Damakant Jayshi
The Education/Operations Committee of the Wausau School Board on Monday approved incoming Interim Superintendent Cale Bushman’s recommendation of reorganizing the district leadership team for the upcoming school year.
Dubbed “Longfellow Administrative Team Reorganization,” the pilot plan creates an Assistant Superintendent of Academics, which absorbs Bushman’s current position of the director of Pupil Services. Bushman said the new leadership structure reduces one director’s position – Director of Learning and Student Achievement. The director, Katie Colwell, has agreed to shift to the Director of Secondary Education, said Bushman.
The incoming interim superintendent said the proposed model is cleaner and more efficient organizationally. He said he would test the model during his term as the interim superintendent for 2024-25 and if the pilot doesn’t work, they can revert to the current model.
The district currently has Assistant Superintendent of Operations, Josh Viegut. Before Viegut joined the district, Bob Tess was in a similar role looking at finances in his role as the district’s chief finance and business services officer. Tess has since retired.
Board Vice President Trollop backed Bushman’s plan, adding that the one-year period would help them assess how effective it is.
Board member Pat McKee agreed with Trollop’s remarks but asked how the elimination of pupil services position would impact the student behavior challenge that is going on in the district. The director handles such matters right now.
“I would hate to see that position diluted too much from the behavior side of things,” McKee said.
During the vote, the WSB Education/Operations Committee recommended to the full board the new leadership team organization.
