Schools

UPDATE: Port Superintendent Says Absent Teachers Will be Disciplined

District was forced to close down the high school at 9 a.m. after only half of the teachers showed up for work.

Port Washington-Saukville School District's Superintendent Michael Weber said teachers who called in sick Thursday as a way to join the protest against Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill will face some consequences.

The administrative council, which consists of the School District's principals, Jim Froeming, Gary Myrah and the superintendent will meet tomorrow afternoon to discuss those sanctions, Weber said.

Port Washington High School students were sent home at 9 a.m. Thursday as a result of the lack of staff.

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About 35 teachers called in sick at the high school, roughly half of the staff, said Principal Duane Woelfel. Teachers at other schools also were absent today and Woelfel said some high school teachers filled in elsewhere in the district.

Weber said the high school students' reacted in a very mature manner.

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"They were just fabulous," he said. "For a group of young men and women — they showed a lot of character and respect."

The administrative council had met late Wednesday night after learning of a number of teachers calling in sick, Weber said. Between the apparently remaining staff and a collection of substitute teachers, the council believed the school could operate as usual.

"We felt we had enough to run schools districtwide," Port High Principal Duane Woelfel said. "That was our best-laid intention."

But then seven or eight more teachers called in Thursday morning, Weber said.

Between extra high school staff and substitutes, the district's other schools remained open Thursday, but parent-teacher conferences that had been scheduled Thursday night at the high school and Jefferson Middle School have been canceled.

Both Weber and Woelfel are hopeful that things will return to mostly normal by Friday.

"It is our hope that school will resume tomorrow," Woelfel said.

"We do expect them back tomorrow," Weber agreed.

Becky Kraft, who has a daughter at the school, said parents received calls this morning saying that school would be open.

She later received a text from her daughter saying that lunch wouldn't be served at the school, and finally a call from the district saying the school would close at 9 a.m.

Annette Arnoldussen, who took her nephew to school this morning only to be told to pick him up a short time later, said: "It was interesting that they gave us a call at 6 a.m. to say school was on” and at 8:30 a.m. called to say the school was closing.

Woelfel said administrators realized early today that they would not have enough teachers at the school to conduct classes, but by that time it was too late to call parents since most kids were on their way to school already.

The district contacted its bus company to see when buses could come back to the high school and start picking up students to take them home, he said. Then the decision was made to close the school at 9 a.m.

Union representatives are in Madison in support of the protest, and could not immediately be reached for comment.

Jeff Ross, a junior from at the school, said while there weren't many teachers on hand, those who were there kept things under control until classes were dismissed.

He said juniors and seniors stayed in the gym listening to music until 9 a.m.

Sophomore Kally Riedell said students were divided up by grade levels and placed into different areas of the school.

The action by Port Washington teachers comes as several school districts around the state, including Madison and Racine, closed school today because of a lack of teachers.

Teachers are calling in sick to , which calls for most public employees to pay higher costs for health care and to contribute more to their pensions. It also eliminates most collective bargaining rights.

Riedell said she and other students are upset about the bill and the effect it would have on teachers, but they’re not angry at the teachers for calling in sick.

Woelfel said he took issue on the actions of the teacher as well as the legislation.

“We need to find more effective ways to resolve conflicts and differences of opinion,” he said.


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