Hurley School Board to review dedication policy

By TOM LAVENTURE

tlaventure@yourdailyglobe.com

HURLEY, Wis. — Dedicating school property after people became a question of policy and direction at the Monday meeting of the Hurley School District Board of Education.

Kevin Genisot, school district administrator, said the agenda item related to a school library dedication and had to do with the process first requiring a request letter to the school board. The school district would then form a review committee to include community to form a recommendation.

“It is ultimately up to the school board to decide,” Genisot said.

A community group is requesting that the Hurley K-12 School Library be named for Marial Bino, who passed away at age 101 on Nov. 22, 2018. Bino was an educator throughout the 1940s and a Hurley School District librarian from 1952 until she retired 39 years later.

School Board President Joseph Simonich said the decision goes against Hurley School District policy regarding dedications. When the new school was built, the board felt it was best to avoid dedications “after anybody and for many reasons.”

Simonich said a previous request to name the gymnasium after a former coach was denied. The school board is not saying people are not worthy of the honor but to keep school district names generic was better policy, he said.

“I don’t thing it’s the best idea but that’s just me,” Simonich said. “You can put a picture up and to commemorate the history here is one thing but to actually call the the library something other than the library, I don’t know.”

Simonich did say it might be an entirely different matter were someone to come along and pay for a building and want to name it.

Board members noted that the Hurley Education Foundation recognized Bino as a Distinguished Alumni in 2008. Some members also said naming things after people might confuse the sense of Hurley identity.

Leslie Kolesar, board treasurer, said that for the board to consider the name request it would first have to consider the policy. The board should consider whether or not it wants to change the policy in general at the next meeting, she said.

The school board then approved the school board candidates order for placement on the April 2020 election ballot. The candidates who applied by the Jan. 14 deadline were drawn in order as Kathy Levra, Neil James Klemme, Maria Sokol and Kathy Saari.

Genisot said a phone service audit by a third party showed that the school has good service and could not make more savings with competitors. He said a health insurance review by insurance brokers showed that $50,000 savings are possible and would have a representative present at the February board meeting.

Genisot said that Associated Bank contacted the school about a safety deposit box that hasn’t been opened since 2003. He will be looking into the box to see what are the contents.

The Hurley Education Foundation has reviewed academic department requests for $30,000 in available funds, he said. The foundation will consider requests for an additional $20,000 to $30,000 available in February, he said.

The funds are paying for public address systems in the commons and the school auditorium, along with choir dresses and other items that would otherwise be impossible to fund through other sources, Genisot said.

Ezra Manzer, president of the Hurley High School Student Council, provided the first of what will be regular reports at the school board meetings. He said, for him, the student council is about the getting involved and the importance of serving students and being a positive role model.

Manzer, who also serves on the Iron County Board, a National Honor Society member, and a member of the school band, said it means lot to be able to speak before the school board.

“This is an important opportunity,” Manzer said.

Manzer said the students are preparing for homecoming week with students busy decorating the school and participating in various activities. There will be a pep assembly on Thursday, Jan. 23 prior to the varsity boys basketball team takes on Wakefield at 5:45 p.m.

The winter formal dance is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m., Manzer said.

Simonich asked Manzer if he could get anything he felt the student body needed to help with the education process what would it be?

Manzer said that students are involved in a lot of activities and work outside of school. The study hours during the day are usually taken up by meeting and activities and creates more schoolwork outside of regular school hours.

“If we could open up an hour a day to actually work without interruption (that would help),” Manzer said.

Simonich requested that the topic of expanding parking on school property be added as a future agenda item. He said the amount of cars parked around school property for weekend activities could have made it difficult for emergency vehicles to reach the school if needed.

“I don’t know the answer but we need to look at the possibilities of pushing out lots,” he said.

In other business, the board approved 5-0:

—The 2020-21 school year calendar

—The public school open enrollment policy without a cap

—To seek more furniture samples before approving a quote

—An executive session to discuss a staffing issue for the 2020-21 school year and the district administrator evaluation.