After results came in, Steitzer released a message on her school boardFacebook page. PRINT+DIGITAL: AS LOW AS $6.50 PER MONTH. I started to become interested in the school board position last year during the recall. Waukesha County was home to 395,118 residents in 2014, according to the United States Census Bureau. Oconomowoc School Board election results: Virtual learning top issue Grothaus and Raasch both had about a year and a half left in their terms which expired in April 2023. 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. 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. Application Contact Address. Subscribe to calendar notifications by clicking on the Notify Me button, and you will automatically be alerted about the latest events in our community. I want Oconomowoc to be a destination school district for families outside of our boundaries. supports HTML5 video. Three Oconomowoc School Board members resign, cite toxic board behavior I have no personal agenda and will work solely for the community, parents and our students. Ninmann:I was appointed in September 2021 to fill one of the quitting members' spots. After the fourth member left, I decided to run for election in April. 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. My main reason for applying was to bring stability and history to the table. Counties, Place An Ad - Call 262-306-5000/email: Conleyclass@coneynet.com, Kam Jones scores 23 as No. As a mother of two high-schoolers, an educator, and an online course developer in health and wellness, I have been researching programs and interventions used successfully by other districts that we can bring to the OASD to support students who are hurting. In regard to your question on masks. If elected, what are your priorities for the district? Three candidates remain in the search for a new Oconomowoc School Board Superintendent. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. While Herro, who co-owns a manufacturing business, said shes used to discord and disrespect as a woman in a male-dominated workforce, the onslaught of anger directed at her and other members was staggering. In Oconomowoc, three members of the school board resigned, citing its "toxic" environment. Oconomowoc School District Threatens Parent With Defamation Lawsuit I will continue this trend of performance if electedto the board in April. Aug 2006 - Jun 20158 years 11 months. Since August, the board has seen four resignations in the wake of a reportedly toxic work environment. Oconomowoc Schools The Oconomowoc Area School District encompasses approximately 120 square miles surrounding the City of Oconomowoc and draws students from three counties: Waukesha, Jefferson, and Dodge. Schweitzer said she ran agrassroots, parent- and taxpayer-focused campaign. The four remaining school board members were in attendance, but no action was taken on one of the items that divided the board -- masks. The 2,656 sq. Jennifer Eldredge - MC-EA Bilingual Educator - School District of 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. Thankfully, masks are no longer mandatory. PDF NOTICE OF SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION - Oconomowoc Schools Oconomowoc High School. "Anytime you try to make a change we went to block scheduling, we might have done a little grading change your boardroom fills," said Phillips. The effort against members Juliet Steitzer, Kim Herro, and Scott Roehl began on September 17, 2020. It will be a fantastic! They'll be posting those vacancies immediately. I am a community supporter, passionate alumni and strong advocate for becoming an unrivaled school district that will be the choice for anyone in our regional communityof learners. School Board Meetings and Agendas Meeting Schedules. Tyler James, who did not actively run during the election, had 989 votes (5%). The property should be listed very soon. Anderson:As a parent of four, the wake of our school board making national news for toxic dysfunction hit hard. "We should learn from districts that have suffered the death of a child and then changed their policy," said parent Natalie McAndrew. We need to put our students holistic well-being as our top priority, build consensusand move schools forward. Third, we deserve a school board that can operate for more than six months without creating negative headlines. The candidates are (top row, left to right): Andrew Anderson, Neal Ninmann (i), Sandy . A- Accountability- Do what you say you are going to do. Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. In the past the board was labeled as "toxic"; however, that is no longer the case with the current board. OCONOMOWOC The Oconomowoc Area School Board appointed three new members in Neal Ninmann, Sandy Schick and Chad Schraufnagel last Wednesday to replace the three board members who had resigned last month. 37214 Delafield Rd , Oconomowoc, WI 53066-9101 is a single-family home listed for rent at /mo. "The kids and the teachers had been doing a marvelous job throughout the year dealing with the masks," said Grothaus. I am a good fit for this role as I can work well with a variety of people, and I can agree and disagree with them without allowing it to become personal. E- Excellence- Excellence in everything we do. Meanwhile, the board will begin taking applications and discuss its plan to fill the vacant seats at its next meeting Wednesday, Aug. 18. Then, according to the resigning members, another board member told parents they could claim a religious exemption to allow their kids to go mask-free. State and local courts | DIGITAL ONLY: JUST $5 PER MONTH Two incumbents who favored virtual school lose their seats on the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District Board, Two incumbents ousted in a Waukesha School Board race partly defined by unrest over virtual learning, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 2023 FOX Television Stations, Camp Timber-lee: Delavan businessman to buy, keep site open, Racine drunk driver killed pregnant friend: complaint, Mysterious lights in southeast Wisconsin sky; here's what they were, Alderman Bauman regrets his decision on downtown metered parking, Oak Creek car thefts; gas station customers targeted, police say, Delavan-Darien School Districts Pathways to Success. "If people step forward and Im very hopeful that theres enough good people out there that will do that then the good quality work for kids can continue. When three school board members in Oconomowoc resigned together on Monday, it wasnt solely because of board disputes over COVID-19. The board voted 4-3 to choose him over Grothaus, who had served in the role for the year prior. OCONOMOWOC, Wis. Three Oconomowoc Area School Board members have resigned together, citing toxic behavior within the board. Vacating their seats are Rick Grothaus, Kim Herro and Dan Raasch. Oconomowoc Area School District recall, Wisconsin (2020) Schweitzer, who was a newcomer to running for school board, said she loved the process of campaigning. Lastly, our board can help to elevate the district by prioritizing the focus of the board itself as the existing strategic plan that has not seen improvements or modifications in almost 4 years. We have developed a thick skin when we hear about another school shooting or a student being bullied, or a student committing suicide. The district should focus on advancing these programs to meet the needs of the current times or we will be missing the boat. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Oconomowoc Public Education Foundation (OPEF). Read to your children. Past board members began to work on personal agendas and that led to a great deal of dysfunction. Culture war battles in local school boards aren't slowing down Local school board races have been injected with partisan money and party . [1] The board voted to return all grades to in-person learning starting on September 28, 2020. Did you know we were one of the few districts in the state that increased student performance last year during COVID? Hopefully our community will rise up and demand to hire a quality superintendent who can provide enough positive leadership to overcome the current state of leadership for the district, the letter states. Parents filled the Oconomowoc School Board meeting. | The boards job is to focus on getting our students the best education possible and work (as our vision states) to become Unrivaled.. "For those who did not vote for me I want to thank you for coming out and participating in the process. . 3 Oconomowoc school board members resign, major decisions ahead - WITI "Polyester masks, they're 37.8 percent efficient. "I have gotten to know many people in our beautiful Oconomowoc area, and I would not trade this experience for anything. From January. All rights reserved. She said: Absolutely! Oconomowoc school board approves plan making face masks - CBS58 Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. There is a place for some virtual learning, but I will always work with our district to provide in-person learning whenever possible. 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. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12. It will notbe my last.". 3 Oconomowoc Area School Board members quit, citing toxic - MSN Delavan - Darien School District's DD Tech Administrator and CTE Coordinator, Michael Rick, discusses educational opportunities. There are six candidates for four seats on the Oconomowoc School Board. Application Contact Phone. Community members launched a recall effort against three of the board members who voted for hybrid learning, including Herro. If we fail to support the best teachers, then we will miss them when they are gone. And if not, well, then this is the board the community wants.". The work to avoid faction-based political infighting starts now. Instead, we firmly believe that the vast majority of people living in our community value respect, decency, thoughtful collaboration, common courtesy, consideration for others, and caring for the common good. Counties, Kam Jones scores 23 as No. A majority voted to keep requiring masks indoors through the end of the year, though kids could ditch them when they were outside. Black Mental Health Professionals panel discusses representation Technicians of Tomorrow competition showcases high schoolers MATC apologizes for sparking frustration after announcing major Plans to extend Milwaukees downtown metered parking to 9pm Oconomowoc School Board meets following abrupt resignation of 3 members, Three Oconomowoc School Board members resign as board 'dragged into partisan culture wars', Medical Examiner called to fatal shooting near 84th and Bender, Multiple families displaced after fire breaks out in West Allis apartment building, Cars removed from third level of partially collapsed Bayshore Mall parking structure, Long Covid is associated with significantly increased risk of death, heart and lung problems, study finds, Yao Ming caught in the cross-fire as Chinese basketball team leaves top league on eve of Covid reopening, Kam Jones scores 23 as No. In total, there are four seats up for election this year, and six candidates running. Schraufnagel:Masks should remain optional. The impact of an amazing teacher is immeasurable, and weve all had teachers in our past that were less than exceptional. "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.". In conversations with parents, teachers, and members of the community there is consensus that the school board can do better. To read about other recall efforts related to the coronavirus and government responses to the pandemic, click here. Six candidates square off for four seats on the Oconomowoc School Board This is a decrease from both 2020 and 2021. "Thank you for those who supported my campaign. [3][4], The recall effort started after the school board voted 5-2 in August 2020 to approve a blend of virtual and in-person learning for students returning to school for the 2020-2021 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The three members have stepped down, citing how the Oconomowoc Area School District has been pulled into partisan culture wars., Because of the dysfunctional and disrespectful behavior of the remaining Board members and interim superintendent, Board work has become toxic and impossible to do, the letter states. 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. The board vice president said the news caught him by surprise as he turns his focus to the future. With the requirements to give ample notice before bringing up issues, only being able to vote on items listed in their agenda, and meetings that typically occur only once a month, theyre hamstrung from acting quickly which could get frustrating when the understanding of COVID-19, and the disease itself, was rapidly evolving. Contact info: 920-474-7796;thielw@oasd.org. Recall supporters had 60 days to collect signatures from citizens in the school district. "When Juliet lost her seat, then we lost the majority, and once we lost the majority, the culture became caustic.". 'An impossible situation:' Members leaving school boards amid Supporting teachers is the first step towardbringing stability. Neither Raasch nor Grothaus could be included in the recall as they had not yet served on the board for a full year. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that Schmitz:I like to call my priority number one Student Mental Fitness instead of student mental health. How to vote | 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. First off, sell MeadowviewSchool. A statement from Interim Superintendent Kristen Taylor also focused on the future. 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 Currently the district consists of a high school serving students in 9th through 12th grades, two intermediate schools for grades 5th through 8th, and five high-performing, family focused . Despite the mass resignation, the letter states the members believes there is enough insulation between the Board and the classroom that teachers can still do good work for kids. My heart sunk. Keep updated on the latest news and information. Elections in 2023 | Incumbents Dave Guckenberger and Steve Zimmer faced challengers Kim Verhein Herro, Jason Kelly and James Wood in a primary election on February 16, 2016. Schick:It is the vision of the Oconomowoc Area School District to become an unrivaled learning community, seeking wisdom, honoring the past, and shaping the future. This is the districts vision and should be our guiding light. SHARE. Just weeks from the first day of classes, and in the early stage of its superintendent search, the Oconomowoc Area School Board is down to four members after Kim Herro, Dan Raasch and Rick Grothaus resigned Sunday. As a former VP of a college, I know the debate around in-person versus virtual creates opportunity for innovation. Steitzer was one of three current school board members that the groupOconomowoc Citizens Represented attempted to recall in September. OCONOMOWOC The Oconomowoc Area School District School Board has four incumbents seeking reelection. Now, nearly half the board is . Tony Evers' statewide mask mandate was overturned, the Oconomowoc school board took up the issue.