Hayward school board eyes policy: athletes need more sleep

Responding to a parent complaint, the Hayward School Board on July 1 indicated they will change school policy to allow student athletes to get more sleep after late-night out-of-town games before they have to report to class the next morning.

Parent Kris Thompson said girls hockey and other sports teams often “have very late arrival times” back in Hayward during the school week following out of town games.

“We all know the research that high school students need their sleep,” Thompson said. She asked the board to revise the co-rurricular code of conduct so that students have 10 hours from the time they return home from a game before having to report to classes the next morning.

“Having to report to school at 8 a.m. following a late-night return from a game “is not good for our teenagers, our athletes, our academics,” Thompson said.

Supt. Craig Olson said he will present a proposed revision of the co-curricular code to the board’s policy committee next month, so that if a student arrives home from a game after midnight, the student must report to class at 9:30 a.m., after the school day’s first block concludes.

‘I think it’s necessary,” said board member Derek Hand. “When we played Ely (in hockey), we came back at 3:30 a.m.”

Olson said the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) does not control this code. “It’s 100 % up to the local school district.”

In actions at their July 1 meeting, the board:

Approved lunch prices for students and adults for 2024-25. Full price lunch will cost $2.45 for grades K-5, $2.65 for grades 6-8 $2.75 for grades 9-12, and $4.65 for adults. Breakfast remains free of charge for students and will cost $2.79 for adults. A “second breakfast’ will cost $1.50, and a “second lunch” will cost $2.65.

Approved the school district’s annual Education for Employment and Academic and Career Plan, to be submitted to the state Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

Approved the annual measurement and verification energy exemption report for heating-ventilating-air conditioning (HVAC) energy savings from Trane Company, totaling $93,159.

Received letters of resignation from eighth grade math teacher Laura Lawrence and special education teacher on special assignment Kari Kalscheur.

Voted to hire several new staff: Jana Hillstrom for the 4-year-old wrap-around program at the primary school; Laura Hurd, district speech and language pathologist; Samantha Espersen, special education support staff member at the primary school; and Drew Anderson, high school football C-team coach.

Olson reported that “we have multiple commitments for anchor sponsorships” for new scoreboards. He is looking for 10 sponsorships at $5,000 per year for five years.

Olson also gave an update on the referendum building projects, stating that “everything is on track” at the intermediate, middle and high schools.

Olson reported that he will present propoaws contracts to the board on July 15 for hiring two School Resource Officers (SROs) for the 2024-25 school year.