• GAZLO
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES
• BUSINESSES

Board puts controversial school position on hold

JANESVILLE — A Janesville School Board committee has delayed action on a controversial administrative position that the superintendent wants to create.

The board’s personnel committee voted 3-0 to delay action until June 24 on the half-time position that was proposed mainly to help the district establish a new teacher-training program.

Two of the three committee members said they want Superintendent Tom Evert to find a less costly way to do the work.

Tim Cullen is the committee chairman, and Bill Sodemann and Debra Kolste are the other members. Amy Rashkin, who formerly served on the committee, has acknowledged that she was interested in the position.

Rashkin resigned from the board May 30 after Cullen questioned whether the board should be creating positions for its own members.

Rashkin, who has said she is still interested in a district job, attended Monday night’s meeting. She did not speak.

Evert and Director of Instruction Donna Behn explained the need for the position. A major task will be putting in place a teacher-training system mandated by the new contract.

The 50-percent position would include fringe benefits, Evert said.

Sodemann said that as a businessperson he would look to hire someone at below half time so as not to pay benefits, or to hire a full-time person to maximize the gain from providing benefits.

Evert said he wanted the position to have benefits so he could attract many highly qualified candidates.

Sodemann suggested Evert tap a retired Janesville schools administrator to do some or all of the work. Janesville administrators who retire early receive a stipend, but in exchange must be available to take on tasks for the district.

Board members Dennis Vechinsky and Lori Stottler attended the meeting, as did board President DuWayne Severson.

Vechinsky and Stottler said it’s vital that the teacher-training program be done right.

If it isn’t, “this is going to be a major issue at negotiations,” Vechinsky said.

Cullen said Evert had justified the need for the work, but the question was who would do it.

The committee gave Evert two weeks in which to come up with a plan to get the work done without spending any money. Cullen suggested dropping some administrative task that, while important, is not as vital as the staff-development job.

Evert also asked for permission to withdraw his request to create a part-time position to help the new Parker principal in his first year.

Evert is recommending Parker Assistant Principal Steve Schroeder for the job of principal at the school. Committee members voted to recommend the appointment. The full board will vote tonight.

If approved, Schroeder would replace outgoing principal Dale Carlson, who was recently named the new superintendent of the Holmen School District near La Crosse.

Evert proposed the principal-assistant position before he picked Schroeder. Now that Schroeder is the apparent new principal, Evert needs to fill Schroeder’s current position, which includes the duties of Parker athletics director.

Evert indicated he is rethinking how all the duties could be covered, and he said he wants to talk to Schroeder before coming to the board with a revised proposal.

Evert and Stottler hinted that district Athletic Director Kevin Porter might figure into the scenario, although Evert said Porter is not certified to be an assistant principal.

BUDGET STUDY SESSION

The Janesville School Board will discuss its 2008-09 budget in a way it hasn’t done for a very long time, if ever.

The board has set a budget study session next Monday.

Board member Tim Cullen said the board usually discusses only new items in the annual budget and rarely looks closely at other spending. Other governmental bodies—including the Janesville City Council—spend much more time studying their budgets, Cullen said.

Cullen noted that more than 80 percent of the school district’s spending is locked in through contract agreements. However, that leaves a lot of discretionary spending in a budget of $111 million, he said.

The study session is set for 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Educational Services Center, 527 S. Franklin St.