Marathon decides MVA sports eligibility
The Marathon Board of Education last week Wednesday brought its middle sports eligibility and citizen scholar policies up to date with standards based grading.
In the past, the district disallowed a student with an “F” or failing grade from participation in sports. Board members, following a recommendation from Marathon Venture Academy (MVA) principal Sarah Budny, voted to make a student ineligible for middle school sports if he or she has a “not yet” standards based grade in two or more subject areas at the end of a trimester.
Budny predicted this standard would keep about four to six MVA students from participating in sports. This is roughly the number that now is ineligible with “F” grades.
School board members also voted to honor MVA students as citizen scholars if they are “proficient” or “exemplary” in 80 percent of classes and meet other criteria.
Marathon Area Elementary School (MAES) and MVA have transitioned from standard letter grades to Common Core standards based grading.
The grades are exemplary, profi cient, developing and not yet.
In other board business:
_ Board members approved MVA teachers “crowdfunding” to acquire video recording equipment needed to teach journalism to students.
_ Principal Budny announced the MVA governance board had agreed not to seek a Department of Public Instruction expansion grant meant to help teachers plan for grade looping and banding.
She said the grant effort was aborted after it was determined that the MVA governance board, not having a high level of autonomy, would likely not obtain a grant.
Budny said, however, her school would still pursue grade banding and looping.
_ Board members approved a $25,183 contract for CESA 9 services and a $13,945 contract for CESA 10 services.
_ Board members voted to allow teachers to attend a summer workshop in lieu of taking a professional development day during the school year.
_ District administrator Rick Parks reported that the referendum school remodeling project was nearly complete and would be “real close” to its budget. “We are within $10,000 to $12,000,” he said.
Parks said the school bought an extra refrigerator for the new MAES/ MVA cafeteria.
He said an old school cafeteria space will be used for speech/languages instruction, special education, band and early grade music.
_ Board members agreed to allow two juniors headed towards the Marines to graduate early next year should they decide to enlist. Both students meet the school graduation requirements.
_ Board members approved a list of spring coaches, with board members
Beth Seubert and Ted Knoeck abstaining. The coaches are as follows.
Track: Curt Miller, head girls coach; EJ Otto, head boys coach; Jeff Schneider, Preson Wirkus, Emily Nowak, Brad Berarde, assistant coaches; Ted Knoeck, Gary Raether and Bryce Seubert, volunteers; Gin Smith, Mark Meyering and Tera Fieri, junior high coaches.
Softball: Paul Fredrickson, head coach; Andy Martin, assistant coach; Tara Furger and Jeni Luzinski, assistant coaches.
Baseball: Steve Warren, head coach; Tyler Schilling, assistant coach; John Westfall, Doug Kaldunski and Ron Kunkel, volunteers.
_ Board members voted to have a private citizen transport a student daily to Northcentral Technical College. The arrangement will save the district money, said administrator Parks. Seubert abstained from the vote.
