Williams Bay board approves 2024–25 handbooks, adopts several policy changes

Carolyn Nelson, stepping in for the president, called the Williams Bay School District board to order and led the pledge before the board moved through routine reports and action items.

The board approved the consent agenda 4–0, then voted to adopt the 2024–25 student handbooks after a brief clarification about changes presented by the high school principal. Emily Lily Johnson, who presented handbook edits, said the handbook now clarifies the district's device protocol: initial offenses result in device confiscation and parent pickup; repeat offenses require students to turn devices into the main office at the start of the day or leave them at home. She also said the district added the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) notice on page 23 of the handbook.

"The device will be turned into the office, and the parent will be notified to pick up the device," Emily Lily Johnson said when describing the revised procedure. "Any offense thereafter, the student will be required to turn the device into the main office at the start of the school day or leave the device at home."

On policy matters, district administrator Bill described the second-reading changes to Policy 3-46, student assessment and testing programs, which now include language about parents' right to opt their children out of assessments under ESEA/ESSA rules. "This change is mainly including the right, a blurb for parents' right to opt out of assessments for their children," Bill said. The board approved Policy 3-46 on the second reading.

The board also approved Policy 6-53, a new free-admission activities pass for senior citizens and eligible relatives of students, and revised Policy 7-51.3 governing use of private and district vehicles on school business, which clarifies driver-licensing, employment and insurance-listing expectations. All policy motions were moved, seconded, and carried during the meeting.

In reports, the athletics representative, Mr. Johnson, briefed the board on athletic department activity, noting the district received a WIAA Award of Excellence and that the football scoreboard donated by the Lions Club has been installed. "We were the recipient of the WIAA Award of Excellence for the athletic department," Johnson said, adding that signage acknowledging the donation will be posted.

The board discussed a possible 2026 softball co-op request from Faith Christian. Administration said the inquiry currently involves one prospective student and that adding her would affect only softball and would not move Williams Bay into Division 3. No decision was made; administrators said they will research enrollment impacts and return with more information.

Maintenance staff reported a busy summer of work, including parking-lot and field preparation. The board and staff asked for community help to complete landscaping before the school year; staff noted volunteers should be 18 or older for insurance reasons and that the district has sought outside contractors to help where needed. "We would love to have extra help," Bill said, describing a tight schedule for outdoor work ahead of the season.

Administrators also noted scheduling needs related to the levy: the district will hold its regular October 5 meeting and schedule a brief special meeting in late October to approve the levy to avoid delaying bills payable. With no members of the public signing up to comment, the board moved to adjourn and ended the meeting.

What happens next: administrators will follow up with more research on the Faith Christian co-op request and finalize the scheduling and agenda for the October meetings; the district will implement the approved handbook and policy changes for 2024–25.