Merrill Area Public Schools Regular Board of Education Meeting September 18, 2024 – Minutes The meeting was called to order by Blake at 5:30 PM in the Board Room. Board members present: all. Board members absent: none. Others present: Superintendent Murray, MAPS Administrators, Student Reps Black and Wagenaar, one person from the staff, and Recorder Woller. MOTION by Liberty, second by Ashbeck to accept the evacuation drill logs and submit them to the Department of Justice, Office of School Safety. Motion carried unanimously. MOTION by Proulx, second by Hornischer to approve the 2024-2025 Transportation Handbook. Motion carried unanimously. MOTION by Liberty, second by Proulx to approve the summer student maintenance workers pay at $16.00, beginning July 1, 2024. AMENDMENT by Liberty, second by De Rizzo to strike the motion, table this topic and send back to HR/Finance. Amended motion carried. MOTION by Smith, second by Ashbeck to approve the ESSER projects at the school forest and high school as presented. Motion carried unanimously. MOTION by Liberty, second by Hornischer to approve the use of a 1-year contract template for specific hiring needs. Motion carried unanimously. MOTION by Gremler, second by De Rizzo to approve the additional 1.0 FTE special education aide position at Washington Elementary, which will be funded through special education flow-through. Motion carried unanimously. MOTION by Ashbeck, second by Liberty to approve the substitute incentive program, which includes a $500 stipend for completing 50 full days of substitute work and a $1,500 stipend for completing 100 full days. AMENDMENT by Proulx, second by Woller to strike the motion, and table this topic. Amended motion carried unanimously. MOTION by Smith, second by Gremler to approve the increase the pay for all NAC aides by $2 per hour to be offset by out-of-district tuition increases; and, to create a separate delineation on the support staff compensation plan for NAC aides. Motion carried unanimously. MOTION by Smith, second by Proulx to approve the 2024 Macbook Refresh in the amount of $353,700 with $67,000 paid for by ESSER funds and $286,700 paid for out of the Technology Department Budget any remaining ESSER funds. Motion carried unanimously. MOTION by Proulx, second by Liberty to approve the purchase order for LETRS Training and Facilitator Training from Lexia Learning Systems LLC. Motion carried unanimously. MOTION by De Rizzo, second by Liberty to approve the adoption of the School Forest Overnight Compensation Plan for the 2024-2025 school year and add the School Forest Overnight Compensation Plan to future Employee Handbooks. Motion carried unanimously. MOTION by Gremler, second by Ashbeck to approve renewal of Imagine Learning/Edgenuity for $16,500. Motion carried unanimously. MOTION by Proulx, second by Gremler to approve the amended CESA 9 contract to include VI/O&M services, with an approximate estimate of $80,347 comparable to the 2023-2024 annual budget for the IDEA grant. Motion carried unanimously. MOTION by Liberty, second by Proulx to approve consent agenda items a through d, which includes minutes of the August 21, 2024 meetings; claims, vouchers and receipts totaling $2,471,676.52; donations totaling $3,255.00; and, the personnel report, contingent upon release of contract for hirings and upon the satisfaction of the appropriate liquidated damages for resignations, if applicable. Motion carried with Woller abstaining from the approval of the August 21, 2024, minutes. MOTION by Ashbeck, second by Hornischer to adjourn at 6:42 p.m. Motion carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Ron Liberty Board Clerk RL/tlw (The official minutes in their entirety are available by calling (715) 536-4581, by visiting www.mapsedu.org, or by visiting the MAPS District Office at 1111 N. Sales Street, Merrill, Wisconsin.) Published October 31, 2024 WNAXLP 
