Manitowoc school board mulls whistleblower protection, student supervision: Your 'Watchdog Wednesday' report

Alisa M. Schafer, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
·2 min read
A student walks with a staffer to Manitowoc Lincoln High School on their way to the first day back to school, Monday, August 30, 2021, in Manitowoc, Wis.
A student walks with a staffer to Manitowoc Lincoln High School on their way to the first day back to school, Monday, August 30, 2021, in Manitowoc, Wis.

MANITOWOC — While a lot of attention has been given to the school lunch program at the Manitowoc Public School District, the school board meeting Oct. 10 had much more on the agenda.

The board is updating and creating a number of policies. Most notable are the new policies on whistleblower protection and student supervision and welfare.

The proposed policy for whistleblower protection outlines the expectation of all employees to report any suspected wrongdoing to their supervisor, the district administrator or the school board president.

The policy also states that employees will be protected from discipline and retaliation for making reports of wrongdoing.

The proposed policy for student supervision and welfare seeks to establish a standard of care for the supervision, control and protection of students. This includes reporting any accident or safety hazards; dangerous, violent or criminal activities; and avoiding any situations with students that could give the appearance of impropriety or places students in compromising situations.

In addition, the board also discussed updating the policy on the relationship between the school board and the superintendent.

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The decision by Superintendent James Feil to forgo the Community Eligibility Provision for the school lunch program was a big topic of the night. Stay tuned to the Herald Times Reporter for more on this issue.

Cardboard City to pop up this weekend

Homelessness is a serious issue everywhere in the U.S., and Manitowoc County is no different.

Hope House will hold its annual Cardboard City event this weekend at First Presbyterian Church on North Eighth Street in Manitowoc. The event aims to bring awareness to the issue and educate the public locally.

According to a news release, the effects of the pandemic and a lack of affordable and accessible housing are contributing to a rise in people experiencing homelessness.

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The Cardboard City event aims to offer people the chance to experience homelessness themselves for one night. Prior to that, there will be presentations and some people will share their personal experience with homelessness.

Hope House is asking people and businesses to collect pledges to donate. The presentations will start at 5 p.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church and people are welcome to sleep in their car, in a cardboard box or in a tent throughout the night.

Budget season is upon us

Both the Manitowoc school board and the county board presented their 2024 budgets to the public Oct. 10.

Keep an eye on the Herald Times Reporter for the full rundown of both of these budgets. We'll tell you how much they expect to spend and how that's going to affect your pocketbook.

Have a story tip or public interest concern? Contact Alisa M. Schafer at aschafer@gannett.com. “Watchdog Wednesday” is a weekly series that aims to give you news you need to stay on top of local government.

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc schools mull whistleblower, student supervision policies