Merrill Area school board approves evacuation-drill filing, funds after‑school program and names practice field
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Summary
The Merrill Area Public Schools Board of Education on Sept. 24 approved several routine but binding actions: acceptance of the district’s fiscal‑year 2025 evacuation drill documentation for submission to what the board recorded as the “Department of Justice Office of the Civil Review,” authorization of up to $10,000 from the community service fund to support after‑school programming run by the Boys and Girls Club of the Wausau area at Prairie River Middle School, and the formal naming of the Merrill High School football practice field in honor of a former teacher and coach identified in the meeting record as Guy Palicki.
The Merrill Area Public Schools Board of Education on Sept. 24 approved several routine but binding actions: acceptance of the district’s fiscal‑year 2025 evacuation drill documentation for submission to what the board recorded as the “Department of Justice Office of the Civil Review,” authorization of up to $10,000 from the community service fund to support after‑school programming run by the Boys and Girls Club of the Wausau area at Prairie River Middle School, and the formal naming of the Merrill High School football practice field in honor of a former teacher and coach identified in the meeting record as Guy Palicki. The board also approved its consent agenda, which included claims and receipts totaling $2,452,839.25.
Those actions were taken with little debate and passed on voice votes. A motion to adjourn to closed session under Wisconsin statutes section 19.85 for a personnel matter concerning a former employee was approved by roll call at the end of the meeting.
Why it matters: The evacuation‑drill documentation is part of schools’ safety and compliance recordkeeping; after‑school funding directly supports student programming at Prairie River Middle School; naming school facilities formalizes district recognition of staff or community members; and the consent agenda included the district’s operating claims that affect cash flows.
What the board approved and how
Votes at a glance
- Evacuation drills: Motion to “accept the evacuation drill laws and submit it submit them to the Department of Justice Office of the Civil Review.” Mover: Paul Plutes; second: Mike Hornisher. Outcome: approved (voice vote).
- After‑school programming: Motion to “approve the funding of after school programming provided by the Boys and Girls Club at Prairie River Middle School not to exceed $10,000 from the community service fund.” Mover: Nels Ashback (recorded as the maker of the motion); second: Jacqueline Granler. Outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Naming of practice field: Motion to name the football practice field in honor of former Merrill High School teacher and coach Guy Palicki (meeting record contains a variant spelling, “Guy Bolecki,” which appears in a subsequent speaker turn). Mover: Mike Hornisher; second: Paul Plutes. Outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Consent agenda: Motion to approve consent agenda items a–d, including minutes of the Aug. 20, 2025 meeting; claims, vouchers and receipts totaling $2,452,839.25; commissions totaling $4,343; and a personnel report contingent on release of contract and other conditions (language in the record is partially garbled). Mover: Ron Liberty; second: Mike Hornisher. Outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Move to closed session: Motion to adjourn to executive (closed) session pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes §19.85 for consideration of specified personnel matters and related items; second by Mike Hornisher. Outcome: approved by roll call; board secured the room and entered closed session.
Discussion and staff reports
Board and district staff spent only brief time discussing the items before voting. Administrative reports preceding the business items noted the following operational updates (summarized from the public administrative reports portion of the meeting):
- Student representatives Parker Wagner and Eric Grunewald reported upcoming homecoming events, parade and football game times, and marching band competition results.
- Amber (district staff identified in the administrative reports) highlighted reductions in middle‑school classroom and office referrals attributed to implementation of Tiered behavioral frameworks (referred to in the record as Stoic and CHAMPS) and shared a county health department annual report and school‑based vaccination clinic information available to board members.
- Curriculum and professional development updates were reported, including expanded onboarding and paraprofessional training in August, and the district noted completed e‑rate technology projects and a smooth start to the school year from the technology department.
- The district finance update referenced third‑Friday enrollment counts used for revenue limits; some state aid figures remained pending and would affect near‑term budget work.
- Personnel and HR notes included a payroll/PTO update: a PTO bank was reported with 78 days donated (the bank was established previously by board approval for up to 100 days).
Procedural notes and next steps
Most business was approved on voice votes with no roll‑call tallies recorded in the public minutes. The board scheduled routine committee meetings and noted its next regular meeting for Oct. 22, 2025. At the meeting’s end the board voted to move into closed session under Wis. Stat. §19.85 to receive an update about a former employee; no details of that closed session appear in the public record.
The board’s actions will be reflected in the district’s official minutes and, where required, in any filings the district makes with state or federal agencies. The motions and the voice‑vote approvals recorded at the meeting indicate the board’s direction but provide limited detail on implementation steps or timelines.