Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Patch surveyed Milwaukee-area school districts about security measures in place at their schools See how Waukesha compares with other Milwaukee-area districts.
The tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut stole 26 lives and again opened the door on conversations about gun control and mental health. But another topic that has emerged is security in schools, and whether we are doing enough to keep children safe. Following the shooting, the National Rifle Association advocated arming teachers and stationing armed guards in schools. Following the Newtown shooting, Waukesha Superintendent Todd Gray declined to give specifics on security measure under advise from law enforcement. However, security measures are in place. “The School District of Waukesha continues to follow security measures designed to prevent these types of tragic occurrences," Gray wrote in a letter that was sent to …
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Technology showcase demonstrates how the Waukesha School District approaches the latest gadgets in the classroom.
With teens spending on average 31 hours a week online, a Waukesha North High School teacher is just one of many who are reaching out to kids at their level. Through the use of iPads, science teacher Eric Hill can keep classroom interaction engaging as he uses different applications to have the students answer questions during class, draw pictures to explain their answers and to prepare them for a classroom discussion on different topics and issues. “I can’t force kids to look at a paper, but for whatever reason, they will look at an iPad,” Hill said. The Waukesha School District held a technology spotlight event Tuesday night at Waukesha West High School for parents and community members to check out a variety of techniques being used in …
Monday, November 19, 2012
Local administrator salaries are in line with other county districts. Use our interactive database to see which school administrators are the highest and lowest paid throughout the state of Wisconsin.
School adminstrator salaries in the Waukesha School District are largely in line with nearby communities, according to data compiled by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Superintendent Todd Gray was paid $154,893, while Pewaukee Superintendent Joann Sternke earned $153,127 and Elmbrook Superintendent Matt Gibson received $158,368. Gibson retired at the end of the 2011-12 school year. The numbers are from salary information released on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's website. The data is from the 2011-12 school year. School districts across the state saw a larger than usual cut in staffing in the 2011-12 school year than in year's past, according to a press release from the DPI, with 2,312 positions being …
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
But district is offering just half-percent raises as School Board attorney says negotiations are limited to base wages under the state's new collective bargaining law.
While School District of Waukesha officials are offering the teachers union a 0.5 percent base wage increase, the union is asking for a 1.64 percent salary increase for the 2011-12 school year. An agreement has not yet been reached as the initial proposal from the union was delivered to the School Board on Tuesday. The salary increase is based on the cost of living increase from the 2010-11 school year, said Cathy Atkinson, president of the Education Association of Waukesha. But the district won’t be able to negotiate under the union’s proposal, said Gary Ruesch, the attorney for the School Board, because the district can only negotiate for base wages under Act 10’s collective bargaining rules. Because salaries can include supplemental pay…
Monday, November 12, 2012
New report says the Waukesha School District has seen a big reduction in pension and health care costs because of changes in state's collective bargaining law.
The controversial state law that eliminated most collective bargaining rights for school employees reduced benefit costs for the Waukesha School District by $4.8 million last school year, according to a report released Monday. The bulk of the savings came from reductions in the district's share of employee retirement costs, the report by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance said. In the 2010-11 school year, Waukesha paid about $5 million toward pension costs for workers; in 2011-12, that dropped to about $962,000, the report said. The district also saved about $729,000 in health insurance costs, according to the report, which was based on data that public school districts provide to the state Department of Public Instruction. In 2010-11, …
Monday, October 22, 2012
A new state report card detailing how schools across Wisconsin are doing educating children were released Monday.
Fifty-six percent of Waukesha schools are meeting or exceeding expectations, according to new data released Monday by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Approximately 15 percent of Waukesha schools are meeting few expectations. Data for 30 percent of Waukesha’s schools – eight schools – were not available. Nineteen percent of the 27 schools exceed expectations while the remaining 37 percent of schools are meeting expectations. Waukesha Superintendent Todd Gray told the Waukesha School Board earlier this month that the information from the DPI is 12-month-old data “that’s being worked to fit the new formula.” The Waukesha School District found errors in the report cards and the DPI is reviewing that information for the schools …
Thursday, October 11, 2012
One month into the school year, and last year's outbreak of pertussis apparently hasn't left Waukesha schools.
The whooping cough has returned to the Waukesha schools this year. While five students in the district reportedly had pertussis during the summer break, there has been one new diagnosed case in a Waukesha school, according to School Board member Bill Baumgart. Baugart did not know Wednesday night which school had a case of the whooping cough. “This is going to continue until, I guess, it runs its course,” Baumgart said. The whooping cough was on the rise in southeastern Wisconsin last school year, with the first case being reported to the Waukesha School Board in December. As of February, there were six confirmed cases of the disease. Meanwhile, while Marquette University has confirmed cases of the mumps at its Milwaukee campus, Waukesha …
The City of Waukesha is asking the School District of Waukesha to pay up to 30 percent of the costs to run the school resource program at the three high schools.
The School District of Waukesha could chip in more for the school resource officer program during the next four years. The program is in partnership with the Waukesha Police Department and cost about $300,000 each year. Previous contracts called for the school district to pitch in $60,000 of that costs. However, the new four-year contract calls for the school district to pay $75,000 annually in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years and $90,000 annually for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years. “It has been seven years since the district’s share has increased; yet, the share borne by the police department increases annually based on inflation and bargained agreements,” Police Chief Russell Jack said in a letter to Superintendent Todd Gray. …
Friday, October 5, 2012
Steve Edlund, a Waukesha school board member, says he is "shocked" that a "crook" would target a school.
A Waukesha School Board member is denouncing the person who climbed on the roof of Waukesha STEM Academy-Saratoga Campus to steal copper from a green energy project as a “crook” and a “low life.” “The bottom line is, ‘Was it worth it?’” asked Steve Edlund, who has been working for months to convert a mechanical room in the building into a solar heating project that is also being used as a learning tool. The thermal energy lab at the school demonstrates energy production and use for the students. The thermal heating tank was heated up Wednesday and it was working well. The school district had 80 gallons of water that was warmed up by the sun. The water will move into the school’s hot water system. In addition to teaching students about the …
Monday, September 24, 2012
Union wants to review school district's financial figures before submitting its wage increase proposal.
The Waukesha School District is prepared to offer its teachers a 0.5 percent wage increase for the 2011-12 school year, but the union is not yet prepared to give a wage proposal as it moves forward with negotiations. The wage increases, if accepted by the union, would be paid to the teachers retroactively. After the 2011-12 contract is settled, school officials can begin work on the 2012-13 teaching contracts. The settling of the past school year’s contracts were delayed because of changes in the state’s Act 10 collective bargaining law that limits public unions from negotiations except for wages. The school district’s last contract expired in June 2011. Teachers had wages frozen for the 2009-10 school year and received a 1 percent wage …
Sarah Millard
2:16 pm on Wednesday, November 14, 2012
The school district just cut $8 million from its budget: http://waukesha.patch.com/articles/residents-to-weigh-in-on-school-budget-cuts-of-8-4m more ›