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Votes at a glance: McFarland School Board approves open‑enrollment rules, policy adoptions and personnel items
Summary
At its Jan. 13 meeting the McFarland School Board approved the consent agenda, multiple open‑enrollment procedures, policy adoptions, early graduations, transfers and other items. Several procedural motions passed unanimously; one open‑enrollment denial carried after recusal.
The McFarland School Board adopted a series of routine and policy items during its Jan. 13 meeting. Most motions passed unanimously; one personnel‑related transfer denial passed with one board member recused.
Key outcomes (votes listed are board tallies as recorded in the public meeting):
- Consent agenda: Approved (motion carried 5–0). The consent agenda included minutes (Dec. 16, 2024), general fund vouchers, purchasing card transactions and professional/co‑curricular staffing recommendations. Board member Megan moved the consent agenda; Bruce seconded. The chair recorded the vote as “Motion carries 5 0.”
- Open enrollment — space availability, 2025–26: Administration recommended space availability and criteria for open enrollment spaces for 2025–26. The board approved the policy as presented (motion carried 5–0).
- Guarantees for currently attending pupils: The board approved guaranteeing currently attending nonresident pupils and including them in counts of occupied spaces (motion carried 5–0).
- Preference/guarantee for siblings of currently attending pupils: The board approved guaranteeing siblings of currently attending pupils and counting them in occupied spaces (motion carried 5–0).
- Process to fill remaining open‑enrollment spaces: The board approved creating a random selection wait list for grades with space availability (motion carried 5–0).
- Second reading and adoption of multiple policies: The board approved the second reading and adoption of a set of district policies recommended by administration (motion carried 5–0). Policies adopted included field trips, administration of medication, class rank, graduation requirements, alternatives to expulsion and other operational policies (full list in board materials).
- McFarland High School early graduation requests: The board approved the recommended early graduation requests as presented by administration (motion carried 5–0). Board members asked for a consistent template for future applications.
- Denial of student open‑enrollment (habitual truancy): Administration recommended denial of one Indian Mound Middle School student’s open‑enrollment status effective second semester 2025 due to habitual truancy under 2009 Wisconsin Act 304. A board member recused because of a staff relationship; the board approved the denial (motion carried 4–0). The student will be transferred back to the resident district as required by statute.
- Citizens advisory facilities naming committee membership: The board approved the committee membership and process (motion carried 5–0). The committee will meet four times and report its recommendation to the board prior to April.
- WIVA/Insight transfers due to lack of engagement: The board approved recommended transfers of several students back to their resident districts for lack of engagement (motion carried 5–0).
- Adjournment: Motion to adjourn passed (motion carried 5–0).
Ending: Most votes were unanimous and procedural. The only item requiring recusal and a split recording was the denial of a single habitual‑truancy open‑enrollment student; administrators said staff had made extensive efforts to engage the family before recommending transfer.
Votes and motions below reproduce motions and recorded tallies as stated in the public meeting record.
