Get to know the candidates for Wausau School Board

Wausau Pilot & Review

Six candidates, including three incumbents, are in the race for three open seats on the Wausau School Board in the spring election. No primary was necessary in this race, with an April 2 election on the horizon.

All candidates were invited to answer. One candidate, Cody Nikolai, did not provide responses.

Here, they share their views and vision for the future of the Wausau School District in what will undoubtedly be a transitional year, as Superintendent Keith Hilts will retire and a new leader will take the helm.

Bookmark our Elections Page for more candidate profiles as they are published, along with elections news and your submitted letters. To send a letter to the editor in support of any candidate, email yours to [email protected]. Be sure to include your name and city of residence. There is no limit on length.

What motivated you to run for office?

McKee: I enjoy serving the community in a way that allows me to advocate for kids, staff, parents and taxpayers.

Vandenberg: I am running for reelection for the Wausau School Board because I remain passionate about the priceless value of public education and believe that strong, healthy public schools are essential to any thriving community. I am certain that an excellent public education is one of the greatest equalizers in a community and educators can (and do) effectively change trajectories of the lives of their students toward successful life paths. I want to continue to serve on the Board of Education to be a part of a team that promotes student achievement and success and one that supports and inspires our staff as well.

Tealey:

1. I fear that the school board may go back to the issue of restructuring which means consolidating high schools and closing several neighborhood schools.
2. Also, my motivation is to encourage the district to be more aggressive in working with local state legislators to increase state aid to public schools.
3. It’s imperative the district take measures to retain and attract well qualified teachers.

Rusch: The current board has broken the public trust. The Wausau School District is the heart of the community. I have always had an affinity for the district having gone to school here and moved back so that my children could have the same wonderful experience.

When the board proposed radical changes than what the referendum question asked, without input from the public, parents, or staff it was unacceptable to me and many others. Having served on the board for fifteen years I know that the public must have input before any major changes are made. I’m running to be the your representative so your voices are being heard.

Brock: I am running for the Board of Education because I believe that education is the most important function of a society, and the best possible tool with which we can change the world for the better. When we are at our best, school administrators, teachers, and parents work together for the success of students, and I believe it is the job of a Board of Education to facilitate and strengthen those relationships through listening, meaningful dialogue, and ensuring the focus remains on the students.

What are the most pressing issues that the district faces today, and how would you address them?

McKee:

1. Student behavior–we need stricter application of existing policies that govern student conduct
2. Staff retention & attracting new staff–continue to value, support and compensate staff in ways that increase engagement and improve building cultures

Vandenberg:

The superintendent search and selection is certainly a pressing issue and will have a significant and lasting impact on our district. Paramount to me, is choosing a highly qualified individual who understands the needs of our district and who will bring superior communication skills, vision, strength of leadership and integrity that builds trust with our community. Another pressing issue is the $3.5 million budget deficit facing our district with declining enrollment and inadequate funding. In order to address this complex issue we will need to make difficult decisions that prioritize the most effective use of our resources and place the highest value on our people, both students and staff, over bricks and mortar. The careful work of our demographer and community involved task-force will drive these decisions. A third pressing issue facing our district, according to surveys from all stakeholder groups, is increasing problematic classroom behaviors that impact all student learning. As a board member, it is my priority to promote policy and staff that effectively addresses these concerns allowing for a classroom atmosphere that empowers and equips our staff and students to achieve their highest potential.

Tealey:

1. Financial—aggressively pursue more state funds from the legislature. We need to stop the legislature from defunding public education.
2. Retention of teachers—more favorable compensation and working conditions is the answer.
3. Trust–because of the immense turmoil caused by the board last year, district residents are leery of any future referendums and/or support of the present board.

Rusch: Finances, the current board has squandered much of the referendum funding damaging the fiscal stability of the district. Unbelievably, the current board is considering another referendum to make up for the shortfall they created.

Decreasing student population, the board needs to lead the district in discovering the way forward to deal with the decreasing student population. This needs to be done in conjunction with their constituents input.

Attracting and retaining staff, every district in state is having difficulty retaining staff. We need to find a way to continue to attract the best and retain the great teachers we already have.

Brock: I believe the three most pressing issues in front of the School Board today are: (1) the hiring of a Superintendent who is the right fit for the WSD, (2) the rebuilding of trust with the Wausau community, and (3) ensuring that the present and long-term success of all Wausau students is at the heart of all decisions.

The school board recently reversed a major restructuring plan that would have, among other things, created a single high school. What went wrong in the process, and what are your views about how this unfolded?

McKee:

The restructuring concept that was reversed in November 2023 had several flaws

1. It was a predefined solution that went out and looked for problems to solve. Strategic goals should have been developed first and then solutions should have been developed to achieve those goals.
2. The entire concept was not well defined. It was sold to the board and public using incorrect financial projections across the board.
3. The community, staff, students & tax payers didn’t support it. This is the most important item in my opinion. As people began to learn about the scant details, they didn’t see the value in the project and made their thoughts known to the board.

Vandenberg: In February 2023, the board approved a major restructure plan that was presented and recommended to us by the administration which, among other things, intended to create a single senior high and junior high campus. My approval of the plan was always contingent on the restructure being done with absolute excellence and integrity, providing increased academic opportunities for all of our students. The important collaborative work on restructure that happened following the vote revealed some significant challenges, primarily a lack of funding for additional science labs, parking, rebranding, busing and space issues at West. Once it became clear to me that a restructure could not be accomplished with excellence, without $7-8 million in funds to cover those critical needs, I could no longer support moving forward. I would not and did not support using previously passed referendum monies that were scoped for other work to be reallocated for restructure projects. I believed doing so would lack integrity and it led to my changed position on moving forward with restructure. The suggestion to the board of reallocating $6 million in referendum funds without community support also broke trust with stakeholders and in that I am disappointed. Community trust is vitally important to me.

Tealey: Most residents, parents and students are so relieved at the reversal. Wausau East will still be a state of the art high school; bussing the majority of the students for up to 180 min. a day will not take place. However, some present board members still favor major restructuring and changing Wausau East High School into a junior high of 8th and 9th graders.

What went wrong in the process is not engaging the pubic overall. Meetings were set up and not thoroughly advertised. Plus, once again, misinformation was communicated by the administration which led to trust issues.

The closing of one high school and 5 elementary schools was too much, too soon. The community does not wish to go through that instability and insecurity again. Parents, teachers and future residents in the district were baffled as to where their children were going to attend school and how long would their children be bussed.

Rusch: The current board did not do their due diligence when making these decisions. The board failed miserably because they didn’t get public buy in, they didn’t consider the logistics of moving the large number of students around, nor did they consider the academic requirements that needed to be met. Any plan moving forward needs to be thoroughly vetted by the public, parents, staff, and the board.

Brock: Communication – or more specifically, a lack of communication is what went wrong with the process. The community feels like they were the victims of a bait and switch – they voted yes on a major funding package, and then were told that those funds would be used for significant changes they were not made aware of in advance and certainly had not given their support to. I believe the hiring of a demographer and significant involvement of the community (decisions they have made in the past two months) are where the restructuring conversation should have started.

What will you do, as a board member, to put the Wausau School District on firmer financial footing, given the deficit it now faces?

McKee:

1. Finish the study of our elementary school expenses and identify opportunities to reduce our overall footprint which will lower the per student cost structure.
2. Consolidate administrative functions into an existing building
3. Increase enrollment by improving building climates so we don’t continue to lose kids to other districts. Parents move their children to other districts because they experience too much negative behavior in our classrooms.

Vandenberg: Declining enrollment and insufficient school funding to meet the needs of our students are largely contributing to our current budget deficit. Declining birth rates and an increased number of educational options have led to reduced numbers of students in public schools. Wausau, in particular, has still not fully recovered from the hundreds of students who left when the decision was made not to open for in-person learning in 2020. State per pupil funding has failed to keep up with the inflationary costs to educate our students and funding to support our special education students is grossly inadequate. With an increased number of students with special education needs and not enough resources to meet those needs, it impacts all students and staff, in every building and every classroom. These issues have contributed to the WSD deficit and have forced districts and school boards all over the state and nation to carefully evaluate the use of their resources in order to best serve all students. It is my priority to eliminate inefficiencies that ultimately detract from our investment in student achievement and staff. As a board member, I am further committed to making thoughtful, data-driven decisions to navigate our deficit that prioritize student achievement.

Tealey:

1. I would direct the board to choose a legislative liaison who truly will connect with local legislators and increase state aid.
2. I believe administrative salaries should be reviewed. The superintendent receiving 246k for this size district is wrong.
3. Also, I believe the administrative organizational structure is top heavy and needs to be streamlined.

Rusch: Stop wasting money on vanity projects and concentrate on the districts core mission, providing our students with the best education we can.

Brock: We must ensure that the budget priorities are aligned with the educational priorities of the WSD – placing the success of all students as our primary decision-making filter. Running any organization with a projected budget deficit is certainly not best practice. At a recent Board member, multiple possibilities were presented (not as suggestions, as they made clear). As Board President Bouche implied, there will be difficult decisions ahead, as fiscal responsibility is a core Board responsibility. Should I be elected to the Board I would seek solutions that did not negatively affect Wausau teachers, and ones that prioritized protecting our people, both adults and students.

Members of school boards are often far apart from one another on issues that come before them. How would you work to find common ground with someone whose views you disagree with?

McKee: Focus on the common goals using accurate data and feedback.

Vandenberg: Finding common ground with individuals with whom I disagree is absolutely necessary to be an effective board member and contribute to healthy board dynamics. I have spent nearly 30 years in healthcare and it has developed in me the ability to be an exceptional listener, an effective bridge builder, and given me a heart to approach decisions with both wisdom and compassion. These skills have provided a strong foundation from which I have been able to lead on the WSD School Board. When approaching any individual with whom I disagree, it is essential to come with a readiness to listen and learn, seeking to understand, with a gracious and respectful posture and commitment to the truth. I have been extremely grateful for the respectful discourse on the current board, where we can challenge one another, disagree with one another and communicate our varied perspectives in healthy ways.

Tealey: Civility. Civility seems to be neglected these days and that has to be priority in discussing difficult issues which are conflicted. A respectful discussion of the facts and the pros and cons over a decision is paramount with this important office. And civility and respect need to be maintained.

Rusch: I believe all board members want to provide a great education for all students, if we stick to the facts and have frank and open discussions we can find common ground that puts education first.

Brock: I believe that because school-board members are elected to be non-partisan, we must be willing and able to check opinions at the door. This incredible job requires us to be open to learning, and to represent the community – but most of all to be true to the mission of the Wausau School District, “to advance student learning, achievement, and success by keeping it as the heart and as the filter for our decision making.” I believe that listening is a superpower. If I am presented with an issue on which strong differences of opinion are present, listening and learning will be what I fall back on. My priority would be to gather knowledge and data in a meaningful way and to utilize the relevant information to hold true dialogue with my fellow Board members, with a goal of finding consensus regarding what is in the best long-term interest of our students and our community on all issues.

How can Wausau attract more students and high quality teachers, as the district faces declining enrollment?

McKee: Same as above answer. We can increase enrollment by improving building climates so we don’t continue to lose kids to other districts. Parents move their children to other districts because they experience too much negative behavior in our classrooms. The negative behavior drives staff away also.

Vandenberg: There are a number of things that we can do to make Wausau an increasingly attractive school district. As we complete the superintendent search process, hiring an outstanding district leader will be the first step toward attracting additional high quality teachers. Dynamic leadership that equips, encourages and inspires their staff will go a long way toward impacting teacher retention. Carefully and thoughtfully eliminating inefficiencies and redundancies, as recommended by a skilled demographer, will allow us to continue to invest in our teachers with competitive salaries and benefits and will likewise draw the highest quality staff. Providing increased academic opportunities, innovative new programming and promoting career and college readiness for our students will attract more families to Wausau Schools for the education of their children. Further, addressing problematic classroom behaviors and effective solutions and alternatives that benefit all students will positively impact student enrollment and the attractiveness of the WSD for high quality teachers and staff.

Tealey:

1. One example of how we can attract new students is opening of the new environmental charter school which will begin next year. Red Granite Charter School will be housed at Hewitt-Texas Elementary School. The curriculum is inspired by the Core Principles of Public Waldorf Education.
2. Also, continuing further research and development of newer creative educational modalities makes us a leader as a public school entity in Wisconsin.
3. Maintaining successful programs such as the International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, apprenticeships, automotive options, foreign language initiatives , WAVE and many other educational endeavors need continuance. These and many other options for WSD students prepare them for college, technical school and the working world.
   Also, maintaining alternative education and successful charter schools in the district is a means of attracting students and highly qualified teachers.

Rusch: We need to be smarter with our resources and stop wasting money on pet projects. We need to be innovative in the way we deliver high quality education to our students, without sacrificing our core values.

Brock: Declining enrollment is a national issue, and one that has gotten more significant in the past few years. This is part of a larger discussion – how can we attract more young adults and families to Wausau. Research says that we must look at what our community offers – jobs, both traditional and remote opportunities, entertainment and cultural amenities, accessibility (public transportation, walking and biking friendly communities), a thriving social scene with restaurants, shopping, and other activities, and of course high-quality schools.
To attract the high-quality teachers who are a crucial piece of that last requirement, we must ensure that WSD is offering competitive compensation and a positive culture. This takes us back to the search for a Superintendent, as she or He will set the tone for the culture I mentioned above.

A number of school boards nationwide have banned certain books from being taught in schools. Do you agree with that decision? Why or why not?

McKee: I support our current policy of offering age appropriate curriculum to our students.

Vandenberg: It would be unwise for me to attempt to give an opinion about an unspecified decision of banning “certain” books somewhere in the US. I can share with all integrity and accuracy, however, that the Wausau Board of Education has not banned any books for the years that I have been a part of it (or prior to that, as far as I know). Unfortunately, misinformation has been spread to the contrary. For clarity, 2 years ago when the WSD staff was researching the adoption of a new ELA curriculum for grades 3-5, the use of 2 excellent alternative texts, provided by the publisher, were recommended to the board. This recommendation came from the committee doing the curriculum work and from the administration – the board approved their recommendation and respected their insight. No books were banned. It is my position to follow the WI state statutes for instructional materials, parental access to those materials and a commitment to the acquisition of age-appropriate instructional materials that effectively align with state standards.

Tealey: Book banning is off the table. In Wausau, this school board removed 4 elementary books from the curriculum(still in the library, though), because those books were deemed inappropriate. These books including “Hatchet” and “George vs. George” (comparing George the III and George Washington) are award winning books, but organizations such as Mothers for Liberty are influencing boards to ban them.
Should a parent (not an outside organization) complain about a book, the set process should be initiated to include participation of parents, students, teachers and community members. This process would make the decision whether to remove a book. That is not the duty of the school board.

Rusch: Absolutely not, parents have always had the opportunity to opt out or ask for an alternative book. It is not up to the board to take choices away from parents and their children. I will never support a nanny state that tells parents what their children can or cannot read.

Brock: I am not in favor of book banning. I believe that an individual parent or guardian has a right to determine what is best for their own child/children, but that those opinions should not inform school or Board policy. As a classroom teacher and administrator, I have worked with parents to offer alternative assignments when possible, and to ensure they were aware of any standards or learning objectives that could be missed should they choose to opt out of a text or assignment. This is a place where the knowledge of experts in areas such as reading level, child development, and literacy should be given precedence over opinion.
In my experience, concerns regarding issues such as these are the result of a lack of communication and often fear. Community building, relationship building, communication, and especially listening are necessary for us to effectively address these issues.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

McKee:

1. I make decisions based on doing what is right using data and feedback from all stakeholder groups.
2. I am not afraid to challenge status quo thinking.
3. I have demonstrated strong leadership and will drive action whenever necessary
4. I serve the community with integrity & honesty and will continue to push for transparent discussion on all issues

Vandenberg:

Living and serving in the Wausau community as a parent of 4 WSD students has provided countless opportunities to be inside our classrooms and buildings and engaging with our excellent teachers and administrators. Serving as a teen mentor for 20 years to students on both sides of the river has provided valuable experience and perspective as I face board decisions with our students at the forefront of my mind. I have been deeply engaged in refugee resettlement in Wausau since 2021 and have navigated up-close the victories and challenges that our new neighbors face as they join the WSD. Equally important has been understanding the vital support required for our staff to best serve these students and their unique needs. For the last 2 years, I have also gained valuable experience at the state level through my work on the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) Policy and Resolution Committee, at the Delegate Assembly and the WI State Education Convention. This experience has allowed me to engage with and learn from other board members and leading educators from around the state and gain insight into the current issues facing boards which provides a more robust perspective, as well as, outstanding resources for seeking solutions.

It is my hope that the past three years have demonstrated to you that I am an individual who is committed to the work of the board with excellence and integrity on behalf of the good of all of our students and staff. I believe my record has shown that I value all of the voices at the table and that I come prepared, with a readiness to learn and willingness to pivot when wisdom supports doing so. My goal has never been power, position or political agenda, but instead positive leadership with integrity and wise decision-making on behalf of the entire district. It has been a privilege to be a part of the WSD and it would be an honor to continue to serve this community on the Wausau School Board. I would love your support and vote on April 2. Please feel free to reach out to me with questions.

Tealey: I would advocate student representation on the board as has been done in the past. This would be a non-voting student member who can provide a unique insight into discussion of board issues.

My motivation for running for the board is to provide the very best education for the students.

Rusch: I am very committed to this district and I am asking the public to give me the opportunity to serve this district for three more years. I vow to be the public’s representative on the board and make sure your voice are heard and your input is valued.

Brock: That I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to ask me questions, to share their concerns and thoughts, to work to ensure that our community is informed about local elections and candidates. If you are reading this, I want to thank you as well – whether you are an educator, a supporter of education, a concerned citizen, or all three – the fact that you are taking the time and spending the energy means that you are committed to being a part of the solution, that you believe that we can work together to make our community better, stronger, and more loving – and for that, you deserve thanks!