Wausau School District board hears Wausau East students, approves preliminary 2024–25 budget for presentation

The Wausau School District Board of Education on Sept. 9, 2024, heard a five-minute presentation from Wausau East High School students and approved a preliminary 2024–25 general fund budget and a projected tax levy for presentation at the district’s budget hearing scheduled Sept. 23.

Principal Lucas B introduced seniors Natalie Dorian and Zach Frankus Kakis and student Leila Rags, and described the school’s cultural blueprint built around Respect, Integrity, Compassion and Excellence. "We talk about it a lot on the Brags morning show... it's really been a unified message," Lucas B said, introducing the students. Natalie Dorian told the board the many extracurriculars and student supports helped prepare her for college; she said being involved "has really helped me make all those connections at Wausau East." Zach Frankus Kakis credited rigorous IB classes and teacher support for guiding his plans for medical school.

The board approved multiple routine items under the consent agenda, including personnel actions, minutes and donations, after a motion to approve carried. Later the board reviewed a written legal-expenses summary for 2023–24 and approved an attached list of law firms the district may use for legal services.

Assistant Superintendent Josh Vergo presented a preliminary general fund budget the board approved for presentation at the Sept. 23 budget hearing. The figures read aloud in the meeting were a general fund budget showing approximately $118,625,616 in expenses and $117,415,190 in revenue; the district noted certified property valuations will not be available until Oct. 1 and that the presented property-value projection will be used for initial budget calculations. The board also approved a projected tax levy for presentation at the hearing, read in the meeting as $4,763,554.

During public comment Dana Parer, identified as WEA president, told the board the union welcomed about 80 new teachers at a new-teacher breakfast, held a back-to-school social and coordinates donor-supported welcome items intended to help retain new staff. "Our job is to help retain all of our new teachers," Parer said, describing WEA's outreach and events.

During board member remarks, one member expressed concern about a visiting presidential candidate’s remarks and said parents should be reassured that the district would not permit gender-reassignment surgeries on minors in schools; that comment was made as a reassurance to families and was not linked to any district policy change.

The board set the annual meeting and budget hearing for Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at 6 p.m. in the Nicholson boardroom at the LF Fell Administration Center. The meeting adjourned after the board’s final motion carried.

Next procedural steps: the board will present the approved preliminary budget and tax-levy projection at the Sept. 23 budget hearing; certified property valuations, expected Oct. 1, will be used to finalize mill-rate calculations.