Winfield-Mt. Union looking westward

By SALLY Y. HAYES

Mt. Pleasant News

WINFIELD ? Discussion of the master plan for expansion of the building, adjustments to the sports complex bills and a presentation about the music department?s upcoming trip constituted most of the regular session meeting of the Winfield-Mt. Union School Board on Wednesday evening, Nov. 9.

?I?ve always believed a good teacher could teach in a barn,? said Superintendent Pat Coen, as the board discusses removing the portable classrooms at W-MU. ?The teachers do a nice job.?

The board is looking at expanding the building west in an effort to no longer use the portable classrooms. The portable classrooms were originally going to be used for five years, but they were placed on the W-MU campus two decades ago, explained Coen.

?The portables just don?t cut it,? Coen continued. ?Structurally they?re fine and they always pass the fire inspection.?

The school board is going to get a master plan from engineers at Shive Hattery Inc. School Board President Robin Therme explained that the engineers would discuss priorities with staff to see what exactly need to be in the classrooms to optimize the space.

Coen explained that he envisions the expansion of the building occurring in phases and discusses possibly expanding the small gym, making cafeteria operations better.

?I think we need to remember we need to finish the sports complex. I would say we finish one project first and then start the second project later. And we need to look at our enrollment trends,? stated the superintendent.

In the next few years the board will be taking a closer look at removing the portables and constructing new classrooms. ?We should provide them (teachers and students) with a quality classroom and give us an opportunity to put some of the new technology in the classrooms.?

The board discussed the various changes to the sports complex bills, including $8,500 saved on the bleachers and some $2,000 to expand the bus parking lot.

Five students, the choir director and band director addressed the board members concerning their hopes for a trip to the Big Apple in the spring of 2013. The group hopes to see a Broadway show, the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Times Square, among many other attractions on their five day-four night excursion in New York City.

The choir and band will also perform while in New York, N.Y.

The cost per student is approximately $650. Through concert donations, business donations and other fundraising the music department aims to send 35 students and 10 chaperones.

The school board approved the trip.

Amy Wedeking gave an elementary report. She explained that students are only taking the portions of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills that are required by No Child Left Behind. ?We thought if we didn?t bombard the kids with four and five hours of testing, then they would be more focused on the two and a half hours that are going to count for showing our growth the state,? she explained.

?It?s about evaluating ourselves (educators) also,? Wedeking continued.

Wedeking informed the board that tonight there is a coat drive in Winfield tonight, Nov. 11. On Nov. 18 the students will have a book swap and tonight is also Family Night for the preschool. Dec. 18 is the elementary music concert.

The superintendent?s report discussed the decrease in enrollment. There are 21 fewer students enrolled at W-MU this year.

Despite the decrease in enrollment, Coen believes that the school year is going well.

?Education is an organism, its always changing. We need to be changing with it and challenging ourselves to get to that point where everyone is committing themselves to educational excellence,? said Coen.