Mosinee School Board accepts donations, approves insurance renewal, fees and agreements; moves away from Leader in Me

The Mosinee School District Board on the meeting record accepted outside donations, approved several operational agreements and routine business items, adopted changes to student handbooks that tighten high-school cell-phone rules, authorized a multi‑year ice agreement with the Mosinee Hockey Club and approved employee benefit renewals.

Why it matters: the package of approvals affects district operations (food-service balances and donated materials), student expectations (new cell-phone restrictions at the high school), extracurricular costs (hockey fee increase), and staff benefits (a 10% health-insurance renewal). Trustees also voted to move away from the Leader in Me character curriculum and explore a lower-cost or district-created alternative.

Key votes at a glance

- Asterider Industries donation: The board accepted donated aluminum (round, square stock and plate) presented for the district shop. Motion by Peter; second by Diane Gormont. Outcome: motion carries. (Donation amount/market value: not specified.)

- Freemasons donation: Representatives of Wausau Forest Lodge No. 130 presented funds to offset negative student lunch balances. Matthew Myers and other lodge representatives asked the board to accept funds for distribution. Motion to accept made by a board member; second recorded. Outcome: motion carries. (Amount not specified.)

- Monthly voucher list: Motion by Peter Hansen; second by Kelly Zebra. The board approved the monthly voucher list. Outcome: approved (voice/roll-call as recorded by board clerk). Specific line-item totals were referenced during roll call but the motion passed.

- Monthly treasurer’s report: Motion by Hansen; second by Kelly Zebra. Administration and the committee reported that a large state aid payment arrives in late June and that the district expects to meet its fund-balance policy when that payment posts. Outcome: approved.

- Start College Now / Early College Credit Program approvals: Administration recommended approving student requests permitted under state statute for courses not offered locally. Motion by Novinski; second by Gorman. Outcome: approved unanimously.

- Student handbooks (2025–26) and cell-phone policy: The board approved recommended handbook language that implements a stricter high-school cell-phone and earbud policy (no use during instructional/class time; allowed during passing time, lunch, privileges; exceptions for health/504 plans). Motion by Gorman; second by Stankowski. Outcome: approved.

- Ice agreement with Mosinee Hockey Club (2025–2028): Administration and the hockey-club leadership negotiated a three-year contract with nominal annual increases (a $1,000 incremental increase in a later year) and recommended the longer term in part because of the club’s city lease term. Motion to approve by a board member; second recorded. Outcome: approved.

- Employee benefits 2025–26: Administration recommended the district accept a health-insurance renewal showing a 10% increase and a dental self-funded renewal of 1.5%. A trustee disclosed employment with the broker (M3) and abstained from the vote. Motion to approve presented by Hansen; second by Davinski. Outcome: approved (Hansen abstained).

- Student fees for 2025–26: The board approved modest fee adjustments, including increasing the ice-hockey participation fee from $40 to $80 to reflect rising ice-time costs. Motion by Kaiser; second by Calandra Zebra. Outcome: approved.

- Move away from Leader in Me: Administration recommended discontinuing the Leader in Me program and exploring a district-created or low-cost alternative character/soft-skills curriculum. Motion by Hansen; second by Maple. Outcome: approved.

Other routine approvals included the consent agenda and minutes corrections; several motions passed by voice vote or roll call with "motion carries" recorded.

What trustees said and next steps: Administration said the large state aid payment typically posts in late June, which will bring the district back into compliance with its fund-balance policy without short-term borrowing. On benefits, administration recommended taking the 10% renewal rather than rebidding. For the ice agreement, staff recommended revisiting contract length if the hockey-club city lease is extended.

Ending: The board moved next to reports and future-agenda items, including a planned administrative presentation on special education and the process for filling any vacant board seat remaining after organizational meetings.