State finds district held less school days than required

Baraboo School District students have spent less time in the classroom over the last two school years than state officials would have liked.

After someone lodged a complaint with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the agency investigated and found the district has held shortened school years since 2006 without state approval.

The DPI has directed school officials to add three calendar days to the district's already approved 2008-09 calendar to make it consistent with state guidelines. Wisconsin schools are required to hold 180 days a year and Baraboo had slotted 177 for '08-09. Negotiations are in the works with the district's teachers union to determine how the schedule will be revised.

"This was just brought to my attention several weeks ago," said Interim District Administrator Crystal Ritzenthaler, who took over for former administrator Lance Alwin in mid-April. "We're backtracking and we're working together with the union to make some changes that are agreeable to everyone."

As part of budget talks in 2005, school board members considered a series of cost-saving options in the face of declining enrollment and reduced state and federal aid. Officials also said the cost of heating, fuel and health insurance for employees was on the rise.

One proposal included cutting five calendar days from the upcoming school year to save on transportation and energy costs, as well as non-salaried staff wages.

"This was something that we were told DPI was allowing districts to do as a cost-cutting measure," said Baraboo School Board President Kevin Vodak.

Board members eventually authorized Alwin to request DPI approval for cutting calendar days, which officials estimated could save about $35,000 the first year.

"To tell you the truth, as far as what happened after that — what transpired or what didn't transpire that should have — I don't know," Vodak said. "We were told the waiver had been granted."

Officials recently learned that the DPI only approved cutting one calendar day, and that was only if the district agreed to add teacher training hours.

Ritzenthaler said she isn't sure why board members were told the DPI had approved the five-day waiver.

Alwin could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Baraboo High School Junior Eric Leitza said he's not concerned about having spent less time in the classroom. He'd like to see the district take it a step further.

"I think we should have five less days," Leitza said.

Negotiations will continue with the Baraboo Education Association in closed session during a special school board meeting Tuesday night with possible action on a revised calendar.

Vodak said he's hopeful negotiations will be concluded Tuesday.

"We don't want it to go on too long because people are making vacation plans and you don't want to inconvenience people too much," Vodak said. "The goal is to come up with a contract that doesn't necessarily make everybody happy but that we can agree is a doable schedule and be able to release that as soon as possible."