Damakant Jayshi
Two weeks after nixing a plan to restructure secondary schools, the Wausau School Board District is finding a way forward to complete referendum-related updates previously approved by voters.
At Monday’s meeting, Superintendent Keith Hilts presented options for the district’s future course and sought the board’s input. The committee’s discussion was largely dominated by the future of the district’s elementary schools and two charter schools.
Wausau Area Montessori Charter School, which operates out of Horace Mann Middle School, was previously promised its own space at Lincoln Elementary, a school planned for closure. The Red Granite Charter School, which will launch next year with a focus on the environment, has been approved to operate from Hewitt-Texas Elementary, also slated for closure. Hewitt-Texas students would then move to another school. Red Granite is a nature-focused charter school for children in pre-K through 5th grade and has received a five-year approval plan, from July 2024 to June 2029.
However, with the board taking the secondary school consolidation out of any immediate restructuring plan and opting to focus on managing its elementary schools more efficiently, the fate of the charter schools, at least with regard to their location, is uncertain. Superintendent Hilts asked committee members if the administration should proceed with the previously approved plan of closing Lincoln and Hewitt-Texas or wait for a new study. He also asked if the board members were interested in holding discussions with the officials from the charter schools.
Pat McKee, whose proposal to halt the secondary school merger plan passed earlier this month, said district officials should hold those discussions and share the results with the board. He reiterated that consolidating elementary schools should not be identified as a goal, but rather a potential solution to having a more efficient district with adequate resources. He previously said that “goals and solutions” should not be confused with one another.
Board Clerk Karen Vandenberg, while expressing her willingness to hear from the two charter entities, said it was frustrating for her, other board members and the charter schools to see how things have unfolded and that needs to be acknowledged.
“I am feeling very conflicted that contracts and promises were made based on a solution that wasn’t really possible,” she said. “When we got further down the road it was clear that can’t be done…without referendum money.”
Lance Trollop, board vice president, said the group faces challenges when it comes to making decisions on the charter schools and said Montessori officials have expressed a preference for an elementary building on the bus line. Trollop underscored Montessori’s dilemma on the uncertainty they now face with respect to location.
“We cannot give them the answer right now,” he said, while adding that they should be part of any such discussions – and he would like to know their opinion sooner rather than later.
The board committee also spent some time discussing outside consultants. Board member Cory Sillars questioned the need, while McKee said consultants should only be brought in after the board decides on a framework for consolidation.
The Education/Operations Committee also spent some time discussing course parity between Wausau West and Wausau East. McKee had previously suggested achieving 95 percent course parity between the two high schools and said his objective was to explore a range of options.
Hilts said the administration needs guidance and clarity on how to achieve that objective.
Trollop said while he agreed with the goal of achieving course parity, he would hesitate to make it a mandatory requirement.
In his presentation, Hilts asked if the school board would consider removing all restrictions on transferring high school students within the district starting in the fall of 2025. He mentioned that they are still studying the feasibility, legal implications, eligibility of student athletes under WIAA rules, as well as staffing and transportation considerations. Depending on the board’s interest, Hilts mentioned they would reach out to other districts to see if they have a similar policy.
Board Treasurer Jon Creisher supported removing restrictions, saying that students and their parents should decide which high school to attend. However, Vandenberg expressed concerns about potential drawbacks and suggested that if the decision is made, the district should provide a shuttle service for the students. She mentioned the uproar caused by the possibility of additional bus hours and emphasized the need to consider these concerns when making plans.
Members of the board also asked questions about the two suggested upgrades at Wausau East that were not part of the original plan – a mass notification system that carries an estimated $800K price tag and a fire alarm system at $524,000. They asked why those upgrades are just now being raised.
Some board members suggested waiting on the expense to see if they can find funding from other sources. They also wanted updated estimates on the community room and storage planned at Wausau West.
