VASD Newsletter

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Board of Education Members Chris Peguero and Joe Hanes, Deputy Superintendent Chad Wiese, and I spent March 12 at the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) Day at the Capitol. The purpose of the Day at the Capitol is for school board members and administrators to advocate for their schools and public education by meeting with legislators and sharing their perspectives on important issues.

We started the day with a panel discussion featuring Assembly Education Committee Chair Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay), Senate Education Committee Ranking Member Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee), Joint Finance Committee and Senate Education Committee Member Romaine Quinn (R-Birchwood), and Assembly Education Committee Member Rep. Joe Sheehan (D-Sheboygan). Then, State Budget Director Brian Pahnke reviewed the 2025-27 state budget and provided an overview of K-12 education-related provisions. In the afternoon, we headed to the State Capitol to meet with Sen. Marklein (R-Spring Green), Rep. Udell (D-Fitchburg), Sen. Hesselbein (D-Middleton), Rep. Bare (D-Verona), and Sen. Ratcliff (D-Cottage Grove).

Our focus for the day included advocating for the Verona Area School District, the Greater Dane County School District Governance Consortium, and all of Wisconsin. Specific topics included the gaps created and exacerbated by Wisconsin’s revenue limit, the Governor’s proposed education budget, indexing education funding to inflation, and increasing the special education reimbursement rate.

Appropriate Special Education Funding

In our public schools, we care deeply about helping every student succeed and feel supported. However, the current level of funding makes it very difficult to provide the high-quality special education services our students need. Right now, the State of Wisconsin covers only about 32% of the actual costs required for special education, even though these services are required by federal law. That means our local school districts must cover the remaining 68%, putting a big strain on school budgets and making it harder to meet the needs of all students.

Right now, the State of Wisconsin provides about $558 million for special education, but schools across the state actually need around $1.7 billion to meet student needs. That means local school districts are left to cover the remaining $1.16 billion from already tight budgets. We’re asking state leaders to fully fund special education over the next two years. This would make a big difference for our students—helping schools provide the support and services every child needs to succeed, without relying so heavily on local property taxes. With better state funding, schools could focus more on innovation, flexibility, and meeting the unique needs of every learner. Our goal is simple: to make sure all students get the support they need to thrive.

Keeping School Funding in Step with Rising Costs

Just like the cost of groceries, gas, and rent go up with inflation, the cost of running our schools goes up too. But in Wisconsin, school funding doesn’t automatically adjust to keep up. That means when prices rise, schools are left trying to do more with less.

We’re asking state leaders to change that by tying school funding to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), so our schools can keep up with rising costs and continue to provide high-quality learning experiences for all students.

The Greater Dane County School District Governance Consortium (Consortium) invites you to attend a moderated Community Forum where you can learn important information about the State of Wisconsin's budget process and its impact on Wisconsin public schools. No RSVP is needed -- just come to get informed and get engaged!

The purpose of the Consortium is to ensure all of our students receive the highest quality education possible. While we acknowledge the uniqueness of each of our districts, we share many of the same challenges and aspirations. We will leverage our collective knowledge and expertise to focus on three priorities:

• Eliminate academic, social, and emotional gaps for our students
• Advance best governance practices
• Advocate for our public schools at the local, state, and federal levels

Summer School registration closes Wednesday April 30, 2025. The Summer School Course Guide and additional information is available on the VASD Summer School website here.

How to register students currently enrolled in a VASD school:

Sign into Powerschool Parent Portal on a web browser: Summer School Registration is not possible from the PowerSchool app, but you can still use a mobile browser on your cell phone or tablet, or you can use a computer. The web address is: vasd.powerschool.com

How to register students not currently enrolled in a VASD school:

Please complete this form - 2025 Summer School Registration for Students who are Not Currently Enrolled -- in its entirety so we have the needed information for each student. MAKE SURE TO DO A SEPARATE REGISTRATION FORM FOR EACH OF YOUR STUDENTS. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE REGISTERING FOR YOUR COURSES BASED ON THE GRADE YOUR STUDENT WILL BE ENTERING IN THE FALL.

Join Dr. Clardy as he shares updates and interviews guests from around the district. In the Loop with the Sup will be posted about every two weeks on Wednesdays. Listen here!

Now Live

Accessing Food During Summer

VASD will not be offering meals over summer break other than breakfast during Summer School. Please see the flyer below with information on how to access free meals near you.

Engaging with our Students

In our ongoing commitment to providing meals that our students love, we are partnering with middle school students to gather their input and feedback on menu options. Their voices matter, and we want to ensure the meals served in our schools reflect what they enjoy.

National Breakfast Week Coloring Contest

A huge thank you to all the students who participated in our coloring contest for National School Breakfast Week! Your creativity brightened our day, and we loved seeing all the submissions. We hope the winners enjoyed their “super supreme” prize. 🙂

Breakfast Favorite

We heard from many of the students that the strawberry parfaits were a hit for breakfast, and we’re so glad they enjoyed them.

Congratulations to VASD Board of Education members Christopher Peguero and Joe Hanes on their recent reelection to the Board of Education. We are thankful for your service to VASD students, staff, families, and the community.