METRO BRiEFS
by B.C. Kowalski
Survey concern The Wausau School District’s latest survey of its staff and parents contained some troubling revelations
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July 1-July 8, 2021
▲ Town Administrator Gaylene Rhoden speaks to residents about Rib
▲ Town Supervisor Gerry Klein listens to residents about Rib Mountain
Mountain becoming a village. The process is expected to start soon.
becoming a village. The process is expected to start soon.
▲ Town chair Al Opal speaks to residents about Rib Mountain becoming a village. The process is expected to start soon.
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One woman at a public hearing about the idea of Rib Mountain becoming a village perhaps summed up the prevailing mood of the room Tuesday: “Who is in?” she asked. “This needs to be done. This absolutely needs to be done.” Town officials Tuesday argued for incorporation essentially so Rib Mountain could control its own destiny - it would prevent further annexation from other municipalities, allow it full control over zoning, eliminate an extra layer of government as the sanitary district would become a village department, allow for more long-term borrowing and not be subject to extraterritorial zoning from bordering municipalities. On the downside, officials explained, there would be
extra costs involved in becoming a village, such as the $25,000 application fee. Total costs are roughly estimated at $100,000 for the process, but could be much more depending on how the process goes and whether it is contested. Becoming a village would allow for direct legislation from residents garnering enough signatures to force a referendum or adopted by the village. And there could be more competition for grants and aids. One thing that wasn’t a con; policing. Though it was believed that a village of Rib Mountain would need to have its own police department, the law only requires the village be covered. Rib Mountain currently has a contract with the Sheriff’s Office for police coverage including its own deputy the town pays for, and something similar would continue. Also, town officials say, taxes shouldn’t change much under incorporation.
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Rib Mountain residents ready to start incorporation process
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Support and positive perceptions of the Wausau School District have dropped enough to alarm district leaders. That info came from a survey conducted of the district’s staff by School Perceptions, a consulting firm based in Slinger. The Wausau School Board heard the results of that survey Monday night. Among the findings: More than two-thirds of Wausau School District staff want to see more help for struggling students. The answer was the top response to a question asking teachers and staff to name their top five priorities. Others on the list included better preparing students for life after high school; providing more counseling; developing innovative programs to help students learn; and increasing hands-on, project-based learning. But providing additional resources to bolster struggling students was by far the top response, with 69% listing it as a priority. That comes on the heels of data that showed student failure rates hit unprecedented levels during virtual learning, a teaching protocol in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Generally speaking, staff perception of the district was high. Ninety-seven percent of staff said they felt their work contributed to the district’s success, and threefourths of staff said they would recommend the district to others. But a few sore points. Only a little more than half were satisfied with communication from the school board. Less than half of staff thought their pay was adequate. And only 54% of staff thought student discipline was handled consistently. Additionally, only 44% of staff thought the school board presented a positive image to the community. Only half thought the district improved over the course of the year. And trust in district leadership only ranked in the 23 percentile compared to other districts. Parental perceptions of the district veered off course from the same survey conducted for the 2019-2020 school year. Marks for things such as safety, equity, leadership and culture of educational excellence ranked from the 70th to 90th percentile in 19-20. In the 20-21 survey, the rankings dropped to the 33rd to 53rd percentile amongst peer districts. “We had a challenging year and the survey results reflect that,” says Wausau School District Superintendent Keith Hilts.
