2.) Counties, Kam Jones scores 23 as No. 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. 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. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and State and local courts | Address: N56 W35146 Pondview Lane, Oconomowoc Past political experience: Current board member Community involvement: Current school board member, former Oconomowoc rec league coach.. A- Accountability- Do what you say you are going to do. "We should learn from districts that have suffered the death of a child and then changed their policy," said parent Natalie McAndrew. Ballotpedia covered 34 coronavirus-related recall efforts against 93 officials in 2022, accounting for 13% of recalls that year. One of the main issues for the school board in the near future will be deciding on the district's next superintendent. From January. 2021-22 OCONOMOWOC AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT CALENDAR (PDF LINK) 2022-2023 oconomowoc area school district website The work to avoid faction-based political infighting starts now. 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. We need to put our students holistic well-being as our top priority, build consensusand move schools forward. From left to right: Mike Sereno, Joe Koch and Jeridon Clark. Read full article. 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. How to run for office | We need to bring this same level of excellence to the areas that still need improvement to get us there. "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. The Oconomowoc School Board saw lots of turnover in 2021, as four of its members resigned or left. The recall effort was started by the group Oconomowoc Citizens Represented, who said Steitzer, Herro, and Roehl "willfully neglected to act on behalf of the citizens of the district. Alexandra Schweitzer garnered 3,200 votes and was followed by Steitzer with 3,010. "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. U.S. President | The board filled the three vacant seats in Septemberby appointing Neal Ninmann, former board member Sandy Schick and Chad Schraufnagel. 5.) The appointmentrequires re-election. R- Realistic Spending- Dont spend what you dont have. We dont believe that people want our community to be characterized by the divisive, bullying, selfish, partisan tactics that seem to be so prevalent today. 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. There are six candidates for four seats on the Oconomowoc School Board. View All Calendars is the default. Public policy. Because of the contentiousness around COVID-19, Ford said things that would ordinarily fall in that "operational" category are instead being decided at the board level like mask requirements. Michael Ford, a professor of public administration at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and a member of the Oshkosh City Council, said theres a concept called "school board capture" that refers to boards being overtaken by interest groups a union, for example, or particular business interests. A statement from Interim Superintendent Kristen Taylor also focused on the future. I am running to be elected by the community to continueserving on the board as a trustee of the district. 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. Oconomowoc has had an optional mask policy since the start of the 2021-2022 school year. Sell the old Meadow View to fulfill the promise of the past board. I was part of that majority. There is a place for some virtual learning, but I will always work with our district to provide in-person learning whenever possible. You can help too. "That began a tremendous attack on the board at that point about not having the kids full five days a week face-to-face, back in the schools.". I believe that as representatives of the community the board should always have time to hear people out and I appreciate the board making that change now that I am there. Are we using it? NOW: Oconomowoc School Board meets following abrupt resignation of 3 members NEXT: OCONOMOWOC, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Oconomowoc Area School District Board met Wednesday night, Aug. 18,. [1], The decision included an in-person learning model for elementary school students and a split-attendance model for middle school and high school students. 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. Three candidates remain in the search for a new Oconomowoc School Board Superintendent. Kaukl worries that in addition to the health impacts to kids and staff, the vicious disagreements and overriding of best practices around health will drive out the people who keep schools up and running. 556 likes. [1] The board voted to return all grades to in-person learning starting on September 28, 2020. U.S. Congress | Another priority is to continue building trust between the community and the school board that we will do what we say and act as trustees ratherthan activists. Current board members Ninmann, Schick, Schraufnagel and Thiel, along with challengers Paula Schmitz and Andrew Anderson, are running. Watch Oconomowoc Area School District's Oconomowoc Area School District Board of Education Meetings on Livestream.com. State executives | "We will use mandated masking as a layered mitigation strategy when our data proves it necessary," said Dr. Kristen Taylor, interim superintendent. Each candidate responded to our questionnaire about their experience and what they see as priorities for the district. "Polyester masks, they're 37.8 percent efficient. The candidates are (top row, left to right): Andrew Anderson, Neal Ninmann (i), Sandy . ", RELATED:Two incumbents who favored virtual school lose their seats on the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District Board. SHARE. This topic has become far too political, and Ill never predetermine a decision based on politics. Steitzer, Herro, and Roehl were joined in approving the proposal by members Dan Raasch and Rick Grothaus. That mindset is the only way for us to grow as a district to go from good to great. Wood said the current HVAC system at Oconomowoc High School is from the 1960s and not up to today's . Sign up now! When the board and district make student achievement their top priority, the district and community win. Schick:Our resilient district has improved our ability to provide virtual learning during the challenges of the COVID pandemic. Four recall elections were held in 2020. In 2020, there were 87 COVID-related recalls against 89 officials, and in 2021, there were 131 against 214 officials. Our district is equipped for this and should respect and adjust to every students learning style and personal circumstances. Incumbent Jessica Karnowski and newcomers Juliet Steitzer and James Wood defeated incumbents John Suttner and Donald Wiemer. Follow him on Twitter at @Evanfrank_LCP. The girl succumbed to social isolation first and bullying and feeling left out through social media next. Elections in 2023 | We need to give our students coping tools to not live afraid. We are in a good place right now and I want to make sure that we continue being financially strong. Did you know we were one of the few districts in the state that increased student performance last year during COVID? Ballot measures, Who represents me? 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. Schraufnagel:Since the appointment of myself and the threeother new board members, our meetings are focused on improving the school district. My 19 years of experience demonstrate that I will be a well-prepared and an effective board member. 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. In January, the Oconomowoc School Board agreed to put a two-question facilities referendum on the ballot totaling $75.45 million. The boards job is to focus on getting our students the best education possible and work (as our vision states) to become Unrivaled.. powered by finalsite About Us 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. The county seat is Waukesha. In-person learning includes more than book learning, like social interaction, dedicated learning spaces (not dining room tables)and much more. First off, sell MeadowviewSchool. Community involvement:I was a stay-at-home father while my kids were in school, and I was very involved at Meadowview, Nature Hilland Oconomowoc High School. Two incumbents and a political newcomer won the three seats up for election on the Oconomowoc Area School Board on April 6. I am a strong believer in in-person classroom learning, and that has worked well for myself, my childrenand others for hundreds of years. Ninmann:I am currently serving as an appointed member of the board since September 2021. The candidates are:Andrew Anderson,Neal Ninmann (i),Sandy Schick (i),Paula Schmitz,Chad E. Schraufnagel (i) andBill Thiel (i). ContactAlec Johnson at(262) 875-9469 [email protected]. 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. Contact info: [email protected]; www.facebook.com/PaulaSchmitzCampaign; 262-490-7048, Address:N56 W35146 Pondview Lane,Oconomowoc, Past political experience:Current board member. When I asked, was this pandemic-related? Since there is no ability to engage in meaningful dialogue, even on the issue of the health and safety of our students and staff, we cannot be part of an organization that is so non-responsive to every constituents concerns, not just a minority segment, and is so cavalier about our students, staffs and communitys health and safety, the letter states. Six compete for four seats on Oconomowoc School Board, Submit an Obituary Wash. & Oz. The letter states that the three members are also concerned about how Interim Superintendent Kristen Taylor and remaining board members are responding to the pandemic. more, Rick Grothaus, Kim Herro and Dan Raasch resigned from the board, filled the three vacant seats in September, Candidates for Oconomowoc mayor share views on growing inflation, infrastructure and public safety, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The fact that the restrictions have been now lifted doesnt mean that the havoc caused by the lockdowns will disappear overnight. As a former VP of a college, I know the debate around in-person versus virtual creates opportunity for innovation. 6 Marquette edges St. John's, Illinois judge strikes down state's ban on high-powered guns, Tom Sizemore, 'Saving Private Ryan' actor, dies at 61, Stocks rally Friday, close out their first winning week in last 4, Five Points Pub closes for renovations, hotel still open, Oconomowoc Area School Board appoints 3 new members after resignations, Crash victim brought light to many around the country, Waukesha business owner sexually assaulted in store, Babes Pizza and Chicken to open next week in Mukwonago, A battle simmers in Illinois over plans to pipe in and store millions of tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide underground.