that school systems are opening back up, members of the Lake Holcombe School Board discussed June 21, whether to continue the offering in a live stream format.

The meetings in-person are once again open to all to attend, so after receiving direction from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, members needed to make a decision whether to continue with the live stream, discontinue it, or film the meetings and post them at a later date.

Board president Brian Guthman said a lot of people have commented to him that they watch the meetings, so he is all for continuing with an online option. His vote was for the “posting later” option, in case there are technical difficulties, so people won’t be “on hold” while the issues are fixed.

Anneleise Willmarth, board treasurer, says she thinks many people may have a hard time watching the meeting live, with work and other things going on, but does want to keep some format for the public to watch.

“I think if we took it away, it would not be a good thing,” she said.

Principal Mark Porter says posting the video later would help the staff that is required, instead of just one person who is “saddled” with the live link. That way, several people could share responsibilities of the taping.

“I think taping it, gives you more individuals, because it’s not as intensive, when it comes to getting a video feed and making sure it’s out on the link,” said Porter. “Because when you do that, it all goes back to one individual.”

Board member Jamie Tester Morfoot did research and discovered that in the year’s time, the lowest viewed meeting had 172 views, with most other meetings viewed around 300. She also mentioned that the access online creates transparency.

With everyone in agreement to continue the service, the board approved posting the taped meetings within 24 hours of the time the meeting occurs.

COVID has also created changes in the achievement gap reduction (AGR), where the school sets academic goals for reading and language arts.

“When we measure academic goals that have been set, we use two types of assessment,” said Porter.

The first is formative, which measures progress along the way, and summative, which shows overall results. Porter says math in kindergarten through third grade, looks good, but that he does see some struggling in first, second and third grade.

“I think at the beginning of the year, when we do assessments to look at individual struggling students, we’ll have to have a close eye put on those three grades and language arts,” said Porter.

Guthman said reading and writing has been tough on kids during the COVID closures.

“I’m sure that there’s going to be some remediation for those grades,” said Guthman.

Nicole Crosby, first-year guidance counselor at the school, is also looking ahead to what next year will bring. Although her role as counselor is to help students with academic and career support, she also wants to fill in people with what other services she offers, along with being more visible and creating more communication with the staff.

“I don’t want to do something because it’s always what I’ve done as a school counselor, I want to make sure it’s what you guys are wanting here in this community,” she said.

One positive the district has seen, is Crosby’s therapy dog, Winnie, who accompanies Crosby to school three days out of the week. Since Winnie has been in the building, staff members report that they can see huge changes in student attitudes – and are very fond of the canine themselves.

With the school year wrapped up, the board not only bid a fond farewell to Porter, who retires, but also approved the resignation of business education/world language leader Thea Hempel; and assistant high school boys basketball coach Brandon Crank.

I submit this resignation with some sadness, but cannot turn down an opportunity to teach at the college level, wrote Hempel.

As much as I enjoyed coaching basketball, I am going to have to resign coaching, wrote Crank. It is just too much to handle with my outside job.

Members also accepted $96.55, from Eastbay Lodge’s Dine & Donate Locally Program, for the music department; $2,500, from PRIDE, for the weight room project; $700, from Lake Holcombe Girl Scouts Troop 3230, for activities to benefit girls at the school; $200, from Shannon and Joe Repka, for the weight room project; and $250, from Kevin and Donna Yeager, to aid in grades one through four instruction.