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METRO BRiEFS
Survey concern
The Wausau School District’s latest survey of its staff and parents contained some troubling revelations
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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.
Rib Mountain residents ready to start incorporation process
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.
▲ Town Administrator Gaylene Rhoden speaks to residents about Rib Mountain becoming a village. The process is expected to start soon. ▲ Town Supervisor Gerry Klein listens to residents about Rib Mountain 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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Residents had many questions, but most seemed satisfied with the answers, and many stood up to say they wanted to make this happen.
The petition to start the incorporation process needs to come from a citizen, and town supervisor Fred Schaefer told the crowd that a citizen group was already being formed to start the petition and gather signatures. The crowd was encouraged to stay after if anyone wanted to join the effort.
A circuit court will review the petition and, if approved, the Department of Administration will review it. The whole process could take 18 months, town officials say.
Process underway to hire new library director
The Marathon County Library Board has already received a number of applications for a new library director, and hopes to start interviews in mid-July.
The first of two interviews with potential directors would start the third week of July, says Marathon County Library Board Chair Sharon Hunter. The first interview would involve a panel that would include a variety of stakeholders including some library staff. The second would be by the board itself.
Former Library Director Ralph Illick resigned last month as the library board continues to conduct an investigation into allegations of a toxic work environment at the library. Two other employees have been placed on leave as a result of the investigation.
Meanwhile, interim director Leah Giordano reported to the board that she has begun implementing a plan to improve the culture at the library, including facilitating better communication and transparency between the board, staff and management.
Report: NCHC operational shortfall of $3.9 million
North Central Health Care had an operating loss of $3.9 million in 2020, according to a financial report obtained by City Pages.
According to the report, a mix of COVID-19 expenses that weren’t completely compensated by relief funds, lack of staff especially with those sent home with COVID symptoms that led to paying overtime, a large increase in salaries and an increase in contract staffing helped lead to the loss.
The county is conducting an investigation and NCHC CEO Michael Loy was suspended several weeks ago following a closed session meeting. County leaders have not yet stated the reason or taken further action, but have met in closed session several times since.
City Pages requested a copy of a corporate compliance report that the NCHC Board has been discussing and that request was denied because the board is evaluating employee performance as part of the report. Employee records privacy, according to the statute cited in denying the request, is something covered by state law that overrides public interest and allows a governing body to withhold the document, county officials argued.
Environmental justice bill headed to council on mixed recommendation
The city council in August will vote on a resolution that calls for environmental justice for residents.
City Council Tom Kilian put forth the resolution, which calls for equitable treatment for all citizens regarding environmental matters and that they be given equal opportunity to weigh in publicly on matters. The resolution will go to council on a mixed recommendation
Kilian also in comments to City Pages countered a memo a city memo circulating ahead of the decision saying there have been zero instances of disproportionate treatment to minorities or people of low income from environmental issues.
That memo, written by Public Works Director Eric Lindman and quoting Environmental Engineer Kevin Fabel, is a response to a resolution put forth by City Council Member Tom Kilian calling for environmental justice.
Kilian in calling for an environmental justice resolution cited a grant application to the Environmental Protection Agency arguing that the Riverlife Project would have a positive environmental impact on that tract. That tract, Wausau Census Tract 1, is the neediest tract in the city, the application argues.
Kilian points out that the application essentially makes an argument for the need for environmental justice.
Kilian at the city’s Public Health and Safety Committee said of five DNR ERP sites since 2019, three of them have been within a two to three-block radius of the Thomas Street area.
But that’s litigating the past, says PHS Chair Lisa Rasmussen. Rasmussen acknowledged poor environmental practices in the past and said the results persist in nearly every district in the city. In her own, Marathon Electric’s parking lot is on top of a city dump from the 1930s.
The resolution will come to council with a mixed recommendation in August.
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School district working on policy after event handling criticized
Wausau School District administrators will be crafting an update to its speaker policy after how a controversial event was handled last month.
The Wausau School Board members debated an update to the policy Monday after an event by a group called Every Black Life Matters drew a letter of concern from the group Freedom From Religion Foundation that the school district essentially gave a religious group a discount based on its tiered event policy.
The event brought speaker Kevin McGary to the Wausau East auditorium. McGary days before the event spoke to the county board, where he told the board that the city’s mayor was “all in” on exterminating black people. The county board’s chair later apologized to the mayor for not stopping the personal attack.
The FFRF said the district essentially subsidized the event to the tune of $970. But Wausau School District Superintendent Keith Hilts says the tiered system is more complicated than the group implied. School Grounds Director Larry Cihlar told the board that the decisions between tiers are almost never black and white, and one of the more difficult decisions to make. Essentially the decision on how much to charge often comes down to the level of services the district needs to provide to support the event.
Two new policies proposed by Board Member Jane Rusch would see a disclaimer for events to make it clear the event doesn’t necessarily reflect the district’s views, and the ability to cancel an event if need be.
District administration at the direction of the board will be taking comments from Monday’s meeting and crafting a new policy the board can vote on.
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