W-MU schools wrestle with 2015-16 term start date

By KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

WINFIELD ? Planning an academic calendar is difficult when the school start date is still up in the air, due to a continuing debate within the Iowa Legislature.

The school start date bill, a measure that would determine whether the state or each school district would set their start date, is still floating around the capital.

?It?s hard when we?re trying to set a calendar and we don?t really know what the state?s going to allow us to do. We can?t get anything done because you?re being driven by what the state legislatures are doing, which is unfortunate because they just sit and argue,? said Superintendent Launi Dane.

Dane said that if either the measure is shot down or no agreement can be reached, the law would stand. If the law stands, then W-MU would begin school the week of Sept. 1 and no early start waivers would be accepted.

Despite the ongoing debate in Des Moines, the Winfield-Mt. Union School Board approved an early start calendar request for Aug. 24, 2015.

Dane said when she attended a superintendent?s meeting last week, the big question on everyone?s mind was should they go ahead and submit a request to start early.

?Most people are, just so they have a record that we are asking for an early start date,? she said.

Dane added that most superintendents she spoke with said they were planning to request an Aug. 24, 2015, start date. She felt if the board requested anything earlier it would be shot down.

Dane asked if the board would be agreeable to her submitting a request.

?All of these waivers? I can?t imagine they?re going to take any of them, but I know that Mt. Pleasant and Danville put one in and if the rest of us do it, it?s just to show that we would agree to an early start date,? Dane concluded.

The board agreed with a 5-0 vote.

Following Dane?s report, an individual in the audience asked what the start date would do to the athletic calendar.

Dane said potentially there could be football and volleyball games prior to school beginning.

The board also approved a resolution that would be sent to the state legislature ?asking them to really consider what they are doing to school funding.?

In February, a bill moved through the House that included 1.25 percent increase in K-12 school funding.

Dane said if approved, that funding would put a lot of pressures on the schools.

?We?re asking them to consider a 4 percent increase to stay on track and keep Iowa the way it?s suppose to be as far as aid to the school district. They seemed to cut us pretty quick,? said Dane.

The board approved the resolution.

During the meeting, High School Principal Dave Edwards told the board that a student is interested in trap shooting as an extracurricular activity. However, the student would not be able to join a neighboring district?s team. Instead, Ft. Madison High School has consented to allow the student to join its team. The board said they will look at options for this in the future.