WHITEHALL — Whitehall's school board conducted its first reading of some proposed policy changes at its regular meeting Monday, including a policy that will disallow district employees from "moonlighting" with second jobs if those jobs interfere with their work at the school.
The policy was proposed by the policy committee and could be approved by the school board at its February meeting after a second reading has been completed. Superintendent CJ Van Wieren said the issue has not come up among the district but has been a topic of conversation in Michigan, especially with regard to virtual schooling options. The district's main goal in enacting the policy would be to avoid situations where district employees are using their time in the school building in service of another position.
Other policy changes involve trained therapy dogs, which have become more common in the district and around the state. Shoreline Elementary uses a therapy dog, which Van Wieren said has been a benefit to the students. The policy would empower Van Wieren and the district to "promulgate an administrative regulation applicable to the use of Facility Dogs on School District property."
The third policy change would establish completion of a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as a requirement to graduate. Whitehall is among many Michigan districts that have applied for Universal FAFSA Challenge funding, a program aiming to increase the number of students who complete the annual application for college financial aid. Michigan reported that 56.9% of Class of 2025 graduates completed the application last year. Van Wieren said there will be a waiver process for students who are not pursuing college to opt out of the requirement.
During the meeting, trustee Melissa Moore shared that she attended December's state literacy summit, hosted by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko. The first of its kind event was hosted because the state ranks low among U.S. states in K-12 literacy - 44th, Moore said. She added that Michigan has ranked low in the metric for a while, so the issue is not reflective of any particular state leader but represents an area in which the state as a whole needs to do better. Moreover, she added that 54% of adults in the U.S. read at below a sixth-grade level, a statistic backed by the National Literacy Institute.
"This is not a problem schools can solve on their own," Moore said, and she added that she hopes the summit leads to more conversation on the issue.
A discussion about the school district's representative on the White Lake Community Library board led to unanimous approval of a motion to table the appointment for now pending the receipt of interest from community members who may be interested. Brian Hosticka is presently the representative and expressed interest in being reappointed. The board appeared satisfied with Hosticka's advocacy on the board but at Tim Cross' suggestion decided to see who else may be interested in doing so; the board has three months to make an appointment.
Van Wieren shared the news of the White Lake Community Library's $831,527 grant from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP), which will fund various programming for local children. Board president Rachel Fekken expressed her favor of the program after two of her children participated when they were younger, and treasurer Jimmy TenBrink cited Moore's comments on child literacy and shared his hope that programs like this can be part of the solution. (For more information about this grant, see Virginia DeMumbrum's Bookworm Bulletin column on page 3.)
Van Wieren added that early plans are being made for HVAC improvements at Shoreline and Ealy elementary schools and cafeteria improvements at Shoreline, which are being funded by the bond proposal voters passed last November. With the parent drop-off line at Shoreline a common cause of consternation from some city residents due to traffic issues that have cropped up there, Van Wieren said he will consult with project architects to see if there can be any changes made to the area. A public workshop will take place in coming weeks to solicit community input on the improvements.
The board also approved its meeting dates for 2026 and next January, tweaking the January 2027 meeting to take place Jan. 11 as well as moving this February's meeting to the second Monday. The February move was made because the district is not in class on the third Monday of the month, President's Day, and January's came after TenBrink shared his discomfort with having a meeting on Martin Luther King Day. After some discussion, secretary Paula Martin suggested the second-Monday move, and the board approved it 6-1; Cross dissented because he said scheduling conflicts may prevent him from attending a Jan. 11, 2027 meeting.
