State and local courts | "I would just like to thank them for their service to the Oconomowoc Area School District," said board member Scott Roehl. The number of signatures needed was equal to 25% of the votes cast within the school district in the 2018 gubernatorial election.[1]. "Thank you for those who supported my campaign. Sign up now! E- Excellence- Excellence in everything we do. Four recall elections were held in 2020. . Sandy Schick (i); (bottom row, left to right). "I had people calling me up and screaming at me, people that have known me almost my whole life, parents calling up and saying 'You are making my kids wear masks, youre doing hybrid, youre bad people,'" she said. The Oconomowoc Area School District is located in Waukesha County in southeastern Wisconsin. The meeting schedule for the Finance, Operations, and Advancement (FOA) committee and Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (CIA) committee are available by clicking the link below. As they say, Keep School REAL. In addition, their negligence to ensure that the district provides the best educational opportunities to maximize the achievement of our students will have significant and lasting effects on our community. Most students perform better when learning in person. TWEET. Oconomowoc was one of the only schools to raise student scores during the pandemic. ContactInformation: 920-948-7183 (cell), Address:N76 W36096 Saddlebrook Lane, Oconomowoc. Bill Thiel was appointed in Januaryto Roehl's former seat to finish out the term and will run for the seat this spring. General mask wearing should be a family choice based on their understanding of masks and should not be monitored by staff unless under protocol since this takes time from their main task of educating. Oconomowoc Area School District Board of - Livestream Students can grow and develop these mindful skills in a fun-filled environment that departs from the classroom and uses a common space like the cafeteria, the gym, and/or some outdoor space on campus or in the community. In May, after Gov. Schick:Our resilient district has improved our ability to provide virtual learning during the challenges of the COVID pandemic. Schraufnagel:It is important for board members to support the school district as a whole and not get into personal projects. Throughout my life, I have been an active participant in my community. One of them was Juliet Steitzer, whose loss in Oconomowoc tipped the balance of power, setting the stage for the later resignations. There are examples of other districts offering course credit for extra-curriculars and this innovative strategy helps to reduce expenses while also increasing scope and depth of viable opportunities for students. In the past the board was labeled as "toxic"; however, that is no longer the case with the current board. The current make of the board has moved past the previous issues and is focused on policyand governance and supporting the work of the administration and teachers. ft. home is a 4 bed, 3.0 bath property. In August 2020, five of the seven board members voted to start the school year with a combination of virtual and in-person learning. Anderson:Im proud and humbled to be endorsed by the teachers of the district through the Oconomowoc Education Association. The appointmentrequires re-election. Steitzer, Herro, and Roehl were joined in approving the proposal by members Dan Raasch and Rick Grothaus. Ballotpedia covered 34 coronavirus-related recall efforts against 93 officials in 2022, accounting for 13% of recalls that year. Phone. Some of the activities include Boy Scouts, robotics, band, choir, theater, soccer, ski team, gymnastics, track, tennis, and we even hosted quite a few exchange students. There's also high interest in the Oconomowoc School Board, where six candidates are running for four seats. You have permission to edit this article. . Two challengers have also entered the contest set for a vote April 5. Here's who's running for office in Lake Country during this spring's Choose Select a Calendar to view a specific calendar. Schmitz:A lady sat next to me on my flight back from a conference in Florida last November and told me she was traveling with a group of five school mothers on a first vacation together since 2020. This is my first attempt at elective politics. COVID-19, though, lit a match under the existing tensions and "consumed everything," said Grothaus. Mar 24, 2022 Updated Mar 24, 2022. Oconomowoc Area School District recall, Wisconsin (2020), States that have pre-petition signature requirements for recalls, Recalls related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and government responses to the pandemic, Appleton Area School District recall, Wisconsin (2020), Robert Hesselbein and Minza Karim recall, Middleton-Cross Plains School District, Wisconsin (2020), Leah Lipska recall, Mount Horeb Area School District, Wisconsin (2020), Oconomowoc Area School District, Wisconsin, Williams County Public Schools No. Boiling tensions are exacerbated by the structure of school boards themselves, said Dan Rossmiller, director of government relations at the Wisconsin Association of School Boards. After the board meeting, the district immediately began receiving dozens of requests for religious exemptions, which Grothaus said completely undermined the teachers authority. Schweitzer, who was a newcomer to running for school board, said she loved the process of campaigning. 'The Culture Became Caustic,' Said One Board Member. [1], Herro said it was the community's right to issue a recall. We can have a vigorous discussion, take our voteand all feel good about what we have accomplished. Finding ways to increase open enrollment into our school district. Address: N56 W35146 Pondview Lane, Oconomowoc Past political experience: Current board member Community involvement: Current school board member, former Oconomowoc rec league coach.. Schick:I wanted to provide experience and leadership in the hiring of the new superintendent, selling of the old Meadow View School site, and general district operations. For questions or comments, contact WPRs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email listener@wpr.org or use our Listener Feedback form. Empowering a Community of Learners and Leaders, 262-560-2101WoodJ@oasd.orgTerm Expires: April 2024, 262-560-2101KarnowskiJ@oasd.orgTerm Expires: April 2024, 262-560-2101CarricoM@oasd.orgTerm Expires: April 2024, 262-560-2101SchickS@oasd.orgTerm Expires: April 2023, 262-560-2101NinmannN@oasd.orgTerm Expires: April 2025, 262-560-2101SchraufnagelC@oasd.orgTerm Expires: April 2023, 262-560-2101ThielW@oasd.orgTerm Expires: April 2025, Meeting Schedule / Notices / Agendas/ Meeting Summaries. The board did take a vote on replacing the three board members who left. School districts | The OASD School Board holds a regular monthly meeting on the third Wednesday of each month at the Oconomowoc High Schoo East Campus, starting at 6:30 p.m. >> Click here for the 2021-22 Regular School Board Meeting Schedule questioned one parent. Thiel:You might not know this, but Oconomowoc has a separate special curriculum for those that want to be completely virtual, and I think that is a great program for those who have selected it. I have also served on both local and national boards of directors. Nondiscrimination: The Oconomowoc Area School District provides assurance that no student is discriminated against because of the student's sex, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability. Schools should be a haven for students, a springboard for each one of them to become the best version of themselves in service to others. Our family owns a small business in downtown Oconomowoc, I am a 1988 graduate of OHS and have three children who also have experienced OASD as students. Student Mental Fitness should be the top priority in the district. [5], Steitzer's term on the board expired in April 2021, and Herro's and Roehl's terms expired in April 2022.[1]. Now, as COVID-19 is again surging around the state and hitting kids harder, many boards arent putting any mask requirements or precautions into place, to the distress of some parents who are worried their kids will get sick and despite clear guidance from state and federal agencies that say universal masking is the best way to keep students safe and prevent schools from having to shut down. Superintendent Roger Rindo is leavingfor the same position in the Reedsburg School District. Ford said theres also been a blurring between the district administrations role and the role of school board members. The property should be listed very soon. Were losing some really good people because of the contentiousness, and Im concerned that we may lose some more teachers in the process, or more administrators, that we already know we have a shortage of. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. All rights reserved. DPI, the State of WisconsinDepartment of Public Instruction, has a budget for student mental health that has increased to meet the students needs after the pandemic. Community involvement: Five O's Baseball coach, youth football coach, and we lead the annual Anderson Family Holiday Gift Drive supporting local families, Contact info: 414-426-4114;andrew1anderson@hotmail.com, Address:N64 W37630 Woodcrest Drive, Oconomowoc, Community involvement:Current appointee to Oconomowoc School Board since September 2021;volunteer, Downtown Business District, past board member, OconomowocArea Baseball Club, Past political experience:19+ years on the school board Oconomowoc Area School District, Community involvement: Oconomowoc Area School District, Okauchee Lions Club, Boy Scouts former merit badge counselor, Contact info:schick.sandy@yahoo.com; 262-567-2725 (home), Address: N53 W37160 E. Madison St., Oconomowoc, Past political experience: Sat on the HeadStart Board, Champaign, Illinois, 2003-05. Since being on the board we have been able to begin the process of selling the old Meadow View building, we have hired a new superintendent, and increased student growth during the pandemic. It will be a fantastic! The district is great with wonderful teachers, curriculum and facilities. Covid mitigation methods are what now-former board members expressed concern about in submitting resignation letters this week. For more spring 2022 election coverage,click here. Agendas for all regular board meetings, committee meetings, and special meetings are also available on the same site. Nondiscrimination: The Oconomowoc Area School District provides assurance that no student is discriminated against because of the student's sex, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability. Tyler James, who did not actively run during the election, had 989 votes (5%). One of the main issues for the school board in the near future will be deciding on the district's next superintendent. On May 13, attorneys for the Oconomowoc Area School District School Board issued the letter to Alexandra . Two of the seven at-large seats on the Oconomowoc Area School District school board were up for general election on April 5, 2016. If the pandemic showed us anything, it is that kids learn the best in the classroom with a teacher. The results are not official until they are canvassed. The effort against members Juliet Steitzer, Kim Herro, and Scott Roehl began on September 17, 2020. Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. To read about other recall efforts related to the coronavirus and government responses to the pandemic, click here. School Board Meetings and Agendas - oconomowoc.finalsite.com I have been an educator for 21 years, the last 16 of them as an administrator, I felt this background would be a benefit to the board and school district. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that The fact that the restrictions have been now lifted doesnt mean that the havoc caused by the lockdowns will disappear overnight. After considering 29 candidates, interviewing six and then selecting three of those six as finalists, the Oconomowoc School Board has selected the Oconomowoc Area School District's next. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");if(t)(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; June 2: El Rancho Unified School District, California, What's on my ballot? The board filled the three vacant seats in Septemberby appointing Neal Ninmann, former board member Sandy Schick and Chad Schraufnagel. In conversations with parents, teachers, and members of the community there is consensus that the school board can do better. Second, is the unique opportunity to help students pursue their individual passion to a greater extent. Roehl said the climate surrounding school board meetings has become polarizing amid the pandemic and debates over safety. The Oconomowoc School Board asked the district's administration to begin the RFP process for the property in October 2021 and approved listing the property for sale in December 2021. Nondiscrimination: The Oconomowoc Area School District provides assurance that no student is discriminated against because of the student's sex, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability. Incumbent Juliet Steitzer was unseated in the election by challenger Matt Carrico. Leadership by the board, in the district, in classroom, by the teachers, and by the students. Herro was in the last year of her term, which expired April 2022. How to vote | Thankfully, masks are no longer mandatory. We hope the time will soon come again when it is possible to work together collaboratively for the good of our community and its children and stop letting the distractions and personal political agendas take us off that course.. Oconomowoc School Board election results: Virtual learning top issue Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. U.S. President | This enrollment out is currently larger than our enrollment in and every time that happens, we have fewer resources to work with. "For those who voted for my message I say thank you," Schweitzer said. "Spending time in the community I love has been an experience I will never forget," Schweitzer said. Thetwo candidates with the highest number of votes will takethree-year terms of office, and the candidates with the third and fourth highest number of votes will take one-year terms. Follow him on Twitter at @Evanfrank_LCP. I will fight for this as it will bring a transformative, long-lasting solution in times of crisis. 37214 Delafield Rd, Oconomowoc, WI 53066 | Zillow Waukesha County was home to 395,118 residents in 2014, according to the United States Census Bureau. That day, I felt a moral obligation to step up to the plate and help stop this insanity in our school communities. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. Meeting Schedule / Notices / Agendas/ Meeting Summaries. We must govern via smart policy and not by current events or pressure from outside influences. My heart sunk. 2023 www.jsonline.com. Footnotes. "The kids recognized that this was an important part of them staying healthy, because they didnt want to miss their sports and their other activities and school, they didnt want to miss the end of the year activities.". There is a place for some virtual learning, but I will always work with our district to provide in-person learning whenever possible. She said: Absolutely! We need to give our students coping tools to not live afraid. A majority voted to keep requiring masks indoors through the end of the year, though kids could ditch them when they were outside. If elected, what are your priorities for the district? One of our top priorities will be to review and respond to enrollment fluctuations by continuously focusing on investing in our teachers, buildings and curriculum both financially and through policy updates that give autonomy to district leadership. Steitzer became a board member in 2018 and said this year's election became overwhelmingly partisan. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and Since September, our board meetings have been productive, we no longer employ consultants to help us get along, we have hired a new superintendent and we were one of the only schools to improve scores during the pandemic by keeping kids in the classroom as much as possible. Four Oconomowoc School Board incumbents have retained their seats in the April 5 election. School board members resign in COVID-19 protest - Yahoo! News A statement says the board members felt their constituents weren't being heard on matters like health and safety, and that the board is influenced by a hyper-political group. The deadline to apply is Sept. 3. Schraufnagel:Since the appointment of myself and the threeother new board members, our meetings are focused on improving the school district. Counties | "We are going to still going to continue to maintain, continue to work and continue to do what we can to make the Oconomowoc Area School District an unrivaled place and an unrivaled educational environment," said Roehl. Schick:I applied for the school board vacancy when the three board members resigned. Wood said the current HVAC system at Oconomowoc High School is from the 1960s and not up to today's . Community involvement: Volunteered at the local parish church, lobbied for street resurfacing and got it done in our neighborhood of Oconomowoc Heights, which was prone to flooding. "The main qualification of a school board member and I say this as a local elected official is you got one more vote than the other person. A student Brookfield East High School wears a mask during class Monday, March 15, 2021, in Brookfield, Wis. Angela Major/WPR. My goal is to continue positively contributing to the Oconomowoc Area School District for the benefit of my family, my neighbors and the greater Oconomowoc community. Current board members Ninmann, Schick, Schraufnagel and Thiel, along with challengers Paula Schmitz and Andrew Anderson, are running. Collected signatures for speedier repairs of the pavement in the parking lot across the street from the Post Office, which was in the core area of downtown Oconomowoc, full of potholes. Parents filled the Oconomowoc School Board meeting. It is intrinsic to its mission: Unless students are mentally fit and emotionally stable, they cant learn and therefore, they will not be able to lead. Since August, the board has seen four resignations in the wake of a reportedly toxic work environment. From my perspective as a board member, to ensure that we are not putting our students at risk, a soft launch to the school year will provide greater clarity as to the effects of the virus when our students are back in session. Contact info: 920-474-7796;thielw@oasd.org. Calendar Oconomowoc Tourism, WI CivicEngage There are six candidates for four seats on the Oconomowoc School Board. James Wood took over as the Oconomowoc School Board president following the 2021 election, in which he was elected to a second term after receiving Kleefisch's support. Community members launched a recall effort against three of the board members who voted for hybrid learning, including Herro. 2023 by Wisconsin Public Radio, a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Schick:When I campaigned in 2002, I had the following beliefs. The candidates responded to a questionnaire about how they would bring stability and cohesiveness back to the board and about masks and in-person and virtual learning. Ballotpedia features 395,577 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. 2.) Parents expressed concern, especially for younger students who aren't eligible for the vaccine, and concern over the politics taking place. Stay informed with WPR's email newsletter. [1][2] They were unable to collect enough signatures by the deadline. This can be integrated with the resources that the district already has in place and enrich them. We need to bring this same level of excellence to the areas that still need improvement to get us there. This year, though, board meetings have gotten tense, and a combination of public pressure and district politics mean many wont put those precautions in place. "This feels different.". The district has a focus on developing learners and leaders and the board has a responsibility to support that focus with policy and financial stewardship. Phillips saw 10 of her members removed in Aprils school board elections, and she said many felt targeted because of their support for phased reopening, virtual options and disease-mitigation strategies. Community involvement: Current school board member, former Oconomowoc rec league coach. Incumbents Dave Guckenberger and Steve Zimmer faced challengers Kim Verhein Herro, Jason Kelly and James Wood in a primary election on February 16, 2016. View All Calendars is the default. The impact of an amazing teacher is immeasurable, and weve all had teachers in our past that were less than exceptional. I led program development initiatives expanding outreach, involvement, and resources for both students and . Bottom line, we need to increase our market share.