Waunakee board hears public comment on harassment policy, recognizes three departing members

The Waunakee Community School District Board of Education opened its meeting with routine approvals and public comment before recognizing three trustees who will leave the board after the recent election.

Board members approved minutes for three prior sessions — a board evaluation meeting, a regular March meeting and a winter retreat — and then approved the evening’s agenda by voice vote. The motions passed by voice; the transcript records the ayes but does not record a roll-call tally or the names of movers and seconders.

At the start of the meeting a teacher, Gina Pagel, addressed the board during the public-comment period about a policy change the district is preparing to vote on. Pagel identified herself as a teacher at Arboretum and said the item described in the meeting as the policy “formerly known as the Hate Speech Policy” has been folded into the district’s harassment policy. She said the issue "has been a long road and it's a topic that students and staff have lifted up as a priority," and urged the board to improve communication with students and community members about the change. Pagel also said students told her they believed the provision "would speak more firmly if the harassment policy was a separate policy," and asked the board to keep that preference in mind ahead of the vote the transcript indicates will occur later in the process.

Board leadership also used the meeting to recognize three trustees who will be leaving the board. Katie Dolzer served three years on the board, including two years as vice president; the board praised her focus on student outcomes and a consistently welcoming presence. Judy Englebretson did not seek re-election after six years on the board and six years serving as clerk; the board noted her background in education and special education and said she frequently helped refocus the board on its governance role. Jack Heinemann has served 14 years and has been treasurer for the last five years; the board acknowledged his long institutional memory and emphasis on multi-year budgeting.

No formal action on the harassment/"hate speech" policy is recorded in the transcript excerpts provided; public comment indicated a board vote was expected at or near the time of this meeting but the record here does not show the final board vote on that policy. The record does show the routine approval votes described above were taken by voice with the motion, a second and an "aye" recorded but without a roll-call tally in the transcript.

The board proceeded from these items to student reports and club presentations later in the meeting.