School Board OKs academic standards for next year

At its meeting Monday, the Rice Lake Board of Education approved the district’s academic standards for the 2024-25 school year.

Director of Learning Marsha Scherz said there are no changes in the standards — in subjects from agriculture to world languages — for the upcoming school year but if approved will require changes for the following school year.

Among subjects offered, personal financial literacy will become a required course that all students must pass. Scherz said she will be working to develop it this school year to be offered in the next.

Board Member Dianne Koser asked if students will have to give up an elective to make room in their schedule for the new requirement. Scherz replied that it could be taught by social studies, business or family and consumer ed teachers, all of which is yet to be determined.

Scherz said there are also new state standards in both agriculture and business, so work will take place this school year to align the Rice Lake High School standards in those subjects to the state ones to be instituted in the subsequent school year.

In other business, the board:• Accepted the resignations of Erin Zemaitis, ESL teacher at Hilltop Elementary School; Katie Muschinske, mental health practitioner; Kyla Bergstrom, high school family and consumer science teacher; Casey Mathews, paraprofessional at Haugen Elementary School; and Dan Haughian, high school JV baseball.

• Approved the employment of Mike Kelly, health and physical education teacher at the middle school and high school varsity wrestling coach; Brooke Nehring, school counselor at the high school; Aleah Vincent, instrumental music intern at the high school for the first semester; Janelle Gruetzmacher, human resources administrative assistant in the administration office; and Michael Brown, eighth-grade boys basketball coach.

• Heard work has begun on replacing the turf at the athletic field with Aug. 1 set as the project’s completion date.

• Was reminded that the first two-week session of the district’s Summer Academy starts July 15, and the second two-week session starts July 29, both offering a wide variety of programming for students.

• Will not have a second board meeting in July, opting instead for a board retreat on Aug. 1 at 5 p.m. at Turtleback Golf and Conference Center.