NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE RIPON SCHOOL DISTRICT

District Awarded $375,000 in Charter School Grants
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has awarded two charter school grants to the Ripon Area School District for the 2009-10 school year totaling $375,000. Crossroads Academy is receiving a $175,000 implementation renewal grant. The Quest Charter School is receiving a $200,000 planning grant. Both schools are designed around the project-based learning concept. Crossroads Academy is located in the lower level of the First Congregational Church, and Quest Charter School will be located in the Murray Park Elementary School building when it opens for the 2010-11 school year. The District has now received over $1 million for establishing its three charter schools that offer more choices to parents for public school options.

State Cuts School Aid by $396,000
State aid to the Ripon Area School District is dropping by $396,000 for the 2009-10 school year. The state’s decision to drop its level of funding from 66.6% to 60% of the cost of K-12 public education means shifting more of the school district’s budget onto local property taxes. Instead of the planned 1.79% tax increase for the current fiscal year, the Ripon Board of Education must consider an 8.41% increase in the tax levy to make up for the state’s shortfall. The board is already under-spending its taxing authority by $234,000 according to the revenue limit law which has resulted in program cuts, staff layoffs, and larger class sizes. If the board used its full taxing authority, as it has in past years, the local tax levy would increase by over 12%. One consequence of not using its full taxing authority is that state aid, which is always calculated on the previous year’s expenditures, will decrease again for 2010-11. The amount that the December 2009 local tax bills will increase depends on local property values in the eleven municipalities that comprise the school district. A final decision will be made on October 26.

RHS Partnering with RMC for Medical Exploring Course
Ripon High School and the Ripon Medical Center have formed a partnership to begin a Medical Exploring course starting in January 2010 for high school students who are considering careers in the medical field. The new half-credit, one-semester course will require students to rotate through RMC departments in a variety of activities that will include observation and assistance with blood drives, sports medicine, patient care, emergency care, and surgery.

Two Teachers Recognized for Advanced Placement Work
Rick Kelm and Amy Maciolek, both Ripon High School teachers, were recognized by the Ripon school board for their recent work with The College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) program. Mr. Kelm recently completed the certification process of The College Board as an AP U.S. History teacher. Ms. Maciolek, a certified AP German Language teacher, was one of just a few hundred high school German teachers from across the country who were invited to grade the 2009 national AP Exams this past summer. AP courses allow high school students to earn 4-year college credit by taking courses at RHS taught by AP-certified RHS faculty.