Kenosha Unified School District, Wisconsin
 B
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Contents |
Website evaluation
- Main article: Evaluation of Wisconsin school district websites
Last rated on April 6, 2012.
The good
- Budgets and audits are posted.[1][2]
- Meeting times, minutes and agendas are posted.[3][4][5]
- Board members and their contacts are listed.[6]
- Administrative contacts are listed.[7]
- Policies regarding access to public records under Wisconsin Open Records Law are explained.[8][9]
- Current bid opportunities and labor contracts are posted.[10][11]
- Background check policies and procedures are posted.[12]
- Academic performance measures are provided with school performance report cards.[13]
The bad
- No information about taxes proposed or passed to generate revenue for schools.
- District funded lobbying is not discussed.
- Vendor contracts are not posted.
School board
The school board is comprised of a superintendent and "such other officers as the legislature shall direct." The superintendent is appointed by the state legislature in the same manner as members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The superintendent can hold office for 4 years.[14] According to the state constitution the board of education may not prevent a non-union teacher from speaking of a bargaining issue at an open meeting, as was ruled in the U.S. Supreme Court case Madison School District v. Wisconsin Employment Commission.[15]
Below are the school district board members:[6]
| School board member | Term expires |
|---|---|
| Mary Snyder, President | 2012 |
| Jo Ann Taube, Vice President | 2011 |
| Gilbert Ostman, Clerk | 2011 |
| Carl Bryan, Treasurer | 2012 |
| David Gallo | 2013 |
| Pam Stevens | 2012 |
| Rebecca Stevens | 2013 |
Teacher contracts
- Note: Information about the current contract in Kenosha Unified is not disclosed on its website.
The Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) helps to negotiate contracts with the teacher's union, the Education Association of Wisconsin. The website for WASB pitches "professional" assistance on collective bargaining agreements, policies, salary ranges and fringe benefit data as well as past court information.[16]
WASB legislative agenda
Annually, WASB publishes its current legislative agenda, which it separates into state and federal issues.[17]
State
The largest concern at the state level is financing for the schools. WASB noted that the state budget deficit is $5.4 billion, which is near the total spending on education in the state.[17] Therefore WASB asked that the state renew its commitment to paying 2/3 of the education costs in the state without raising property taxes, as they increased on an average of 4.9 percent between 2000 and 2005. In 2007, the school property taxes rose to 7.4 percent, which was the highest since 1992-3.
For state aid and funds WASB asks for:[17]
- Coverage of 33 percent of the costs for bilingual-bicultural programs
- Full state funding for special education programs
- Funding to reduce the achievement gap between low income children and other children
- Fully funding the existing "sparsity aid" program
Other aspects of the money constraints include the declining enrollment of students which is placing many school boards into tight budgets.[17] As such they are proposing:
- School boards be allowed to increase their revenues by 2 percent about current limits
- Set the low-revenue ceiling at 100 percent of the statewide average cost per pupil
- Extend the hold-harmless revenue limit adjustment for two more years (currently one year)
Academic performance
The WASB also calls for a more individualized assessment of students than the current Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE) and online testing.[17]
Administrative staff
Below are the administrative staff members and their 2009 pay:[18]
| Full Name | Position Title | Prorated Salary | Prorated Fringe |
| Margaret Zei | Principal | $87,372.00 | $22,353.00 |
| Geraldine Fair | Assistant Principal | $95,906.00 | $35,228.00 |
| Steven Knecht | Assistant Principal | $85,681.00 | $33,670.00 |
| Marsha Nelson | Assistant Principal | $95,906.00 | $35,228.00 |
| Susan Savaglio-Jarvis | Principal | $113,482.00 | $37,907.00 |
| Jean Schlais | Assistant Principal | $95,906.00 | $23,653.00 |
| Daniel Weyrauch | Principal | $93,990.00 | $34,936.00 |
| Kimmarie Fischer | Principal | $101,461.00 | $36,075.00 |
| Brian Geiger | Assistant Principal | $82,252.00 | $33,148.00 |
| Martin Pitts | Principal | $93,990.00 | $34,936.00 |
| Belinda Grantham | Principal | $100,846.00 | $24,406.00 |
| Alicia Hribal | Principal | $93,990.00 | $33,564.00 |
| Diana Pearson | Principal | $93,990.00 | $34,936.00 |
| Ronald Sandoval | Assistant Principal | $75,094.00 | $32,057.00 |
| Scott Kennow | Principal | $87,372.00 | $14,687.00 |
| Gary Gayan | Principal | $100,846.00 | $35,981.00 |
| Heather Connolly | Principal | $83,969.00 | $33,409.00 |
| Lisa Kc | Principal | $93,990.00 | $34,936.00 |
| Susan Valeri | Principal | $93,990.00 | $23,361.00 |
| William Haithcock | Principal | $112,569.00 | $37,768.00 |
| Starlynn Daley | Principal | $86,081.00 | $33,731.00 |
| Terry Ehiorobo | Principal | $87,372.00 | $33,928.00 |
| Robert Neu | Assistant Principal | $95,906.00 | $15,988.00 |
| Bethany Ormseth | Principal | $112,569.00 | $26,193.00 |
| Kathleen Walsh | Principal | $93,990.00 | $23,361.00 |
| Kurt Johnson | Principal | $93,990.00 | $34,936.00 |
| Kathryn Lauer | Director of Special Education and/or Pupil Services | $120,776.00 | $39,019.00 |
| Sheronda Glass | Central Office Administrator | $125,900.00 | $39,800.00 |
| Kathleen Barca | Director of Instruction/Program Supervisor | $135,081.00 | $41,199.00 |
| Ann Fredriksson | District Instructional Technology Coordinator | $87,835.00 | $33,998.00 |
| Edie Holcomb | Director of Instruction/Program Supervisor | $125,900.00 | $39,800.00 |
| Joseph Mangi | District Administrator | $150,000.00 | $9,914.00 |
| Sonya Stephens | Director of Instruction/Program Supervisor | $118,983.00 | $37,651.00 |
| Timothy Miller | Director of Instruction/Program Supervisor | $125,900.00 | $39,800.00 |
| William Johnston | Business Manager | $125,900.00 | $39,800.00 |
| Angela Andersson | Principal | $83,969.00 | $33,409.00 |
| William Hittman | Principal | $112,569.00 | $25,836.00 |
| Chad Dahlk | Principal | $92,922.00 | $34,774.00 |
| Jolene Schneider | Assistant Principal | $78,867.00 | $32,632.00 |
| Stephen Jacob | Assistant Principal | $78,867.00 | $32,632.00 |
| Ernest Llanas | Principal | $101,461.00 | $16,834.00 |
| Jennifer Knight | Assistant Principal | $82,252.00 | $33,148.00 |
| Brian Edwards | Principal | $101,461.00 | $36,075.00 |
| Teresa Giampietro | Principal | $100,846.00 | $35,981.00 |
| Sharon Miller | Principal | $101,461.00 | $15,462.00 |
| Pamela Whyte | Assistant Principal | $92,064.00 | $34,643.00 |
| Shane Gayle | Principal | $93,990.00 | $34,936.00 |
| David Newman | Principal | $93,990.00 | $34,936.00 |
| Daniel Tenuta | Principal | $120,776.00 | $39,019.00 |
| Karen Walters | Assistant Principal | $95,906.00 | $35,228.00 |
| Karen Davis | Principal | $93,990.00 | $34,936.00 |
| Debra Schaefer | Principal | $100,846.00 | $24,406.00 |
| Vicky Gabriel | Principal | $93,990.00 | $23,361.00 |
| April Nelson | Principal | $93,990.00 | $34,936.00 |
| Jonathan Bar-Din | Principal | $93,990.00 | $34,936.00 |
| Margaret Modory | Assistant Principal | $102,900.00 | $36,294.00 |
| Maria Kotz | Assistant Principal | $95,906.00 | $35,228.00 |
| Kenith Dopke | Assistant Principal | $102,900.00 | $36,294.00 |
| Richard Aiello | Principal | $121,757.00 | $39,168.00 |
| Patricia Lockhart | Principal | $93,990.00 | $23,361.00 |
| Gay Voelz | Assistant Principal | $82,252.00 | $33,148.00 |
| Elizabeth Sabo | Principal | $108,860.00 | $37,203.00 |
| Nancy Weirick | Principal | $93,990.00 | $34,936.00 |
| Yolanda Jackson-Lewis | Principal | $93,990.00 | $34,936.00 |
Budget
The 2011-2012 budget totals $327,098,442 in total expenditures. The 2011-2012 budget is $27,327,680 less than the 2010-2011 budget. [19]
According to the budget presentation, Kenosha's budget deficit was $30,411,406 for 2011-2012 due to the elimination of stimulus and jobs funds, decrease in revenue limit, elimination of categorical aid, and the elimination of base registration fees. The total revenue lost was $19,304,471.[20]
The 2011-2012 budget saves $15 million through the following staffing reductions:[21]
- Layoffs for 250 teachers
- 21 retirements
- 23 non-renewals for one year contracts
- Elimination of 8 administrators and 13 secretaries
The districts plans on closing a middle school and reducing school operating budgets for roughly $10 million in savings.[22]
For fiscal year 2008-2009, $8.81 was levied in property tax for every $1,000 of equalized property value, an increase of 3.89% over fiscal year 2007-2008.[23]
In 2008 voters passed a $52,500,000 bond measure for renovations and construction at Indian Trail Academy. Voters also passed a recurring resolution allowing the district to exceed the state revenue cap by $2,427,000 per year.[24]
Academic performance
- Note: Academic performance information for Kenosha Unified is not disclosed on its website.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction provides a SDPR (School District Performance Report) for each district, which tracks achievement test results (grades 3, 4, 8 and 10), ACT and AP exam scores, retention rates, attendance, dropouts and truancy, among other measures.[25]
The below chart shows the number of students in Kenosha Unified who scored advanced or proficient in each subject for 2009-2010, with the statewide figure in parentheses:[26]
| Grade | Reading | Language Arts | Mathematics | Science | Social Studies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd grade | 75.6% (79.2%) | - | - | - | - |
| 4th grade | 82.2% (81.4%) | 74.6% (77.3%) | 80.4% (80.5%) | 73.2% (77.0%) | 93.0% (92.5%) |
| 8th grade | 84.7% (84.0%) | 62.0% (64.5%) | 80.7% (78.0%) | 76.3% (80.0%) | 76.5% (80.8%) |
| 10th grade | 71.1% (76.3%) | 59.3% (68.3%) | 60.2% (69.8%) | 59.1% (71.6%) | 67.4% (74.7%) |
The below chart shows ACT and Advanced Placement test results for 2008-2009:[27]
| Test | Number of Students Tested | Percentage of Students Tested | Composite Score (ACT) | Pass Percentage (AP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACT | 881 | 63.6% | 21.4 | - |
| AP | 542 | 7.8% | - | 55.9% |
School Choice
Open Enrollment
"Wisconsin's inter-district public school open enrollment program allows parents to apply for their children to attend school districts other than the one in which they reside."[28] All students may apply to attend a different school district outside of their resident area. While they can request to attend a specific school, assignment to that school is not guaranteed even if their application is accepted, as the students apply to the school district, and not individual schools.[29]
Students may also apply to attend virtual charter schools through open enrollment by applying to the non-resident district in which the virtual charter operates. However, Wisconsin state law "limits the number of students that may attend virtual charter schools under the open enrollment program." Students may be placed on a waiting list for virtual charter schools.[29]
External links
References
- ↑ Budgets and Financial Reports
- ↑ Current Audit
- ↑ Board of Education
- ↑ Regular School Board Meeting Agendas
- ↑ School Board Meeting Minutes
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Board Members
- ↑ Administration
- ↑ Access to Public Records
- ↑ Access to Public Records – Notice to Public Concerning Access to Public Records
- ↑ Bids
- ↑ Labor Contracts
- ↑ Background Check
- ↑ School Performance Report (SPR) Cards
- ↑ Wisconsin Constitution,"Article 10, Section 1," retrieved July 9, 2009
- ↑ Wisconsin Constitution,"Article 1, Section 3," retrieved July 13, 2009
- ↑ WASB, Employment and Labor Law services
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Wisconsin Association of School Boards, 2009-2010 Legislative Agenda
- ↑ Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Statistical Information Center - School Staff and Salary Data
- ↑ 2011-2012 Budget
- ↑ 2011-2012 Budget Presentation
- ↑ "The Republic", Kenosha school district expects to cut more than 250 teachers to help close budget shortfall, April 11, 2012
- ↑ "The Republic", Kenosha school district expects to cut more than 250 teachers to help close budget shortfall, April 11, 2012
- ↑ Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction, School Finance Data Warehouse, School District Profiles
- ↑ Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction, Referenda/Resolution Report
- ↑ Wisconsin District and School Performance Reports
- ↑ 2009-2010 Wisconsin School District Performance Report
- ↑ 2008-2009 Wisconsin School District Performance Report
- ↑ Public School Open Enrollment
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Open Enrollment Frequently Asked Questions
