Board accepts audit, approves open-enrollment seats, hockey co-ops and summer-hours change; first reading of NEOLA policy updates

The Port Washington-Saukville School District board accepted the district audit and approved several administrative and operational items, including open-enrollment space determinations, inter-district hockey cooperative agreements, and a change in summer work hours designed to reduce utility costs.

Audit and finance: the district’s independent auditors presented the year-ended financial report and issued unmodified (clean) opinions on the financial statements and on all major federal and state programs. The auditor reported no internal-control findings specific to grants or federal/state compliance and noted a common significant deficiency: the district’s finance team receives auditor assistance preparing technical, year-end government accounting statements. The board then voted to accept the 2023–24 fiscal audit report as presented; the motion carried by voice vote.

Open enrollment: the board approved the district’s open-enrollment space determinations for the 2025–26 school year as presented. Administration said seats are available in every grade except special-education services and explained applications open Feb. 3 and close in April, with family notifications issued in early May.

Athletics cooperative agreements: the board approved high-school girls’ hockey co-op participation with Lakeshore (Seaburg serving as the primary site) and boys’ hockey co-op participation with Sheboygan for the 2025–26 and 2026–27 school years. A board member asked how many girls currently participate on the co-op team; administration responded “3.” The agreements were approved as presented.

Summer-hours change for energy savings: the board approved a change to summer hours — moving to a Monday–Thursday schedule with 10-hour workdays during June–August — to reduce utility costs. Administration provided an estimated annual energy savings in the range of $100,000–$120,000 and said staff would be offered scheduling options to maintain 40-hour weeks; the board asked for a September report to compare estimated and realized savings.

Policies: the board advanced a first reading of multiple NEOLA policy updates (bylaws/0, superintendent/1,000-series) that were reviewed at the policy committee; the board noted that revised policy materials would not take effect until July 1 and that some NEOLA-recommended HR and Title IX items may be brought forward in February for earlier implementation.

Closed session: the board voted to enter closed session under Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(c) and (e) to consider superintendent and other administrator performance-evaluation data and contracts.

Votes at a glance (motion outcomes): - Accept 2023–24 fiscal audit report as presented — approved (voice vote). - Approve consent agenda with schedule-of-bills item 1.1 pulled for separate consideration — approved (roll call for consent agenda; schedule-of-bills approved subsequently). - Approve open-enrollment space determinations for 2025–26 — approved. - Approve girls and boys high-school hockey cooperative agreements for 2025–26 and 2026–27 — approved. - Approve change in summer hours to Monday–Thursday for June–August (four 10-hour days) — approved (voice vote); administration to report estimated savings in September. - First reading of NEOLA-recommended policy revisions (0 and 1,000 series) — approved to advance out of committee (no second required for committee motion). - Enter closed session under Wis. Stat. 19.85(1)(c) & (e) for superintendent/admin evaluations and contracts — approved (roll-call recorded).

What the record shows: the auditors gave the district a clean opinion, the finance committee discussed a new maintenance-management platform (Brightleave, formerly SchoolDude) and draft compensation-model work, and administration signaled it will bring proposed changes to health insurance and final compensation recommendations back to the board at later meetings.