Board of Education

The Wausau Board of Education consists of 9 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. 

In addition, 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.

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.

To get in contact with any member of the Wausau School Board, please click on the 'Board Member' dropdown below.  To reach every member of the Wausau School Board at once, please send an email to toboard@wausauschools.org.

How Board Meetings Work

Regular School Board Meetings

Regular meetings of the Wausau Board of Education are held 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.  

The order of business at a regular meeting of the Wausau Board of Education usually is as follows:

• Call to Order/Pledge of Allegiance

• Excellence in Action
• 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

Committee of the Whole Meetings

There is one standing committee:  the Committee of the Whole for the School Board.  This meeting, which also includes the audit of the bills, is held to provide greater opportunities for in-depth study of programs and topics. State statutes require that each School Board committee meeting be posted in accordance with the Wisconsin Open Meeting Law, Stat. 19.85. The Committee of the Whole Meeting is 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.

Committee Chair:  James Bouché

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 Comments

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 who 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.

Unofficial Board Action

Regular Board Meeting

Committee of the Whole