Frederic board approves facilitated joint meeting with Siren and Webster to discuss Siren's staffing struggles

The Frederic School District board approved holding a facilitated joint meeting with the Siren and Webster school boards to hear about Siren's recent staffing losses and to explore ways to help without making any operational commitments.

Board members said Siren has experienced a wave of recent departures — including principals, a pupil services director, an athletic director and multiple teachers — and that Webster has already voted to participate. Several members recommended using an outside facilitator (candidates suggested included a representative from WASB or DPI) to ensure neutral moderation and to surface options consistent with state rules. One board member noted that the district's role would be to listen and learn, not to make immediate policy decisions.

A motion to conduct a joint board meeting with Siren and Webster, led or facilitated by a third party, was moved and seconded and approved in the public session. Board members emphasized the session will be open to the public, held as a committee‑of‑the‑whole discussion (so it would not require full quorum action for approvals), and that logistics and dates will be coordinated among the participating superintendents and clerks.

The board said the meeting is intended as a first step to better understand Siren's needs and identify whether and how Frederic could responsibly offer assistance while protecting its own district students and families.