Dr. John Sample
Proud Superintendent
April 3 Voting Results/Referendum
The steps taken to solidify the partnership Merrill Area Public Schools has with our community continues to be a wonderful journey. We are very fortunate to have a community that cares about the education of our students. Your vote favoring the referendum is a vote of trust in us as educators. We will continue to strive for the very best education for our students!
The coming months and years will remain busy as we begin enhancing the technical education programs for students throughout the district. Improved curriculum, classrooms, software and equipment will promote our students critical thinking and problem solving skills. Relationships with our manufacturers will also increase as a critical component to our program.
A new teacher compensation plan will also be presented to our Board in a solid effort to retain and attract quality educators. Our starting salary for new teachers will be competitive with other districts in the area beginning the 2018-2019 school year. Those teachers finding themselves in a “salary dip” will be compensated more equitably. Additionally, our experienced teachers at the highest levels of the salary structure will be capped in order for our new plan to remain sustainable.
Maintenance projects that have been deferred can now be addressed. If left to wait, these projects typically become more expensive as time passes. We will now be able to address some of our more pressing needs in order to be fiscally responsible.
During the next four years, we will work hard to strengthen the confidence you have expressed in us. Thank you for your loyalty and dedication to Merrill Area Public Schools! We are proud of our community!
Board of Education
Board President, Jen Seliger decided against running for another term and leaves us after a decade of excellence and commitment. Thank you, Jen, for your leadership to Merrill Area Public Schools!
Two familiar Board members, Maria Volpe and Jeremy Ratliff, return to the Board as re-elected and Brett Woller joins the Board as newly elected. The organizational meeting will be held on Monday, April 23 to decide the officer roles, committee assignments, and Board meeting schedule for 2018-2019. Welcome back, Maria and Jeremy, and welcome aboard Brett Woller!
Reminder – No School April 27
This is a reminder that there will be no school for students on Friday, April 27. Our staff will be participating in a Merrill School Improvement (MSI) Day and will be engaging in mental health professional development activities. We highly value our MSI Days and appreciate the opportunity for continuous professional growth.