June 15, 2026 at 6:30 PM - Regular Meeting

Description:  This is a meeting of the Board of Education in public for the purpose of conducting the School District's business and is not to be considered a public community meeting.

Description:  This meeting was noticed by way of publication in the Waterford Post on Thursday, June 11, 2026, by posting at the District Office (Door #7) and at Entrance #19, and by posting on the District's website. Minutes from the regular board meeting of April 20, 2026, are posted on the District's website.

Description:  Annually, the Board President appoints board members to the various existing committees. Board members may wish to discuss the committee appointments. The previous committee members for the 2025-26 school year were as follows.

Description:  At this time the board would like to invite any member of the audience to stand with comments about items of interest or concern that do or do not appear on the agenda this evening. Please begin by stating your name and address. It would be appreciated if you would limit your comments to three minutes so that we can keep the meeting moving in a timely fashion and allow others an opportunity to speak. We ask that you remember that Wisconsin law prohibits us from discussing specific employees or their job performance. Thank you for your support of our school district.

Description: 

Attached is the final copy of the Waterford Union High School AI Guidebook, the result of a year-long investigation and learning process led by the Innovation Team. The guidebook will direct the integration of artificial intelligence into the educational experience at WUHS, providing guidelines for both staff and student use of AI to enhance teaching and learning.

Development of the guidebook included gathering feedback from staff, students, and the School Board's Curriculum Committee. A representative of the Innovation Team will be present at the June 15 Board meeting to answer any questions.

Description: 

This Special Update is issued in response to 2025 Wisconsin Act 89 (Wis. Stat. 118.07(7)), enacted in March 2026, that requires all public and private schools to adopt formal policies by September 1, 2026, governing appropriate communication between employees and students both during and outside school hours. The law mandates annual staff training to help school personnel identify, prevent, and report "grooming" behaviors and professional boundary violations. Furthermore, it requires schools to establish clear consequences for these violations, which can include the termination of employment.

Description: 

The project continues to track on schedule, with summer work now fully underway across all trades. Area A is approaching completion of its interior finishes, and crews are moving into Areas B and C.

Key progress this period:

Abatement in the former 2D/3D area finished this week, with air-quality testing to follow before crews move to the kitchen area. Mechanical work is progressing well; tunnel piping is complete; mezzanine equipment pads have been poured; and the new water heater will be installed next week. The main HVAC unit (CDVU) remains on schedule for early July.

Electrical, plumbing, and finishes in Area A classrooms are largely complete: final electrical and data connections are wrapped up, bathroom fixtures are installed, classroom finish work is done, and millwork installation has begun. Flooring begins next week, starting with leveling in classrooms that need it. The new sprinkler system in Area A is installed and has passed leak testing.

Structural work in the art lobby is progressing: stairs and the mezzanine are complete; shoring steel is in fabrication and is expected within one to two weeks; and hallway excavation begins shortly. (The removed staircase area remains hazardous and is closed off.)

Site work includes new fencing around the parking lot, storm sewer work starting next week, and sidewalk replacement near the gym. Phase 1 of moving is complete.

Item requiring board awareness: Loading Dock / Street Vacate: The loading dock portion of the work is currently paused pending resolution of a street-vacate/easement question with the Village. The team believes this may be resolved through an easement (which would not require a public vote), but I am in contact with the village president and attorney to confirm before street construction proceeds. This is the one item with potential implications for scheduling and approval.

Upcoming material/equipment milestones: Wood doors at the end of June, CDVU mid-July, kitchen equipment late July (with the Atlas unit delayed to late September), kitchen stainless by August 1, and the wheelchair lift replacement targeted for early August.

Description: 

Superintendent Francois will present the proposed 2026-27 budget for the Board's review and adoption. The plan is balanced across all funds at a flat tax rate of 4.15 mills, with no increase for taxpayers, despite this year's enrollment decline and a roughly 15% drop in state general aid (down ~$693,000). Through a detailed budget review, capturing additional special-education categorical aid under Act 15, correcting a posting error, shifting eligible costs to the Community Service Fund, and trimming discretionary spending, the projected operating gap was reduced from about $1.2 million to roughly $139,000, which the administration recommends bridging from the District's healthy ~$6.8 million fund balance. The presentation covers the pressures behind the budget, the steps taken to close the gap, the funding recommendation, and a fund-by-fund tie-out, with a forward strategy of attrition, upcoming retirements, and reassessment of the 2027-29 state budget.

Description:  The Board will consider authorizing WUHS's participation in SWSA for the 2026-27 school year (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027) at an annual fee of $3,700. SWSA is a coalition of southeastern Wisconsin school districts that pools resources, with CESA 1 as operator and fiscal agent, to provide shared services and a unified voice for state-level legislative advocacy on policy and funding issues affecting member districts. Approval authorizes the Board President and Clerk to execute the agreement.

Description: 

(c) Considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility, and (e) Deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public property, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session.