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Bear Creek Elementary to be sold

A decision to sell the Bear Creek Elementary School building via closed bids due by 4 p.m. Monday, May 9, at the District Office, was approved by a 6-1 vote at the school board meeting on Monday, April 11. Board member Tom Neely cast the lone “no” vote.

A handful of Bear Creek residents and village board members were on hand to express their interest in the building’s future. Village board members are seeking utility, maintenance, and building condition information. Building and Grounds Manager Steve Reinke will give tours of the facility as requested.

Some village board members and citizens were upset that the building is up for sale with bids due within 3 weeks, but Board President Tim Schultz reminded them that the issue has been under discussion and consideration by the school board meeting for the past six months.

“The board will try to do what’s best for the Clintonville Public School District,” Schultz stated. “We’ve been trying to make something happen and this is the next step.”

Troy Pfefferle, a representative of J&M Management, spoke to the board regarding his company’s interest in purchasing the property. If J&M’s bid is the winning bid, and if the company can get the proper zoning for the building from the Bear Creek Village Board, Pfefferle said a new toy manufacturing business would move into the school. Playaway Toy, a business owned by J&M Management, would move some of their operations to the building, where they plan to manufacture toys for kids with exceptional needs.

“We have a sewing department, milling department, and lots of secondary manufacturing,” Pfefferle said. “The Bear Creek building would allow us to have numerous departments operating in the same building.”

Pfefferle said if J&M wins the bid, the business could bring four new sewing jobs, four new general machining jobs, and an undetermined number of part-time hand assembly positions, depending on the company’s fourth quarter orders. To learn more about the business, visit www.playawaytoy.com.

In other business, the board approved the following:

• Resignation of Kevin Reese from his assistant girls basketball coaching position, effective immediately;

• Hire of Shawn Howe as a middle school track assistant coach for 2011 only, based on the number of participants (75-80);

• Resignation of Carol Theken from her Para II position at Rexford/Longfellow, effective at the end of the 2010-11 school year;

• CEA resignations of Polly Goodell (6th grade), Ed Johnson (6th grade) and Chris Paulson (Exceptional Educational Needs), all for the purpose of retirement;

• CEA teacher recalls for 27 teachers for full- and part-time positions for the 2011-12 school year. According to Superintendent Tom O’Toole, decisions to recall these teachers based on seniority and licensure, as outlined in the master agreement between the teachers and the Board of Education;

• Installation of an awning above the emergency exit of the high school IMC, with the bid of Gallagher Tent and Awning (the awning is needed to help keep the exit clear of snow during the winter). The project cost is $4,680. Board President Tim Schultz lamented that this cost seemed very high for an awning made of aluminum tubing and canvas. The bid was approved by a 6-1 vote with Schultz voting no; and

• Early graduation request for a student in the class of 2012, providing that all graduation requirements are successfully met.

Carol Ann Wirth, president of Wisconsin Public Finance Professionals, LLC, gave a presentation to the board regarding the Wisconsin Retirement System Unfunded Liability and Partial Cash Defeasance.

The next school board meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 25, in the middle school IMC.

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