Safe Routes to School are important, and to that end, the Stanley-Boyd School Board will be sending out a parent survey in May, in order to collect data and identify some ways to improve getting to school. The survey to cover all grade levels will look to obtain parent’s input on a number of topics related to both safety and transportation, seeking to both identify and improve safe pedestrian routes to school at Stanley-Boyd.

Classroom surveys will also take place as part of the process, with volunteers out to monitor traffic behavior patterns in town and how they interact with students coming and going from school. District Superintendent Jeff Koenig filled in the school board at the March meeting on the safe routes survey basics and coming rollout.

“On Wednesday of last week, we had our first meeting with the West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (WCWRPG),” he said March 27. “Establishing safe routes to schools.” With board member Toni Seidl present at the meeting with the WCWRPG as well, Koenig said that it was largely going through the procedure of the survey and timeline. Planning for the week of May 8 to debut, the process is expected to take a few months. Some road hazards are already identifiable, though harder to surmount than others.

“The only thing is to go under it or over it,” Koenig said of the railroad through town and optimal student safety getting to class. Also, on the list of dangerous areas identified at present are Franklin Street, Highway X, and Highway 29, being that these are considered big accidents spots—not a big surprise.

Also, in board business for March but concerned with finances was a decision on which auditor to use. The board opted to go with its current auditor Wipfli for another contract term, a previous three-year contract having expired. The base rate for the present year is $17,250 per year, with Wipfli raising this to $24,250 per year going forward, with the possibility that a new WASB accounting rule, if enforced next year, will up the audit fee to $26,750.

“So that’s a substantial increase,” Koenig said prior to approval, but tempering this with the news that he had reached out to several other firms but without luck.

“One said they were going to get out of the school accounting business, another wasn’t interested, and a third talked about giving us a bid without ever really getting back to us,” he said.

With the number of state approved school auditors getting smaller, Koenig said that other districts in a similar situation.

“One of our neighbors pays $40,000 for their audit, another smaller district nearby pays $32,000,” he shared for comparison. Put in context as such, the Wipfli auditing fee wasn’t as steep. The other possible option with no bid as of the March meeting was KerberRose.

Without a competing auditor bid, motion to approve Wipfli as auditor was made by Denise Hofstatter, then seconded by Becky Peterson and approved. There was one more item to consider, however.

“Since our board clerk Mr. Geist is up for re-election, he can’t do canvassing after the election,” superintendent Jeff Koenig said at the school board meeting. In short, someone needed to volunteer to help canvass, with board member Chad Verberten answering the call.

“Wednesday late afternoon I can do,” Verbeten offered for the process that, once started, had to be completed. “Probably after 3 p.m.”