Superintendent highlights strong summer enrollment, rising graduation and AP results and flags special-education staffing gaps

The Wauwatosa School District superintendent opened the July 14 board meeting with a progress report that emphasized equity and preparedness for the 2025-26 school year.

In his update, the superintendent said the district is roughly six and a half weeks from the start of school and described the district mission as centering equity: "We serve as active advocates to provide equitable access to excellent academic, co-curricular, and social emotional learning opportunities that empower every student to thrive as passionate, productive, and creative citizens," he told the board. He said the administration is treating equity as a systemwide imperative rather than allowing "islands of excellence." (Superintendent)

The superintendent highlighted this summer's programs and academic outcomes as evidence of the district's work. He reported 876 students enrolled in high-school credit summer courses, 1,178 K'05 enrollments and 187 middle-school enrollments, supported by about 167 full-time-equivalent staff working across summer programs. "That's a lot of students," he said, thanking both district and visiting educators involved in summer school.

On graduation and college-readiness, the superintendent said the district's combined graduation rate (East, West and the Virtual Academy) is 93.6%, and he noted East and West together approach a 95% rate. He also told the board that 78.9% of AP test-takers scored a 3 or above, the highest proportion in five years. He credited academic supports and professional learning led by the division of academic performance for those gains.

The superintendent framed those positives against ongoing fiscal and staffing pressures. He said the state budget was a mixed outcome for the district and warned that without inflationary increases in general aid, many districts will rely on operational referendums. He called the state's increase in special-education reimbursement "a step in the right direction" but said more funding is necessary to meet all students' needs. (Superintendent)

On staffing, the superintendent reported a voluntary teacher retention rate around 91.7% and a teacher fill rate near 95.2%, while acknowledging persistent difficulty hiring special-education teachers: "Special education teachers come at a premium," he said, calling the shortage an industrywide challenge. He told the board administration will provide a September update when fill-rate measures are finalized.

Board members pressed for details on hiring cycles and timing; administration said teacher staffing tends to stabilize by September, while contract-administrator hiring typically runs February'March and is usually completed by July 1.

The superintendent closed by connecting the data points to the district's mission: sustained, equity-focused supports and staffing investments, he said, underlie the reported improvements and remain priorities going into the new school year.

The board did not take formal action on the superintendent's update; questions from members will inform follow-up reports scheduled for August and September.