Kenosha school board approves 2.95% AST cost‑of‑living increase after weeks of public criticism over hidden benefits

Miss Adams, a member of the Kenosha Unified School District Board of Education, moved and the board approved a 2.95% base wage increase for all administrative, supervisory and technical (AST) employees effective July 1, 2025, with three conditions: the administration must develop a 2026–27 handbook that includes AST work rules and benefits, bring forward a review of post‑employment benefits for all employee groups, and present a plan to separate the technical employee category from the AST group.

The vote followed more than an hour of public comment in which multiple speakers criticized what they described as superior benefits for administrators and called for greater transparency. Valerie Kretchmer told the board the community “deserves accountability, transparency, and, above all, commitment to our children’s education” and alleged “falsified restraint reports” and inadequate training for staff serving students with disabilities. Kretchmer also said, “Our superintendent makes over 233,000, with an additional 88,000 in benefits,” a figure raised several times by public commenters as evidence of perceived pay disparities.

Angela Kretchmer, chapter chair for Moms for Liberty — Kenosha, said she removed her child from KUSD and urged the board to stop “rubber stamping administration’s agenda.” Several speakers, including Sam Muchnick and Scott Coy, said the AST agreement had not been widely published and described specific benefits they said are unique to AST employees, such as sick‑day buyouts and graduate‑class reimbursement. “This agreement clearly contributes to gender inequality,” Scott Coy said, attributing the disparity to differences in benefit structures.

Administrators presented background data showing the district identifies about 146 AST positions (86 administrative, 13 supervisory and 47 technical). The administration said the isolated cost to apply a CPI adjustment to the AST group was roughly $483,000 and framed the 2.95% figure as a base wage movement consistent with other full‑time equivalent staff adjustments. In moving the measure, Miss Adams emphasized the board’s intent to increase transparency and fairness across employee groups.

Board discussion touched on how positions are categorized relative to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) definitions and the limits of apples‑to‑apples comparisons across districts. The motion passed after discussion and a voice vote; the chair cast an affirmative vote and the motion was recorded as carried.

Next steps specified in the motion require administration to return with a consolidated AST handbook and a review of post‑employment benefits, and to propose a plan to separate technical roles from the larger AST category. The board did not change the AST agreement’s substantive language at the meeting; it directed staff to bring information and policy proposals back for future consideration.