This meeting was noticed by way of publication in the Waterford Post on Thursday, October 22, was posted at the District Office (Door #7) and at Entrance #19, and was published on the District's website. Minutes from the regular board meeting of August 24, 2026 are posted on the District's website.

The Board is asked to review and approve the bills payable for the past month, as presented in the attached disbursement report. The report lists all vendor invoices, purchase orders, and other obligations processed by the Business Office during the month with the vendor name and amount for each item.

All expenditures have been reviewed by the Business Manager/District Administrator for accuracy, proper account coding, and consistency with the Board-approved 2026-27 budget. Supporting documentation, including original invoices and receiving confirmations, is on file in the Business Office and available for Board member inspection upon request.

We have received a late request for an overnight trip for the wrestling team to attend a tournament in Fond du Lac, WI in December. No school time will be missed. 

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.

The Superintendent will present results from the district's annual Energage employee engagement survey, which closed in October with participation of approximately 79.5% of staff. The district's overall workplace experience score rose eight points to 81%, with gains across all measures. Based on these results, Waterford Union High School District can be named a Top Workplace for Culture Excellence winner in four categories: Purpose & Values, Professional Development, Employee Appreciation, and Education. The presentation will highlight strengths, areas for growth (communication, support for paraprofessionals, engagement of newest and longest-tenured staff, and policy awareness), and the Waterford Leadership Team and Continuous Improvement Team's action-planning process, which will begin in November, ahead of a spring follow-up survey. Information only; no board action required.

 

Work on the 2025 referendum project has shifted from the summer’s full-building push to targeted fall work scheduled around the school day. Over the past month the district and Nexus Solutions held three Owner Construction Progress Meetings (Sept. 21, Oct. 1 and Oct. 16), covering schedule, open pricing and budget tracking. Beginning in late October the owner meetings move to a biweekly Thursday morning cadence.

Site work. The southwest parking lot and loading dock reconstruction advanced substantially in October. Concrete for the loading dock and ramp was poured and backfilled during the week of Oct. 12, with the ADA parking area and adjoining sidewalk poured Oct. 9 and new asphalt placed the following week. The staff lot was closed Oct. 12-16 to complete this work and was coordinated around Homecoming float staging (Oct. 9) and the weekend PAC event. Secured contractor storage was consolidated to the southeast end of the lot and fencing adjusted as concrete work finished.

Accessibility. The replacement wheelchair lift was delivered to the building on Sept. 30. The masonry modifications needed at the upper landing door (saw cutting and block demolition to raise the header) were completed in an early-morning window on Oct. 1 to avoid the school day, with installation of the lift following the first week of October.

Interior work. Flooring replacement in B-wing classrooms B207-B209 began the evening of Oct. 5. When a second layer of tile was found beneath the VCT in B207, Nexus stopped work and brought in Environmental Management Consulting to test the material before proceeding; the lower layer was not disturbed. The wood shop’s new dust collector was commissioned Sept. 25. Punch-list items addressed this month include weather-stripping and intercom firmware on Door 7 and a door-seal issue at the main gym’s south exterior doors, which the door contractor is correcting with a different weather-stripping material.

Building systems. The PA/paging system in the renovated areas is being brought back to full operation. Next Electric and O&W Communications (the original intercom installer) met on site Oct. 14 and found that speaker counts added in some renovated spaces need to be engineered against existing amplifier capacity. Both vendors will be on site Oct. 30, an in-service day, to complete the rework with full access to the building. The walk-in freezer door replacement is on order, with delivery expected the first week of November and installation planned for the week of Dec. 28 while the kitchen is closed.

Budget. Pay Application #16 (September work) and the general conditions report were received Oct. 14, reviewed, and approved for payment. The budget tracking report dated Sept. 11 was reviewed at the Sept. 21 and Oct. 1 owner meetings.

Athletics. Also construction related but not referendum dollars, the ball diamond work began Oct. 20. On Oct. 16 Nexus delivered an updated athletic pavement maintenance exhibit and pricing for athletic add-alternates; the district is determining which items to proceed with and how they coordinate with the Point of Beginning stadium master plan so the two scopes have clean boundaries.

Looking ahead. Next summer’s construction window is shorter than this past summer’s; the team is verifying the 2027 summer schedule by area, including the technology education wing, so departments can plan course sequencing well in advance.

The attached board policy revisions are presented for the Board to take action.

Following the August 26, 2026 annual meeting, the District received the data required to finalize the tax levy: the October 15, 2026 certification of general equalization aid ($4,976,238) and the final equalized (TIF-out) valuation ($3,508,154,043). Using these figures, the administration has completed the Department of Public Instruction 2026-27 Revenue Limit Worksheet. The resulting levy is within the District’s revenue limit under subchapter VII of chapter 121, Wis. Stats.

Wisconsin law directs the School Board to determine and certify the final levy after these fall figures are known. Section 120.12(3) authorizes the Board to determine the amount necessary to operate and maintain the schools and requires that the levy not exceed the revenue limit; section 120.12(4) governs the levy for debt service (Fund 39); and section 120.13(19) authorizes the Community Service Fund levy (Fund 80), which is outside the revenue limit. Because the October 15 aid certification and final valuation were received after the annual meeting, the certified amounts reflect those actual figures rather than the August estimates, as permitted under s. 120.12(3).

The recommended levy by fund:

Fund	Purpose	Amount
Fund 10	General operations (Src 211)	$8,987,639
Fund 39	Referendum-approved debt service (Src 211)	$4,807,962
Fund 80	Community service (Src 211)	$779,014
Total	All-fund tax levy (Line 16, PI-401)	$14,574,615

Computed against the certified equalized valuation, the resulting mill rate is approximately $4.15 per $1,000 of equalized value ($4.1545), consistent with the rate the District has maintained. Upon Board approval, the District Clerk will certify the apportioned levy to each municipal clerk by November 10, 2026, and file the PI-401 with the Department of Public Instruction.

Administration will review required accessibility and safety work at the stadium complex and three options prepared by Point of Beginning: repair in place, stadium and parking, and the full athletic master plan. The attached packet covers the facility conditions, cost estimates, a funding plan that holds the mill rate at 4.15 without a referendum, the timeline, and recommended October and November actions. Athletic Director Jim McClowry will present.

Gateway shared an update on the 2025-2026 Transcripted Credit partnership, highlighting 666 student course enrollments at Waterford Union High School and total tuition savings of $368,978.76 for local families. The letter also recognizes the WUHS staff members who facilitated these dual-credit opportunities. This partnership continues to provide an exceptional opportunity for students to simultaneously earn both high school and Gateway credit, while establishing their career plan. 

(e) Deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session.