Lena School Board Holds Closed Expulsion Session

At a half-hour Annual Meeting on Monday, Oct. 3, Lena School District electors accepted the proposed budget for the 2022-2023 school year as explained by District Administrator Ben Pytleski, and authorized the necessary tax levy to support it. Details on tax rate or amount of the tax levy could not be determined because some of the state aid numbers had not yet been received.
The Annual Meeting was called to order by Board President Lori Dufek, after which Roberta Windrus was elected to chair the meeting.
All votes at the meeting were unanimous.
Those present voted to keep board salaries at $1,000 per year plus $50 per meeting attended and continue paying actual expenses and per diem expenses for lost wages up to $100 for board members when traveling outside the district on school business.
Other action items included fixing the number of school days to follow the school calendar; authorizing the School Board to supply curriculum; authorizing the School Board to provide a lunch/breakfast program for students; authorizing the School Board to sell or transfer ownership of school property up to $30,000 in value without holding a public forum; authorizing funds for the prosecution or defense of any action in which the school district may become involved, and authorizing the School Board to borrow an amount not to exceed one half the estimated receipts for the operation and maintenance of the school to meet its financial responsibilities for the school year.
Next year’s Annual Meeting and Budget Hearing were set for 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023.
The board’s regular October meeting was called to order by Dufek promptly after the Annual Meeting adjourned at at 7:02 p.m. Present in addition to Dufek were Board Members Charles Imig, Timothy A. Goldschmidt, and David McNurlen. Board Member Ed Huberty was absent.
Also present were District Administrator/ Elementary Principal Ben Pytleski and High School/Middle School Principal Matthew Hanson.
Tutoring contracts for the 2022-2023 school year and participation in the FFA National Convention were both approved as presented.
The board went into closed session to consider an expulsion and took no action on that issue after returning to open session. There was no announcement as to what action, if any, took place while the board was in closed session.
Hanson reported that at the annual M & O Conference Banquet Ed Huberty was honored for his 15 years of coaching Football.  He also reported Lena had a home cross-country meet scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 4.
Pytleski told the board the WASDA meeting in Madison had been good. He  reported that the district had received $100 as a result of an application submitted to the Wisconsin Beef Council for a fun grant, and the money will be used for the 4th grade.
Pytleski also told the board the district has posted for someone to fill a part-time aide position.