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Ontonagon keeps status quo in school district

ONTONAGON — A sheriff’s deputy will be checking in with local schools on a weekly basis after the Ontonagon Area School District (OASD) Board approved a liaison resource officer contract Monday with the Sheriff’s Department.

Detective Bill Witt, who served in this capacity last year, will perform the same role again for the 2018-19 school year. He will be present at the school for up to three hours per week at a cost to the district of $16.42 per hour, the same as last year.

“Witt is knowledgeable about school law,” said OASD Superintendent Jim Bobula.

The board also accepted the only bid for wood chips for the school’s heating system. The accepted bid came from Pestka Construction for $39 per ton, which is is the same price as last year, however, Pestka Construction donated $1 per ton back to the district last year, which it is not doing this year.

In appointing a director of special education, the board again stayed within the present district staff and appointed Bobula. In accepting the position, Bobula commended the special education teachers.

The school board received a thank-you letter from the Aspirus-Ontonagon Hospital (AOH) Board of Directors for its help in providing kitchen services while the AOH Dietary Department was unavailable.

By allowing the department to utilize the school kitchen to prepare meals, Pamela Karttunen, Executive & Community Outreach Coordinator for AOH outreach, wrote the hospital was able to continue providing patient care at the hospital and residents of Long Term Care Unit.

The OASD administration and teachers then thanked the Ontonagon Rotary Club for a $300 donation to pay for rebinding of math and history books.

Bobula reported that the district has 273 students entering the new school year, down from 286 last year, but the figure is one more than what the district budgeted for.

On a financial note, Bobula talked about the fall Michigan Association of School Administrators meeting in Traverse City, where administrators talked about the money the state has invested in standardized testing.

“From 2009-17, Michigan has spent between $26.9 million and $30.9 million per year in testing. The total amount over those years exceeds $303 million,” Bobula said.

Bill Johnson and Rebecca Bramlett, two of the six candidates for the four school board seats up for election, attended the meeting.

Bramlett introduced herself and added she has three children in the district.

Johnson came to observe the meeting and did not speak.

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