The Fennimore Community School District Board ratified a contract with the Fennimore Education Association (FEA) during a meeting Wednesday, May 30.
“The FEA took your offer back to their members and unanimously approved the offer,” District Administrator Jamie Nutter told the board. “If you still want your offer to stand, if you approve this we are done with negotiations for this year.”
The board previously offered a 2.56 percent increase in base wages during a May 15 meeting. Wisconsin’s new bargaining law required the board to make an initial offer at a publicly noticed meeting.
In addition to approving the offer, the FEA wrote a letter of appreciation to the board.
 “They appreciate the patience throughout this whole process,” Nutter said. “Where several districts were in turmoil,  they have appreciated the fact that we remained focused on students.
  “They have stated that, but they went as far as to write that as well, along with this offer.”
In other action, the board:
• approved the first reading of policy 41.06, which concerns child abuse reporting.
“There were several laws that changed this past winter,” Nutter said. “Licensed professionals in school districts were always required to be mandated reporters for any suspected abuse or neglect.
“The law this past year expanded that...and so our policy changes will reflect that new law.”
The policy previously read, “Any teacher, administrator, counselor, speech therapist, nurse, psychologist, or other certified employee, as mandatory reporters, having reasonable cause to suspect that a child, seen in the course of professional duties, has been abused or neglected...”.
The revised policy reads, “Any district employee having reasonable cause to suspect that a child, seen in the course of professional duties, has been abused or neglected...”.
• approved a pair of food service appointments. Karen Helms will fill a six-hour cook position and Pam Shumate a two-hour server position.
As the meeting began, the board recognized Jim Prochaska as the District 5 Athletic Director of the Year.
“The athletic directors in the region nominated Mr. Prochaska and voted for him,” Nutter said. “It is a real big honor for us.
“As an athletic director, that is one of those jobs that a lot of times if it goes unnoticed, it means you are doing a really good job.”