Athens K-12 approves new staff wages
By Casey Krautkramer
The Athens Board of Education voted on March 18 to award school district staff a onetime stipend next school year, along with a raise in their salaries beginning next school year.
Beth Steinke, the district’s business office manager, said Tuesday the total impact of the stipend and salary increase for staff would be approximately $120,000 in the 2024-25 school district budget. The 1.5 percent stipend will cost approximately $45,000, and the 2.5 percent increase in salaries would cost approximately $75,000, she explained.
The Athens School Board voted unanimously, 5-0, for the one-time stipend and salary increases for staff to help the district keep quality teachers in the future. Board members Tim Krueger, Shanon Peel, Jessica Frahm, Tucker Diethelm and Thomas A. Ellenbecker attended the meeting. School board members Steve Janke and Angie Serve were absent.
Board members also wanted to reward patient district staff who are dealing with a wage freeze during the current school year because of budget cuts that occurred last spring.
In other business:
n Five people spoke during the public comments period at the school board meeting.
Athens teacher Jessica Bingham informed the board that the Athens Distinguished Alumni awards ceremony will be on Sunday, May 5, in the middle/high school commons.
Jill Heier, on behalf of Kat Becker who
See ATHENS/ page 2 Athens
Continued from page 1
was unable to attend the meeting, read Becker’s concerns of the district not offering a variety of middle and high school classes this school year because of budget cuts last spring. Jackie Venzke and Kristen Winter expressed their concerns about the larger class sizes at Athens Middle School this year because of staffing cuts last spring.
Kandi Lavicka requested the school board allow she and her husband, Brian Lavicka, sign a waiver form that will allow their daughter to play in Athens varsity softball games before her doctor clears her on Thursday, April 25. The family wants to sign a waiver so the Athens School District will not be held liable if their daughter re-injures her knee in a game before April 25. Addison Lavicka suffered a knee injury last summer that didn’t allow her to play in varsity volleyball and basketball games this school year.
She is able to practice softball with her teammates, but her doctor won’t clear her to play in games until April 25.
Brian Lavicka said on Wednesday he spoke to the parent of a Phillips softball player who was recovering from injuries. He said her parents twice signed waiver forms to allow their daughter to play in softball games without the school district being held liable if she got injured before her doctor cleared her. Brian Lavicka said on Wednesday he and his wife had not received a response yet from either Tim Krueger, Athens School Board president or Andrea Sheridan, Athens schools superintendent, on if they will allow them to sign a waiver form for their daughter to play in softball games before April 25.
The Record Review e-mailed Krueger and Sheridan on Tuesday morning about what their next steps are on allowing Addison Lavicka to play in softball games now, but it didn’t receive a response before the newspaper was printed on Wednesday afternoon.
n The district will offer summer school classes this year, including the popular swimming lessons at Marathon Swim Center. The district did not have summer school last year because of budget cuts. The deadline for parents to register their children for summer school is Friday, April 26. Online summer school registration can be accessed at https:// qrco.de/ber5IU, and paper registration forms are available upon request at the school offices.
n The board approved the CESA 9 service contract at $64,725 and the CESA 10 contract at $15,600 for the 2024-25 school year.
n Board members approved the human resources report that most notably includes
See ATHENS/ page 3
Jackie Venzke
Kristen Winter
Andrea Sheridan Athens
Continued from page 2
Dan Nowak’s retirement at the end of this school year. Nowak is a school counselor and district assessment coordinator who has worked at Athens School District for 19 years.
The board also approved the hiring of Athens High School assistant softball coach Jeff Haines, high school volunteer softball coach Bill Coker, head middle school softball coach Ashley Barttelt, assistant middle school softball coach Jonathon Heier, high school assistant volunteer track coach Brooke Rogaczewski and Maple Grove Charter School elementary yearbook advisor Emily Szutkowski.
n Athens School District had Perry Hibner, lead strategist for Donovan Group, conduct surveys with students, staff and parents in February about the school district’s initiatives, collaboration, work conditions and overall climate.
Hibner gave a presentation of the survey results at the school board meeting. Athens School District plans to post the survey re-Perry sults on its website for the public to see.
Hibner
