Another
Encouraging Sign
SCHOOL
BOARD SCUTINIZES TWO CONTROVERSIAL TAXPAYER-FUNDED PROGRAMS
A long overdue
discussion about the Mercer School’s STEP (Senior Tax Exchange Program) and the
free meals for seniors was held by the School Board Monday evening. Under the former deposed administration such
a discussion would never have happened.
Questions
about the viability of the two programs were raised by several Mercer residents
at the October Annual Meeting budget hearing.
Administrator Sheri Kopka and School Board member Jim Hannemann were
quick to respond with a comprehensive report at Monday night’s meeting.
Both
programs have been the subject of controversy over the past years for their
lack of documentation and possible misuse of the taxpayer money. In fact, the Wisconsin Department of Public
Instruction in 2018 charged the
school’s then administration with misusing $185,465. Of that amount $145,916 was paid as salary
and benefits to former Administrator Erik Torkelson and several select staff
member for duties which the DPI said were falsely claimed as needed to operate
the community services programs. It
appears that claim was settled by the school district for about $125,000, plus
legal fees.
The Mercer STEP and free meals programs are paid for out of Community Services Fund 80 which is totally funded by Mercer taxpayers. The district's 2020-21 budget for the STEP program is $6,000 and $10,000 for the free lunches. In 2019-20 the actual amount paid out for the STEP program was $5,690 against a budget of $6,000 and $4,222 for the meals with a budget of $15,262, the difference being because the meals program was suspended with the closing of the school in March due to Covid-19.
The STEP
program benefits volunteers at the town’s Paw Shop. Every December, anywhere from 13 to 20
volunteers have received payments of $400 each. The checks are made out to the
volunteers and county treasurer and are used to reduce the recipients’ school
taxes.
The
program is designed to provide interaction between students and the senior volunteers. Mercer’s program was set
up several years ago as a vehicle for teaching Mercer students business and
commerce. Because of a lack of student
interest, the school board dropped the program.
It was subsequently reinstated by Torkelson.
Many
Wisconsin school districts have STEP programs. Most make public the criteria
and purposes for their programs. Many
require that the STEP volunteers perform their services in the school and under
the supervision of a school staff member.
A value of the program has been cited as the interface it causes between
the senior volunteers and students.
Mercer
Paw Shop volunteers do not work inside the school. However, according to Hannemann, who gave the
report at Monday evening’s meeting, the Wisconsin Department of Public
Instruction has been highly complementary about Mercer’s program, even though
it is conducted outside of the school.
Hannemann
noted that other Mercer residents
volunteer to help in the school and that perhaps the School Board should
consider expanding the STEP program to include them.
The fate
of the Mercer free meals program seems more in question. It is intended for seniors who do not receive
meals at senior centers. Mercer’s Senior
Center provides lunches on Mondays and Fridays, and the Mercer School’s program
was intended to fill the gap by providing meals on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and
Thursdays.
Hannemann
reported that the Mercer Senior Center is exploring if it can provide lunches every
weekday, eliminating the need for the Mercer School to provide them. Before the Covid-19 pandemic the free lunches
program was sparsely attended, with sometimes as few as six people present.
It appears that the Mercer free lunches
program was set up at taxpayer expense as part of a patronage system which
could provide Torkelson and HIS “stooge” board with support when needed. At one point he said that the free lunches
would be available for anyone – resident or not -- who
wanted to come to the school for them.
It is refreshing and encouraging
that the Mercer School’s new Administrator, Sheri Kopka, and the new School Board
are willing to re-examine and discuss these programs and how taxpayer money is
being spent.
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