Waukesha board ratifies vacancy interview format, approves preliminary 2024–25 budget and policy revisions; superintendent compensation approved

The Waukesha School District Board of Education on Aug. 14 ratified a procedure to fill the board seat vacated in July, approved a preliminary 2024–25 budget and tax levy, adopted revisions to district social media and technology policies and, after an executive session, approved compensation for the superintendent and executive administrators.

The vacancy procedure ratified by the board sets interviews for Thursday, Sept. 5 beginning at 5 p.m. in the boardroom. The district received 10 initial applications for the seat; two applicants withdrew and eight remain eligible for interviews. Each candidate will be allotted up to 25 minutes; standardized questions will be asked of all applicants and recorded, but interviews will not be live streamed. Balloting among board members will proceed in rounds, eliminating the lowest vote-getters until one applicant receives a clear majority. Because the board currently has one vacancy, a majority requires five votes. If the vacancy is not filled within 60 days (the time window identified in board policy), state statute gives the board president authority to appoint a replacement.

The board also approved a preliminary 2024–25 operating…