Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District board elects officers, names Chippewa Herald Telegram as official newspaper

The Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District board met for a reorganization session and elected its officers for the coming year, designated its official newspaper and confirmed committee assignments.

Sherry Jasper nominated Dave Check for board president; after a second and a voice vote, members elected Check to preside as board president. Superintendent Jeff Holmes served as temporary chair of the reorganization proceedings until the president was chosen. The board then elected Peggy McKillop as vice president, Sherry Jasper as board clerk and Dennis Fehr as treasurer, each after nominations and voice votes.

The board also moved to permit the use of secret ballots if more than one candidate is nominated for a given board position during the reorganization meeting; members voted to permit secret ballots. The executive assistant to the superintendent was appointed to serve as the board secretary and as the district elections clerk.

A relatively contested vote came when the board designated an official newspaper for legal publications. Board member Steve Olson questioned whether the Paper still provided representative coverage, asking, “Are we getting representative representation from them anymore? Do we still feel like that's a good source?” After discussion the board designated the Chippewa Herald Telegram as the district’s official newspaper; the vote carried 6–1.

The board confirmed committee memberships largely unchanged during the superintendent transition, keeping Dennis Fehr, Sherry Jasper and Peggy McKillop on governance and policy committees and naming David Martineau (listed in the meeting as the CESA delegate) and others to communication and wellness committees. Members noted the CESA annual meeting date mentioned during the discussion (a date cited as August 6) and asked the delegate to report back if needed.

The board set its regular monthly meeting day as the fourth Tuesday of each month, with the April meeting held on the fourth Monday and routine adjustments around Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays as in prior years. The reorganization meeting adjourned at 5:55 p.m.; an executive session was scheduled to be recalled at 6:10 p.m.

Votes at a glance: - Approval of the meeting agenda — motion by Sharon Macomber; second by Peggy McKillop; motion carried (voice vote). - Elect Superintendent Jeff Holmes as temporary chair for the reorganization meeting — motion carried (voice vote). - Adopt secret-ballot procedure if multiple nominees — motion carried (voice vote). - Elect Dave Check, board president — nomination moved and seconded; elected by voice vote. - Elect Peggy McKillop, vice president — nominated and elected by voice vote. - Elect Sherry Jasper, board clerk — nominated and elected by voice vote. - Appoint Dennis Fehr, treasurer — nominated and elected by voice vote. - Appoint executive assistant to the superintendent as board secretary and district elections clerk — motion carried (voice votes). - Designate public depositories and authorize facsimile signatures — motion carried (voice vote). - Designate Chippewa Herald Telegram as official newspaper — carried 6–1. - Set regular meeting dates (fourth Tuesday; April on fourth Monday) — motion carried (voice vote).

What the board decided has immediate administrative effect (officer roles, depository and newspaper designations, clerk appointments and regular meeting schedule). Committee rosters were announced and largely retained during the superintendent transition; the board asked the CESA delegate to confirm availability for the noted external meeting date and to report back.

The meeting contained routine procedural votes and administrative housekeeping appropriate to a reorganization session. No ordinances, contracts, budget adoptions or policy adoptions were taken during this session beyond the appointments and designations noted above. The board scheduled an executive-session recall at 6:10 p.m. and adjourned the reorganization meeting at 5:55 p.m.