Rib Lake cell phone policy to be determined

At the July 31 Rib Lake Board of education meeting, cell phones were a prominent topic of discussion.

“My feeling about cell phones is that [students] shouldn’t have them in school period,” said board member Rollie Thums. Board member Nicole Glenzer agreed with Thums, and the rest of the board agreed cell phones should not be in classrooms. There were various thoughts on if cell phones should be allowed during lunch or during passing periods. The board discussed whether students would put phones back in their lockers after these times or if the phones would be more likely to enter classrooms.

District Administrator Grubbs shared that administration would work to create action for a policy that the board would want to adopt, but that the overall policy needed to be enforceable for it to be successful. At the same time, the board also noted that parents and students could communicate if needed through the school phone, with parents calling the office, and how students with after school activities would need to have access to their cell phones after school.

The cell phone conversation also discussed gathering some additional input on the final policy from parents and teachers. In turn, a survey will be going out to parents regarding the cell phone policy, and during staff inservice in late August, the middle and high school staff will discuss a proposal of what this policy could look like for the board. The board will then make the final policy in the August Board meeting on August 28th.

In other technology policy, the use of smartwatches is prohibited during the school day unless the smartwatch has school mode turned on by their parents. If the smartwatch is not on school mode all rules for cell phones or electronic devices apply.

Regarding resignations and hires, Gracie Weinke has resigned from the girls basketball JV coach position; Mary Hessefort was hired to be a reading interventionist; Stacey Marcott, Jodi Juedes and Diana Rigney were hired to be part-time SPED aides; and Peter Meyer was approved to be a volunteer cross country coach.

In other business,

• Lunch prices will not change for the 24-25 school year.

• The Rib Lake School Forest Bog Walk is complete. Construction of the 630 foot walk began on June 10 of this year.

• Summer school swimming lessons wrapped up. 60 students were in the first session, and 40 students were in the second session. August activities include Little Learners II (PreK) along with Math Mania, Basketball Extravaganza and Junior Volleyball.

• The site survey and geotechnical drilling has been completed for the new facility that will join the middle and high schools. The first D& D (design and development) preliminary budget is at the end of August as our first round of plans are being completed.

• The Rib Lake district will now have two nondiscrimination coordinators. Jon Dallmann, elementary principal, will primarily handle employee related complaints and Michelle Rhodes will primarily handle student related complaints, although either one can handle either type of issue. This then allows the superintendent to hear any appeals if needed. This is recommended from the new Title IX policy.

• The board voted to renew membership in the Association for Equity in Funding. This group specifically advocates for more equality in funding and around the revenue limits that were imposed in 1993.

• The audit was smooth this year as the District bookkeeper was able to complete a number of entries prior to the auditors arriving.