By Taylor J. Hale

Staff Writer

STEVENS POINT – The Stevens Point Area Public School District will see multiple changes for the 2019-20 school year.

PJ Jacobs and Pacelli seventh and eighth-grade football program merger

School board members approved plans to merge the PJ Jacobs and Pacelli Catholic Schools seventh and eighth-grade football teams, as the board met on Aug. 12. The merger offers roughly five interested Pacelli students in each grade a chance to participate in the PJ Jacobs football program.

The move stems from low participation rates at Pacelli, making the school unable to field a team for the upcoming school year.

“We have traditionally had some low numbers in seventh and eighth-grade,” said David Hauser, PJ Jacobs athletic director.

 Last year’s seventh-grade team at PJ saw only 13 students and eighth-grade only 19. Students coming from Pacelli would adhere to the district’s athletic code and pay district participation fees.  Pacelli obtained Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) approval for the changes earlier this summer.

The seventh and eighth-grade seasons will participate in six games, with practices starting on Aug. 19. Hauser is working with Pacelli Athletic Director John Raflik on the merger.

School Board seeks new candidate after Dailey resignation

The Stevens Point Area Public School District is seeking to fill a vacant seat, after former member Amy Dailey resigned on Aug. 5.

The application process is slated to open to the public on Aug. 13, with a submission deadline of Aug. 29.  A special board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 6 to conduct candidate interviews. A new candidate is expected to be elected and seated at the Sept. 9 board meeting. The selected candidate will hold the position until April’s election.

Wade appointed as board treasurer and chair of business services

Dailey’s resignation also left the board treasurer and chair of business services positions open. District leaders appointed Mike Wade to fill both vacant roles during the Aug. 12 meeting.  Board member Barb Portzen moved the motion to assign Wade. Wade has been a representative of the school district since 2017.

District continues the Reading Recovery program 

Leaders approved the district’s continued participation in the Reading Recovery program on Aug. 12. District schools belong to the Northcentral Wisconsin Reading Recovery Consortium, along with Tomahawk, Flambeau, Mosinee, DC Everest, Stanley Boyd, and Merrill.

The program is intended to provide additional aid to first graders struggling with literacy skills. Participating students will work with trained teachers for 12-20 weeks, receiving daily 30-minute lessons.

The Stevens Point School District has participated in the program for roughly four years. The program is part of the district’s response to intervention plan.

 Construction at area schools

The 2018 referendum allowed for $75.9 million in funding to be utilized for construction and maintenance over the coming years.  Superintendent Craig Gerlach noted it had been the “busiest summer” of his career during a recent board meeting.

School construction and renovation projects at Plover-Whiting, Stevens Point Area Senior High (SPASH), Washington and other schools have been on track with projected timelines.

The SPASH updates could take as long as three years to complete.

Board members approved a masonry bid for SPASH, awarding the bid to Boldt Construction at $778,248. Other bids were placed by Ellis Construction, $1,338,300, and Pahlow, $1,279,778.

The masonry project is one of many developments coming to SPASH, including updates to the school’s electrical systems, flooring, food services and more.

For more information on the SPASH updates, read: https://stevenspoint.wpengine.com/2019/07/19/bid-package-approved-for-spash/.