The Wautoma Area School Board met for their monthly meeting on June 14 in the Wautoma High School Library in which members received the 2021-2022 WASD COVID-19 Mitigation Process Proposal that will be up for discussion and approval in July.
According to District Administrator Tom Rheinheimer, the updated plan is a result of vaccines being available for those aged 12 and up, as well as case numbers going down in Waushara County. The District put in a lot of planning for students to return to school this past year in order to reduce hospitalizations, ICU patients, and deaths in the state of Wisconsin. The Board agreed that the District did a good job of keeping students safe this year despite the challenges they were faced with.
The updated 2021-2022 mitigation proposal for staff and students created by Rheinheimer and WASD Nurse Cari Pronschinske has five categories, including illness or exposure, facial coverings, other mitigation measures, close contact/contact tracing/quarantine process, and testing options.
The Board will be reviewing the plan over the next month in order to further discuss and vote on the measures. Rheinheimer stated he wanted to get the plan approved in July to allow for families and staff to plan ahead.
On Monday, June 21, Rheinheimer, along with the other district administrators throughout the area, will be meeting with Waushara County Health Director Patti Wohlfeil. It will be at this meeting, Rheinheimer will provide Wohlfeil with the same WASD Mitigation Proposal for next school year.
Rheinheimer added that Nurse Pronschinske is currently working along with Family Health/La Clinica in order to offer a Pfizer Vaccination Clinic at the school for students 12 years and older to receive the COVID-19 vaccine prior to school starting in the fall. The vaccination clinic will be planned at a later time at one of the schools with the hope to have the first clinic in July and a second clinic in August.
The following agenda items were approved by the board: the resignation of Chandra McCarthy-Cardoso, Wautoma High School Counselor, Emily Heideman, Riverview Elementary Library Media Specialist, Timothy Goke, Bus Driver, Margret Dament, Parkside Kitchen Helper, Kaycee Michalski, A+ After School Tutor, Johnathan Johnson, Redgranite Custodian II, David Mueller, Cross County, Middle School Head Coach, and Falyn Krempp, A+ After School Program Assistant.
They also approved the employment of Jenna Simacek, Redgranite Elementary Teacher, Sherry Caves, Wautoma High School Business & Technology Teacher, Andrew DeKeyser, Fitness Center Supervisor, Fall, Renee Wilson, Department Head, Career/Technical Education, Brianna Buechner, Camp Parkside Student Assistant, and A+ Program and Summer Camp hires.
The SY2021-2022 Student Insurance; the 2021-2022 School Police Liaison Contract Addendum; the Sale of CESA5 Property in Vesper, WI; the SY2021-2022 WIAA Membership; the A+ After School Academic Support Tutor Job Description; the Revised School Counselor Job Description, 1st Consideration; the 2021-2022 Student Handbooks; the elimination of one of the Destination Imagination advisor positions; and the creation of the Middle School FBLA Advisor position, was also approved.
