PROCEEDINGS OF THE WRPS REGULAR BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
January 12, 2026 – 6:00 p.m.
Board Members Present: John Benbow, Troy Bier, Christopher Inda, John Krings, Jaime Sparkes, Kathi Stebbins-Hintz, Elizabeth St.Myers
The Board unanimously approved regular Board of Education meeting minutes of December 8, 2025; special Board of Education meeting minutes of December 8, 2025; special closed Board of Education meeting minutes of December 8, 2025; special Board of Education meeting minutes of January 5, 2026; and special closed Board meeting minutes of January 5, 2026. Motion carried unanimously.
Committee Reports
Through the Educational Services Committee, the Board:
* Unanimously approved to not designate any space limitations for regular education open enrollment students for the 2026-2027 school year, and designate space available in special education programming as presented.
* Unanimously approved for students qualified to participate in the national competitions for Educators Rising or FCCLA to travel to Portland, Oregon on June 20-23, 2026, or Washington DC on July 6-10, 2026, respectively.
* Heard updates and reports on the World Language Impact.
* Heard updates and reports on Student Travel.
* Heard updates and reports on Central Oaks Academy Charter School.
* Unanimously approved of regular Committee meeting minutes of January 5, 2026.
Through the Business Services Committee, the Board:
* Unanimously approved to purchase 210 – 14" ASUS Chromebooks from PDS at a total cost of $99,900 to be funded form the 2025-26 Technology Referendum Budget.
* Unanimously approved to purchase 350 HP Fortis 11 G10 Chromebooks and management licenses from PDS at a total cost of $103,075 to be funded form the 2025-26 Technology Referendum Budget.
* Unanimously approved to accept the $66,778.87 Opioid Settlement Grant funding from Wood County.
* Heard updates and reports on various invoices, bid specs, and purchases.
* Heard updates and reports on donations.
* Heard updates and reports on staff laptop purchase.
* Heard updates and reports on Cynet renewal.
* Heard updates and reports on property tax bills.
* Heard updates and reports on utility cost summary report.
* Heard updates and reports on debt defeasance cost savings.
* Heard updates and reports on community playgrounds.
* Heard updates and reports on financial statements and independent auditors' report on communication with those charged with Governance and Management Advisory Comments.
* Unanimously approved of regular Committee meeting minutes of January 5, 2026.
Through the Personnel Services Committee, the Board:
* Unanimously approved of the support staff appointments of Sonya Frost, Manuela Radtke, Jessica Honeycutt, Madelyn VanDeHey, Chelsea Klutterman, Sara Cheek, Katrena Vue, and Mai Xiong.
* Unanimously approved of the professional staff resignation of Jenna Whitrock.
* Unanimously approved of support staff resignations of Dawn Freeberg, Heather Eklund, and Sonya Frost.
* Unanimously approved of the change to the post employment insurance benefit for hires before July 1, 2025, as presented.
* Unanimously approved of the 403(b) matching/vesting benefit/policy for hires after July 1, 2025, as presented.
* Unanimously approved of the support staff retirement of Roberta Primeau.
* Heard updates and reports on class size and section reports.
* Unanimously approved of regular Committee meeting minutes of January 5, 2026.
Bills
On a roll call vote, the Board unanimously approved to note December, 2025 receipts in the amount of $12,380,045.29 and December, 2025 disbursements in the amount of $4,188,113.34 (with exception of Checks #116430 and #116539).
On a roll call vote of 6-0, Elizabeth St.Myers abstained, the Board approved the disbursement of check #116430 in the amount of $40 and check #116539 in the amount of $50,040 to Boys and Girls Club.
New Business
Under New Business, the Board:
* Unanimously approved of the professional staff retirements of Barbara Bondioli and Julie Mancheski.
* Unanimously approved of the support staff retirement of Beth Frank.
* Heard updates and reports on the School Perceptions student survey.
* Unanimously approved the modifications to Board Policy #8500-Food Service.
* Unanimously approved the counter-offer received for the purchase of approximately 28 acres of Parcel No. 07000648 in the Town of Grand Rapids.
* Heard updates and reports on the possibility of adopting potential board resolution referendum question in the future to exceed revenue limits.
* Unanimously approved to authorize the School District budget to exceed revenue limit by $3,800,000 per year for five years for non-recurring purposes.
* Unanimously approved to pursue a referendum election on the question of the approval of a resolution authorizing the School District budget to exceed revenue limit by $3,800,000 per year for five years for non-recurring purposes.
On a roll call vote, the Board unanimously approved to move into closed session pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 19.85(1)(c) for the purpose of reviewing individual administrator job performance evaluation information; to perform the Board's annual evaluation of the Superintendent's job performance; and to consider individual administrator contract renewals/extensions.
* The Board reconvened into open session at 9:17 p.m.
* Unanimously approved the extension of administrator contracts through June 30, 2028, for the following administrators, with the understanding that administrative assignment changes could occur during the term of the contract due to budgetary decisions made:
Edwin Allison
Amberell Applebee
Phillip Bickelhaupt
Nicole Calteux
Roxanne Filtz
Melanie Hanneman
Steve Hepp
Benjamin Kessler
Julie Kolarik
Aaron Nelson
William Oswald
Brian Oswall
Kelly Schaeffer
Christine Slattery
Jack Smalley
Nicholas Sydorowicz
Ashley Tessmer
Steven Thayer
Teri Thomas (.5 FTE)
Tina Wallner
Elizabeth VanBerkel
Kelly Zywicki
* Unanimously approved the extension of Superintendent Ronald Rasmussen's administrator contract through June 30, 2028, and to include an additional one-year contract extension to June 30, 2029.
* Unanimously approved the reassignment of Kelly Schaeffer from Washington Elementary to Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle School, 220-day contract, effective July 1, 2026, at an annual salary rate of $144,718 plus any future increases provided to administration.
WNAXLP
February 9 2026
LWIX0455291