Exeter –Milligan School board held their regularly scheduled
meeting on Wednesday, February 10th at 7 p.m. in the Milligan site
gym.
After welcoming guests and approving the consensus agenda
the board heard a presentation by Jack Moles, Executive Director of Nebraska
Rural Community Schools Association (NRCSA).
Moles gave a brief summary of his background in rural
education and then outlined the goals and objectives of NRCSA. He also
shared some of his concerns on the shortage of teachers for rural districts and
the current legislative challenges the organization is trying to address.
Board Chairman Adam Erdkamp thanked him for the information
and opened the meeting up for public comment. Several teachers in the district
took the opportunity to speak and all encouraged the board to close the
Milligan site.
Mary Lou Vossler, Family and Consumer Science teacher, who
taught in Milligan for a number of years, shared her concerns, “This site is
taking funds that could be used to benefit our children. We need to look
at what is best for our kids. By moving to one site we would benefit even
more.”
Third grade teacher Laura Steuben emphasized the loss of
instruction time as students from Exeter leave at 3:05 to return to
Exeter. “I do not feel closing this site is going to ruin the
community. It’s just going to look different.”
Fourth grade teacher Shelli Mueller shared her concerns
about the students in Milligan missing out on events like pep rallies and speakers.
She also raised the issue of the lack of a permanent administrator in the
building when teachers need advice in situations along with the lack of a tech
person onsite.
The board moved on to old business. Superintendent
Paul Sheffield noted that the board had raised a few questions on the
feasibility report with Fillmore Central. They hope to have the answers
to the questions and discuss them with the board during a special meeting.
Under new business the board planned to vote on the
principal contract next month with the committee meeting to review the contract
just prior to the scheduled board meeting next month.
Sheffield and Principal Laura Kroll presented a power point
on the advantages and disadvantages of closing the Milligan site which currently
houses third through sixth graders in the district.
The power point primarily cited financial, logistical and
curricular advantages. Sheffield noted that a number of teachers spend an
hour during each school day commuting back and forth between the two
sites. In adding up the many teachers who teach at both campuses he
estimated the time lost is equal to a full time teacher.
Some of the financial gains include reducing the number of
vans the school owns from eight to four, reduced cost of teacher travel as well
as decreases in the amount spent on Special Education, food service and
personnel at the Milligan site.
Sheffield quoted the cost to maintain the Milligan site for
the 18-19 school year as $209,477.25. He explained that some of these
costs including internet and copy machine service would be eliminated but
others like utilities would remain.
The presentation noted that logistically a move would be a
great advantage to students as they would gain 20 more minutes of instruction
each day. Currently some food is transported between the campuses which
would no longer be needed. Occupational and physical therapist along with
mental health professionals would no longer need to travel (and the district
would not have to pay for that travel time).
Beside the extra instruction time Sheffield noted that there
were many positive advantages for the having students in one
location. He cited the benefits of having peer mentoring and pack
partners, academic grouping and having the after school program available for
3-6th graders.
He also mentioned the possibility of moving the sixth graders up to the junior
high/high school if one of the elementary teachers resigned and the other
elementary teachers were rearranged to cover the open teaching spot.
The Milligan site would be continue to be used for
basketball practices and football games would remain in Milligan. Volleyball
games would be moved to Exeter. Sheffield envisioned the Milligan school
library converted to a daycare (not run by the district) and the lunchroom
repurposed as a senior center. The music room could be used for the
Milligan brass band to practice and the fitness center would remain as it is.
If the move is approved Sheffield hopes to create a
committee to determine the future of the facility. He ended his
presentation by stating, “I’m going to play devil’s advocate. I don’t care if
we go with Fillmore Central or Friend, either way Milligan is still gone.”
Community member Megan White asked if this move would “be
for one year or would it push consolidation off?”
Erdkamp responded, “That’s a fair question. I don’t
really have an answer. If we did consolidate it probably would be two to
three years before it would happen. . .if you look at our numbers they are pretty
bleak.”
Board member Kendra Jansky added, “This improves us
internally. It doesn’t fix our number problem.”
The board moved on to briefly discuss a separation incentive
program and approved an unpaid leave request before mentioning upcoming
conferences and setting the next regular meeting date for March 10 in Exeter at
7 p.m.
