Wauwatosa board hears school growth-plan updates; principals report literacy, discipline and pilot-program gains

Wauwatosa — School leaders from across the Wauwatosa School District briefed the board on March 5 on winter progress for school growth plans, reporting a mix of academic gains, pilot-program development and continuing equity challenges.

Dean Hoist, administrator of Wauwatosa Virtual Academy, said the virtual program has expanded restorative-pathways space and continues GED Option 2 pathways that allow students to earn a Wauwatosa School District diploma. Hoist reported course-pass rates of about 84% and 82% at an interim check — up from roughly 55% midway through the semester — and described mentoring, check-and-connect interventions, monthly coordination with homeschool student services and external support from a Department of Public Instruction consultant.

Nicole Curry, associate principal at Bell R. Phillips School, said the school’s three priorities — literacy across content areas, staff capacity for restorative supports and academic/career planning — are showing measurable progress. Curry told the board that students enrolled for a semester saw a 25% increase in star test scores and those enrolled a year saw a 44% increase.

At Longfellow Middle School, principal Monique Porter outlined a district-aligned “20-day” instructional push (Feb. 9–Mar. 12) emphasizing meaningful checks for understanding, structured PACE collaboration and reflection forms. Porter reported mixed staff sentiment at rollout but said focused examples from teacher leaders improved buy-in. She and board members flagged subgroup concerns, noting Black and brown students and some students with identified medical or attention issues showed lower growth in some measures.

Lincoln Elementary principal Jeff Peterson highlighted progress on culturally responsive instruction and a fifth-grade math pilot. Peterson said an equity walkthrough found classrooms using asset-based instruction and that female students’ math performance above the 50th percentile rose from 67% to 83.2% since fall.

Washington Elementary principal Joe Russell reported work on the read-plus framework and restorative practices; the school’s screening found 13% of students below the 25th percentile and increases in students above the 50th percentile on oral reading fluency. Russell said 70% of office discipline referrals stem from a small cohort of students, directing next steps toward targeted reteaching and tailored supports.

Jefferson and Roosevelt elementaries reported similar themes: improved PACE collaborative planning, pilot-classroom gains and a mix of better screening numbers alongside the need for targeted supports for some students with special needs. Roosevelt principal Mark Supa said the school’s winter AIMweb screening showed fewer students at risk than district averages but flagged that 46% of minor and 67% of major discipline referrals were students in special education, prompting a focus on onboarding and tier-2 resources.

At Wauwatosa East High School, principals Steve Flank, Chris Liski and Erica Pro described a sustained push on classroom discourse and staff peer observations. They also reviewed early effects of a new personal communications device (PCD) policy that limits in-day phone use: administrators said device infractions and repeated incidents requiring parent pickup have dropped, and anecdotal feedback from student listening sessions showed more face-to-face social interaction and study groups during lunch and passing times.

Board members asked about transition plans for programs moving from temporary to permanent status (for example, MCAP transitioning into a county facility), special-education follow-up and how staff reflection and adult-practice changes are being captured. Presenters repeatedly pointed to PACE collaboration, SLT (school leadership team) involvement and professional learning as primary levers for continuing progress.

The meeting closed with a roll-call motion to adjourn at 7:43 p.m.; the chair announced the motion carried.