School Board Meeting March 17, 2025
Superintendent Dr. Chris Reuter provided a District Administrator Update sharing the results from the Parent Survey sent to Germantown School District families, a data file was sent to MD Roffers for the enrollment study, and federal funding has not changed for the 2024-2025 school year.
The Germantown School District Student Representative provided an update on what is happening in our schools. AMY BELLE: Read Across America started with fun dress-up days and an author visit. 1st-3rd graders are learning about book series through Series Showdown and can earn trading cards by reading a book in a series. COUNTY LINE: Teachers are utilizing Wonders curriculum and the professional development day was centered on science-based literacy instruction. Students and families participated in the PTA organized bingo, the Scholastic Book Fair, Read Across America, and DARE. MACARTHUR: Teachers participated in professional development geared towards literacy and understanding the progression of standards. Older students visited KMS for a band and choir performance. Students participated in the PTA organized MacCarnival. ROCKFIELD: Students received a visit from the KMS seventh grade band students and participated in their annual Fitness Day event and Battle of the Books. The 4th grade team, the Bookworms, competed in an online state competition. KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL: Students and families were invited to hear from a guest speaker regarding adolescent brain development and participated in parent-teacher conferences. 7th graders heard from 20 different career presenters during Junior Achievement Career Day. GERMANTOWN HIGH SCHOOL: Students heard from over 60 different professionals during GHS Career Day. Freshmen and sophomores will be taking the Pre-ACT test and Juniors will be taking the ACT test.
Kennedy Middle School Principal, Jess Gieryn, introduced students from the Future City Club who shared their experience in the Future City Competition. The team had to design a floating city using the engineering design process and create a solution to ocean levels and implement futuristic features that addressed city infrastructure. The team earned 16th place out of 50 other teams and also won a special award for Best Use of Recreational Space from the American Society of Civil Engineers - Young Members Group.
JPCullen and Plunkett Raysich Architects (PRA) shared their Facilities Condition Assessment.
School Board President Russ Ewert shared information from the Village of Germantown Planning Commission meeting. Director Tracy Pawlak shared information from the Park & Rec Commission meeting.
The following citizens spoke: Todd Schneider with the GEA
Motion by Barney, second by Higginbotham to approve Consent Agenda items A-E. Dr. Reuter highlighted the donations. Motion carried.
Brown provided an update from the March 3, 2025 Personnel Committee meeting mentioning teacher contracts, the staffing update, the support staff compensation study update, the preliminary 2025-2026 teacher staffing plan, and the spring coaching contracts.
The Personnel Committee brings forward a positive recommendation to the Full Board to approve the proposed staffing plan for the 2025-26 school year and to issue 276 regular, full-time teaching contracts and up to 10 part-time teacher contracts. Motion carried.
The Personnel Committee brings forward a positive recommendation to the Full Board to approve the Germantown High School and Kennedy Middle School Spring coaching contracts. Motion carried.
Higgibotham provided an update from the March 3, 2025 Teaching & Learning Committee sharing a literacy update, information on the Intent to Review AP Placement course resources, a chromebook purchase, and the mental health grant plan. The chromebook purchase and mental health grant plan were provided a positive recommendation to the Finance Committee to gain further approval.
Loth provided an update from the March 17, 2025 Finance Committee meeting mentioning the approval of vouchers, the February variance report, the overview of school fees, the 2024-2025 budget adjustments, the mental health grant plan, the CESA 1 contract amendment, a chromebook purchase, and the Kennedy Middle School kitchen equipment purchase.
The Finance Committee brings forward a positive recommendation to the Full Board to approve the 2024-2025 budget adjustments. Motion carried.
The Finance Committee brings forward a positive recommendation to the Full Board to approve twelve staff members to take “Trauma Sensitive Schools Train the Trainer” four day professional development through Wellpoint Care Network in the amount not to exceed $33,000 funded by School Based Mental Health State Funding Grant. Motion carried.
The Finance Committee brings forward a positive recommendation to the Full Board to approve the CESA #1 Contract amendments for an increase in vision and orientation and mobility services in the amount of $8,328.00 funded out of the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) Flow-Through Grant. Motion carried.
The Finance Committee brings forward a positive recommendation to the Full Board to approve the purchase of 240 Touchscreen Chromebooks, corresponding Google licenses, and 8 charging carts from BDJ Tech for an amount not to exceed $88,820.00 using Common School Library Aid. Motion carried.
The Finance Committee brings forward a positive recommendation to the Full Board to approve the purchase for Kennedy Middle School kitchen equipment as presented and described, using Boelter Foodservice Design and Nelco Electric for an amount not to exceed $$84,842.77, unless electrical code violations are discovered during install. Motion carried.
Board President Russ Ewert led discussions on the voting status of the Germantown School District regarding the Village of Germantown’s Tax Incremental District (TID) No. 10 proposal. Motion by Barney, second by Pawlak to instruct the school district representative to vote no on the proposed TID 10 and the School District may reconsider this motion if new information requires we change our position or at least discuss our position. Motion carried (6-0)
Roll call: Ewert - yes, Brown - yes, Barney - yes, Loth - yes, Pawlak - yes, Higginbotham - yes
Board President Russ Ewert led discussions on the need to amend the 2024-2025 Board Meeting Schedule. No action taken.
Director of Teaching & Learning Jake Misiak led discussions on the Early College Credit Program and Start College Now applications. Motion by Barney, second by Higginbotham to approve the Early College Credit Program and the Start College Now requests as presented. Motion carried.
Superintendent Dr. Chris Reuter led discussions on the overnight travel requests. Motion by Pawlak, second by Brown to approve the overnight travel requests for GHS HOSA, GHS SkillsUSA, GHS FBLA, and GHS DECA. Motion carried.
Brown highlighted the teacher resignations (Tom Lange, Marian Sargent, Paul Erickson) from Consent Agenda Item V. D and thanked them for their years of service.
Motion by Barney, second by Higginbotham to approve the early retirement agreement for Karla Biermann. Motion carried.
School Board Meeting March 11, 2025
Board President Russ Ewert welcomed everyone to this special meeting and shared that this meeting was called to discuss the Impact of the Village of Germantown Development Plans on the Germantown School District and Proposed School Board Resolution Addressing the Issue. GSD has partnered with the Village to cross-share Board members; Director Kim HIgginbotham sits on the Economic Development Commission for the Village, Director Tracy Pawlak sits on the Parks and Rec Commission for the Village, Trustee Meg Cutts sits on GSD’s Buildings & Grounds Committee. Reports are provided to the Board after the Village meetings. Many residential based projects are on the horizon for the Village. Dean Wolter and Steve Kreklow from the Village have been invited to the meeting to help with understanding the potential upcoming projects.
The following citizens spoke in regards to the development projects: Melanie Smythe, Jan Miller, Scott Hefle, Sarah Larsen, Dominic D’Amico, Dan Knodl
Village Administrator Steve Kreklow shared information on the definition of a Tax Increment District (TID) and how they work, the 2025 legislative changes surrounding TIDs, village debt levels and capacity, the demand for housing, the home path proposal on County Line Rd, the Pilgrim/Mequon re-development, the Blackstone proposal in the early planning stages, two other potential projects (Victory Place and Carillon), and demographic trends.
Motion by Pawlak, second by Brown to take a brief recess. Motion carried.
Recess from 7:56 p.m. to 8:01 p.m.
District Administrator Dr. Chris Reuter shared a presentation on our elementary school attendance boundary lines, the enrollment and capacity at each of our District schools, the 2022-2023 audited annual report data and the comparative cost, the enrollment trends at MacArthur Elementary School, and the future work of the District to include the JPCullen/PRA presentation on our facilities conditions and MD Roffers report on current and future student growth.
Motion by Loth, second by Higginbotham to approve the following Resolution of the Germantown School District:
Whereas, the Germantown School Board is committed to a strong, working relationship with the Village of Germantown to assist both in strategic planning to achieve the best positive outcomes for village residents and the students of the Germantown School District, and
Whereas, the Germantown School Board has commissioned an enrollment study scheduled for completion in April 2025, and
Whereas, the Germantown School DIstrict is nearing the compilation of a facility use study to better understand the capacity and condition of current facilities, and
Whereas, these studies will be used to guide the district’s strategic planning process and to provide factual data to our community partners, such as the Village of Germantown, for use in their planning processes, and
Whereas, single-family homes contribute to the stability of a school district’s enrollment, and
Whereas, the village has seen an increase in residential development proposals anchored in high density rental based units, and
Whereas, several residents of the village have expressed concerns regarding the construction of additional high density rental units within the Village of Germantown, and
Whereas, some residents of the village have expressed positive feedback of portions of the commercial and community gathering spaces of the potential project but have not been presented with the potential totality of effects that continued high density developments may have on their residents, and
Whereas, the current level and location of the village’s current inventory of high density rental units cause a high level of financial strain on the school district, and
Whereas, the proposed Village Center project will impact the same areas currently impacted by the majority of the village’s rental units, and
Whereas, the introduction of hundreds of new apartments represents a significant step towards transforming the Village of Germantown into a community akin to Metro Milwaukee communities, and
Whereas, presentations about several high density rental based units to the Village Board, Planning Commission, and community related to the Village Center project have consistently misrepresented the Germantown School District’s position on this development,
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Germantown School District respectfully requests that the Village of Germantown not take any action to approve or permit any advancement of the Village Center project, or otherwise allow the project to move forward, until such time as the Germantown School District’s enrollment and facility use studies have been completed and the District has had sufficient time to thoroughly analyze the studies and to understand the potential impact continued high density residential developments may have on the District and its educational community, including but not limited to the District’s infrastructure and finances.
Motion by Barney, second by Brown to amend the original motion to remove the following three paragraphs (7, 8, 11) from the Resolution:
Whereas, several residents of the village have expressed concerns regarding the construction of additional high density rental units within the Village of Germantown, and
Whereas, some residents of the village have expressed positive feedback of portions of the commercial and community gathering spaces of the potential project but have not been presented with the potential totality of effects that continued high density developments may have on their residents, and
Whereas, the introduction of hundreds of new apartments represents a significant step towards transforming the Village of Germantown into a community akin to Metro Milwaukee communities, and
Amendment to the motion carried.
Motion with the Amendment carried. 6-0 (Ewert - yes, Brown - yes, Barney - yes, Loth - yes, Pawlak - yes, Higginbotham - yes)
Board President Russ Ewert led discussions on the possible change to the 2024-2025 Board meeting schedule. No action taken.
For more information about the Germantown School District Board of Education, please visit our website.
UPCOMING MEETINGS:
Regular School Board Meeting — April 28, 2025