District staff used the June 9 meeting to present a first reading of multiple proposed changes to the professional and support staff handbooks and to outline new stipend structures for the district’s virtual offerings.

Staff told the board the Skyward time-off system and payroll process require handbook language aligning leave increments to 15-minute intervals, and the proposed handbook language would clarify that payroll pays in 15-minute increments. The packet also proposed explicit authority to recoup tuition or certification costs if employees do not complete paid coursework: employees who do not complete a district-funded course or who leave within one year of completion would be required to repay the district, and the handbook would allow deduction from the final paycheck if appropriate. Board discussion asked whether the district wanted repayment by personal check or alternate methods; staff said they would clarify acceptable payment methods and update the handbook language.

The board heard a recommendation to align summer pay for special-education teachers with other special-education staff (therapists and pathologists) so those teachers’ summer work would be paid at the same contract rate as other special-education staff, reflecting the job’s IEP-connected work. Staff also proposed incentives for staff who work evening and weekend school events: for every seven qualifying events worked employees would earn one additional PTO day, up to two additional PTO days earned in a school year (in addition to two PTO days automatically given to school-year staff). The proposal was described as a tool to increase staff participation at athletics and other events.

On virtual programming, staff outlined three roles and associated compensation: a local education guide (to support students taking virtual courses), a teacher-on-record (the certificated teacher assigned to oversee and grade virtual coursework), and an asynchronous course developer (a district teacher who formats a course on Canvas for broader delivery). For teacher-on-record compensation the packet proposed a base stipend of $500 plus $175 per enrolled student, with a minimum enrollment threshold (presenter referenced a minimum of roughly five students) to run a course. Staff said the model aims to retain revenue previously spent on Wisconsin Virtual School tuition and to enable Elkhorn staff to offer courses to other districts through partnerships (CESA3 and others). Presenters also noted difficulties in transcripted-course arrangements with the Wisconsin technical college system because multiple colleges would be required to form separate agreements.

Staff proposed increasing daily substitute pay modestly (from $125 to $130) and offering retired teachers who return as substitutes a higher rate ($160) to encourage experienced coverage; the board discussed also giving retired substitutes the same long-term bump for assignments longer than 10 days. Several of the handbook and stipend proposals were presented as first readings and require subsequent board action before becoming effective.

The packet included other operational clarifications (difference between bus supervision and high-school door supervision, creation or clarification of three roles for the district’s virtual charter program, and support hours for large online classes). The board did not take final votes on the handbook changes at the meeting; staff said they would revise draft language based on questions and bring final language forward for approval.