The Wausau Board of Education consists of nine community members elected by the citizens of the District. Board members are elected at-large and serve overlapping terms of three years. Board members receive a yearly salary established at the District's Annual Meeting.
The School Board acts to establish policies that govern the operation of the Wausau School District. It has final control over local school matters limited by the state legislature, the courts, and the will of the people as expressed in School District elections.
The Board of Education takes action on matters only in formal session with a majority of members present. The Board President serves as the spokesperson for the School Board’s position on all items related to the public schools.
- Board Committees
- Board Members
- Board Bylaws and Policies
- Unofficial Board Action
- Welcome to a School Board Meeting
- Written Public Comment
- Board Liaisons
- Resolutions
- 2022 School Board Election
- 2021 School Board Election
- 2020 School Board Election
- Board Member Handbook
- Board Candidate Handbook
Board Committees
Board Members
Please use the following email address to send correspondence to all members of the Board of Education: toboard@wausauschools.org
Pat McKee, President
(4-21-2024)
pmckee@wausauschools.org
Bus: 715-841-7009
James Bouché, Vice President
(4-25-2022)
jbouche@wausauschools.org
Cell: 715-614-8136
Lance Trollop, Treasurer
(4-23-2023)
ltrollop@wausauschools.org
Res: 715-848-0706
Bus: 715-849-3200
Karen Vandenberg, Clerk
(4-21-2024)
kvandenberg@wausauschools.org
Res: 715-581-6553
Jon Creisher
(4-25-2022)
jcreisher@wausauschools.org
Res: 715-393-7440
Ka Lo
(4-23-2023)
klo@wausauschools.org
Res: 715-298-2951
Cody Nikolai
(4-21-2024)
cnikolai@wausauschools.org
Res. 715-508-0962
Jane A. Rusch
(4-25-2022)
jrusch@wausauschools.org
Cell: 715-551-2740
Lee Webster
(4-23-2023)
lwebster@wausauschools.org
Bus: 715-842-0944
Cell: 715-571-1383
Board Bylaws and Policies
On December 9, 2019, the Board of Education approved rescinding the previous Board Policy Manual and adopting a new Board Policy Manual through the Neola Policy Service.
The new policies can be accessed through the hyperlink to the left of this page. All of the policies are now searchable. Please type in the keyword of the policy that you are looking for in the search box and click enter to narrow your search.
Administration is now in the process of reviewing all Wausau School District Administrative Guidelines. Administrative Guidelines explain in further detail how a policy will be implemented. As the guidelines are adopted by Administration, they will be posted on the same site as the policies at the above link.
If you have a question about a policy, please contact Cassie Peck.
cpeck@wausauschools.org
715-261-0505
Unofficial Board Action
Welcome to a School Board Meeting
Board Meetings
Regular meetings of the Wausau Board of Education are scheduled on the second Monday of each month at 5:00 p.m. in the Nicholson Board Room of the Longfellow Administration Center, 415 Seymour Street, unless posted otherwise. Special meetings are also called when necessary. All meeting notices are announced to local media. The Board of Education serves the public and all of its meetings, including committee meetings, are open to the community. Public attendance and input are encouraged by the Board of Education.
State law permits the Board to go into closed session only to discuss personnel matters, property acquisition, consult with attorneys, etc. These sessions must be posted and all action taken must conform with the requirements of the Wisconsin Open Meeting Law, Stat. 19.85.
Board meeting agendas are posted at the Longfellow Administration Center and on the District’s website at least 24 hours before a scheduled meeting. Special provisions apply in case of an emergency meeting.
Order of Business
The order of business at a regular meeting of the Wausau Board of Education usually is as follows:
- Call to Order/Pledge of Allegiance
- Spotlight on Education
- Open Forum
- Consent Agenda: Approve minutes, staffing, payment of bills, and donations to the District
- Old/Recurring Business
- New Business
- Committee Board Referrals
- Open Forum
- Closed Session, if necessary
- Adjournment
The Board of Education
The Wausau Board of Education consists of nine community members elected by the citizens of the District. Board members are elected at-large and serve overlapping terms of three years. Board members receive a yearly salary established at the District's Annual Meeting.
The School Board acts to establish policies that govern the operation of the Wausau School District. It has final control over local school matters limited by the state legislature, the courts, and the will of the people as expressed in School District elections.
The Board of Education takes action on matters only in formal session with a majority of members present. The Board President serves as the spokesperson for the School Board’s position on all items related to the public schools.
The Superintendent of Schools
The Board of Education is empowered to select the Superintendent of Schools as its chief executive officer to administer the operations of the schools. It is the responsibility of the Superintendent to bring reports and recommendations on the work of the School District to the Board.
The Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent of Schools serves as Secretary to the School Board as well as Deputy Clerk.
Board Committees
There are two standing committees, one is a committee of the whole for the School Board. The committees are: Education/Operations, and the Audit of the Bills Committee. The makeup of each committee is determined by the School Board President. The President also determines the chairperson of each committee and serves as an ex officio member of the committees. Committee meetings are held to provide greater opportunities for in-depth study of programs. State statutes require that each School Board committee meeting be posted in accordance with the Wisconsin Open Meeting Law, Stat. 19.85. Committee meetings of the Board of Education are open to the public. Periodically, the Board may establish ad hoc committees for a specific task. These meetings are also posted in accordance with the Wisconsin Open Meeting Law.
Addressing the School Board
Individuals wishing to address the Board of Education may do so by signing the Open Forum sheets at the information table at most School Board Meetings. The sheets ask for name, address, and a brief statement about the item being presented. These sheets will be collected prior to the Open Forum. At the discretion of the presiding officer, those who have signed up to speak on a specific agenda item may be called upon when that item is being considered. Speakers must state their name and address upon addressing the Board. A time limit for presentations will be determined by the Board President.
Citizens attending Board Meetings will not be permitted to interfere with the orderly conduct of the session. Speakers are expected to treat others with respect, confining their remarks to School District issues. The President may terminate a speaker’s privilege to speak if the speaker persists in improper conduct or remarks. No person addressing the School Board should initiate charges or complaints about individual Board members or employees of the District. Such charges or complaints should be presented directly to the Superintendent of Schools or designee.
Written Public Comment
The written comments will be shared with the Board and uploaded in redacted format to the district website following the meeting; however, the comments will not be read aloud at the meeting.
All public comment must be received by 3 pm prior to the meeting in order for it to be recognized for that meeting. Comments may not exceed 350 words in length and must be related to a matter on the agenda for the board meeting to which the comment was submitted, or if not on the current agenda, the comment must pertain to a matter within the scope of the school board’s authority.
Public comments identifying specific personnel or students by name or through the use of sufficiently detailed description so as to identify the individual staff or student referenced are not appropriate subjects for presentation to the School Board and should be referred to the superintendent’s office. Comments will be rejected if the content is reasonably interpreted to constitute discriminatory or harassing statements on the basis of any protected classification identified in District policy, or constitute threats, intimidation, obscene or of a sexual nature, or that are otherwise inappropriate for the forum of a public school board meeting. Those that submit public comment bear the personal risk if anything he/she writes is defamatory, slanderous, or otherwise harmful to another individual. The presiding officer values civil discourse and may prohibit comments that do not adhere to the rules. No comment will be excluded based on the commenter’s particular viewpoint or perspective on a topic.
Public comments may not be submitted anonymously, but rather must identify the commenter and home address. Home address and personal email addresses will be redacted prior to publishing the written Public Comment on the website, however, anonymity is not guaranteed and commenters are reminded that once submitted, the public comment is subject to the Public Records Laws.
Board Liaisons
The Board’s role is to establish policies and procedures for the District. The Board’s role is not implementation of policies and procedures. The Board possesses duties as it relates to visibility, communication with the public and community outreach. The school board liaison role is one method to assist the Board in engaging directly with the community and improve communication. The school board liaison is not an advocates for specific buildings or issues, but rather serves to ensure that Board members have an opportunity to listen to and communicate with constituents on a regular basis.
Each school shall have one (1) assigned school board member serve as liaison for the academic year.
School Visits: Board members should make an effort to attend school functions. Where possible, the board member should alert the school principal in advance of his or her attendance. Board members who are not assigned liaisons to schools, but desire to attend a function at the school are encouraged to attend. In those instances, where possible, the unassigned Board member should alert the principal in advance of his or her attendance. Principals are encouraged to contact their liaison or the Board Secretary with invitations to school events.
School Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) Meetings: Board member liaisons must take initiative in communicating with school principals and school PTO presidents. Board member liaisons should make themselves available to attend a PTO meeting of the assigned school at least once per semester upon invitation from school principal and/or school PTO president. The Board member liaison should inform the school principal and school PTO president of his or her availability and willingness to attend a meeting at the start of the academic year. The Board member liaison should re-iterate his or her availability and willingness to attend a meeting to the school principal and school PTO president at the start of second semester where appropriate, such as to serve as a reminder.
Board Member Reporting: Board member liaisons should report school visits and PTO meeting attendance in writing in the Board Liaison Report circulated monthly by the Board Secretary.
School Liaisons for 2021-2022:
- Franklin – Jon Creisher
- Grant – Cody Nikolai
- Hawthorn-Hills – Ka Lo
- Hewitt-Texas - Lee Webster
- Thomas Jefferson – Karen Vandenberg
- G.D. Jones – Lance Trollop
- John Marshall - Jane Rusch
- Lincoln - Ka Lo
- Maine – Lance Trollop
- Rib Mountain – Karen Vandenberg
- Riverview - Jane Rusch
- South Mountain – Jon Creisher
- Stettin - Pat McKee
- John Muir - Pat McKee
- Horace Mann – Jim Bouche
- Wausau East - Lee Webster
- Wausau West - Jim Bouché
- Montessori Charter – Cody Nikolai
- EEA Academy – Jane Rusch
Resolutions
Resolution Recognizing May 5, 2021 as a "Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls" - April 12, 2021
Resolution in Support of the Hmong, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Community - April 12, 2021
Resolution in Support of Transgender, Nonbinary, and All LGBTQ+ Students, Families, and Staff - April 12, 2021
2022 School Board Election
2021 School Board Election
2020 School Board Election
Board Member Handbook
Board Candidate Handbook
If you are interested in running for the
Board of Education, please contact:
Cassie Peck
Administrative Assistant
to the Superintendent of Schools
Board Secretary/Deputy Clerk
715-261-0505
cpeck@wausauschools.org