Board of Education Meeting Recap
November 5th, 2024
Support Provided to Students Experiencing Homelessness
Relevant Policy: Operational Expectation (OE) 10: Learning Environment, Results (R) 1: Mission
Director of Pupil Services Adam Zingsheim and Families in Transition Coordinator Betsy Scholz provided an in-depth and human-centered overview of how the VASD supports students and families experiencing homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. They emphasized compassion, dignity, and the belief that every child deserves stable access to education, especially during times of uncertainty and hardship.
Coordinator Scholz underscored that the purpose of the McKinney-Vento Act is to remove barriers to school enrollment, attendance, and success for students who do not have a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. The law ensures immediate enrollment and gives families the choice to attend either their school of origin, where relationships and routines may already be established, or their school of residence, even if families have moved outside the district due to housing instability.
VASD emphasizes “compassion through consistency and choice.” This means VASD staff work to reduce stress on families by offering stable school environments, uninterrupted transportation, and access to basic needs such as meals and participation in extracurricular activities. The district uses a range of transportation methods to remove barriers to attendance including in-district busing, Madison Taxi, EverDriven transportation services, and gas cards for families traveling long distances. These supports stay in place even once families secure permanent housing.
The VASD is currently serving 82 students experiencing homelessness, based on data gathered so far this school year. This includes students across all grade levels from our youngest learners in 4K to high school seniors. Comparatively, VASD identified 123 students throughout the entire previous school year.
Students' housing circumstances vary and often change weekly, daily, or even by the hour. Approximately 65 students are doubled up, with families temporarily staying with other families. Other students are staying in a shelter, hotels/motels, or in unsheltered situations. Several students have either moved out of the district or secured stable housing.
VASD is a district families want to be part of, a place where students feel a sense of belonging and community pride. With that comes a responsibility to care for families who are navigating some of the most difficult decisions of their lives. VASD is committed to the following: increasing community awareness, recognizing that families and community partners cannot help if they do not know what the needs are; starting small and building strategic partnerships with local organizations that can provide targeted services; and, continuously refining internal systems to eliminate barriers and ensure families experience welcoming, coordinated support across school buildings.
2026-27 Budget Preview
Relevant Policy: Operational Expectation (OE) 5: Financial Planning
Deputy Superintendent Chad Wiese and Director of Finance Pete Grender shared an in-depth preview of the 2026–27 budget, including enrollment projections, key fiscal assumptions, and an updated five-year financial forecast. Deputy Superintendent Wiese emphasized that without operational adjustments or additional revenue authority from the state, VASD is projected to face a budget shortfall for the upcoming school year.
Deputy Superintendent Wiese reviewed updated budget assumptions, noting that the 2026-27 state budget provides a $325 per-pupil increase in revenue authority and modest additional special education aid. In total, these changes are expected to generate approximately $1.9 million in new revenue for VASD, which would cover less than 2% of VASD’s annual operating budget. However, with VASD’s compensation structure and increasing healthcare costs, the district anticipates about $5 million in new expenses next year, leaving a projected $3 million budget deficit.
He also outlined current and projected enrollment trends. Compared to last school year, VASD has 150 fewer students enrolled. The steepest decreases are in 4K and Kindergarten. These shifts matter because the amount of state funding received by VASD is largely driven by student enrollment. Combined with insufficient revenue authority, these enrollment declines contribute to the projected shortfall for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Based on current assumptions, the VASD anticipates a budget gap of approximately $3 million for the 2026-27 school year. There are limited ways to close a budget gap when VASD is already operating leanly. Last year, VASD realized savings by switching insurance carriers, so that option is no longer available as a cost-saving measure. VASD also decreased staff size by seven full-time positions, including an administrator.
Looking at possible ways to balance the budget, Deputy Superintendent Wiese stated that VASD does not like to refer to the ideas of freezing salaries or not providing a cost-of-living increase to staff as “solutions” because we know how important it is to compensate our staff fairly. A likely approach is to reduce staffing levels by leaving positions unfilled when employees retire or resign in alignment with the temporary decrease in student enrollment, rather than laying off current staff. These ideas decrease expenses. Options to increase revenue could include expanding the number of open enrollment seats and considering an operating referendum.
Superintendent Dr. Tremayne Clardy emphasized that no decisions have been made and that VASD is in the planning phase for the 2026-26 fiscal year. He shared that when VASD has a budget gap, it is our responsibility to close that gap, but the ideas shared tonight should not be heard as a recommendation or endorsement of any single idea. We start the planning process early so we can carefully consider how to manage a budget shortfall, giving ourselves the time to develop and carry out a plan to close our budget gap while continuing to provide the educational excellence grounded in equity that our students, families, and community members expect.
The budget development process will continue throughout the year, with key milestones including:
January 2026: Updated student count and release of Consumer Price Index
Spring 2026: Staffing and insurance renewals
Summer 2026: Release of state equalization aid estimates
September 2026: Presentation of the preliminary budget and public hearing at the Annual Meeting
BOE members engaged in a conversation that underscored both the structural nature of the district’s fiscal challenges and the importance of approaching potential solutions with care, clarity, and a commitment to staff and students. Across their comments, BOE members emphasized that the projected shortfall is not the result of local mismanagement, but rather the predictable consequence of revenue limits that have not kept pace with inflation. Members noted that VASD, like districts across Wisconsin, is operating in a high-inflation environment while receiving insufficient increases in state revenue authority, conditions that make it difficult to sustain current service levels without identifying new efficiencies or seeking additional revenue.
BOE members also reiterated their commitment to compensating staff fairly and responsibly. They acknowledged that annual adjustments aligned to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) help employees maintain purchasing power but do not serve as true raises. This reinforces why discussions about staffing levels, compensation adjustments, and other budget levers must be handled with caution and transparency. Several members recognized the administration’s efforts to control costs in ways that protect students and staff, such as last year’s insurance carrier change and staffing reductions achieved through attrition rather than layoffs.
There was a shared understanding that the ideas presented, whether related to expenditure reductions, open enrollment expansion, or an operating referendum, represent early planning considerations rather than recommendations. BOE members emphasized the importance of giving the community clarity about this distinction as the district continues its long-range fiscal planning.
Finally, BOE members expressed interest in learning more about the potential role of an operating referendum that wouldn’t greatly, if at all, impact the mill rate, to help address VASD’s structural funding gap. With most Wisconsin districts now relying on referendums to maintain programs and services, members indicated that a deeper exploration of referendum scenarios would support responsible planning. Administration will bring additional information forward in the coming months to help guide that conversation.
Resolution Authorizing a Taxable Tax and Revenue Anticipation Promissory Note for Cash Flow Purposes and an Amount not to Exceed $7,000,000
Relevant Policies: Operational Expectation (OE) 5: Financial Planning, OE 6: Financial Administration
Director of Finance Pete Grender reviewed information about VASD’s request for the BOE to approve opening a line of credit. Most of the revenue VASD receives is from the tax levy; we do not receive our first payment until seven months after the fiscal year begins, and our last payment is received one and a half months after the fiscal year ends. In prior years, we received notes for cash flow at the beginning of the fiscal year. In 2024–25, VASD had a $7 million line of credit but did not draw upon it. VASD received a $7.5 million note with PMA Asset Management in October, payable in September 2026. We are requesting that the BOE consider approving entry into a $7 million line of credit with Lake Ridge Bank. VASD could draw upon it when needed and repay it when cash becomes available from the tax levy. Interest would accrue monthly only when there is an outstanding balance. The interest rate would be Prime minus 0.75%, with a maximum interest rate of 8.0%.
Member Hanes asked Director Grender to quantify the interest. Director Grender explained that the interest rate is about 4% and that VASD invests the line of credit funds at about a 4% interest rate. Generally, the interest VASD pays and the interest VASD gains is neutral, and sometimes VASD makes some money. Director Grender confirmed that VASD took out a line of credit last year and did not use any of it.
Vote on Results (R) 2.1 Language Arts Monitoring Report
Relevant Policy: Results (R) 2.1: English Language Arts
Executive Director of Academic Services Amy Englekins and Director of Pre-K - 8 Education Theresa Taylor presented the Results (R) 2.1 Language Arts Monitoring Report. The Monitoring Report reflects updated content and formatting based on previous BOE conversations on the type and organizational structure of information BOE members desire and think will be valuable to the public. The Monitoring Report focuses on student literacy, including reading, writing, speaking, listening, thinking critically, and making meaning across contexts. Executive Director Engelkins and Director Taylor reiterated that literacy is foundational to student success, and that VASD is committed to ensuring every student has access to high-quality instruction aligned to grade-level standards. The full report is available on the VASD website at this link.
The Monitoring Report highlighted literacy growth across all levels. At the early grades, Aimsweb and Forward data confirm positive trends in foundational skills, and the number of students requiring formal reading plans decreased from 434 last school year to 232 this year, a promising indicator that early interventions are paying off.
Early literacy gains continue to accelerate, with grade K-3 students showing a 12% increase in Star Reading proficiency, and 63% demonstrating typical or high growth. Particularly noteworthy is the progress of Black/African American students, whose proficiency levels more than doubled from 19% to 43%.
In grades 4-5, students achieved a 15% increase in Star proficiency, and 71% met or exceeded expected growth, with especially strong results for focus groups. The district attributes this success in part to longer literacy blocks and targeted skills instruction.
Middle and high school data also show encouraging movement. PreACT and ACT results demonstrate cohort growth, including increases in ACT College Readiness Benchmarks and overall scale scores. Staff noted that multilingual learners continue to need additional targeted support, and that work remains a priority.
Executive Director Engelkins and Director Taylor described several intentional leadership strategies that have contributed to these gains.
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) continue to be a powerful engine for instructional improvement. Teachers are using the cycle of inquiry to closely examine student needs and adjust instruction. For example, Kindergarten teams added explicit instruction in lowercase letters after noticing gaps in student readiness.
Role Alike professional learning has strengthened coherence across school sites. On the first Monday of each month, all K-8 staff come together to collaborate, plan, and deepen their implementation of Savvas literacy resources.
Middle school schedule adjustments have created 88-minute instructional blocks, giving teachers more time for small groups and targeted skill development directly informed by student performance data.
Staff shared that collaborative time both in staff meetings and Role Alike sessions has been instrumental in helping them navigate curriculum, create scaffolds, and problem-solve together. Students’ voices are equally affirming. They described feeling proud of their learning, enjoying project-based tasks, and gaining confidence with the Savvas curriculum. One student shared, “I am a reader,” capturing the heart of the district’s literacy work and the sense of identity educators strive to build in every child.
VASD will carry the following continued commitments forward:
Staying the course, as early 2025–26 data shows that recent leadership moves continue to generate positive outcomes;
Investing in PLCs and Role Alike, which remain essential structures for teacher learning and coherence;
Strengthening data culture, particularly within Multi-Level Systems of Support (MLSS), to ensure targeted supports for students; and
Maintaining fidelity to the new curricular resources, which are essential for providing all students with access to grade-level content.
BOE members engaged in a thoughtful and affirming discussion that reflected both deep appreciation for the quality of the report and a shared belief that the data shows meaningful progress in student literacy across the district. Collectively, BOE members recognized that this iteration of the Monitoring Report represents a significant step forward in clarity, coherence, and alignment with the BOE’s expectations for Results policy monitoring.
A central theme across the conversation was the BOE’s appreciation for how the report organizes complex literacy data into a format that is both transparent and accessible to the public. Several members expressed that this report aligns strongly with the BOE’s long-standing work to define what effective monitoring should look like. Members noted that it successfully weaves together student data, instructional practices, leadership moves, and the district’s Strategic Framework in a way that paints a comprehensive picture of how literacy development is supported across the system.
BOE members also spent time discussing the structure and presentation of the data itself. Questions about raw numbers versus percentages, recalibrated norms within Star assessments, and what shifts in proficiency categories mean prompted a broader conversation about how growth should be interpreted. The BOE affirmed that while proficiency categories matter, they are only one part of the story; growth for every student, regardless of where they begin and where they end up within a proficiency scale, remains a core value and expectation in VASD. Members appreciated the explanation that some changes in proficiency reflect re-norming, while others reflect genuine instructional progress tied to the district’s commitment to grade-level instruction.
There was strong consensus that the report’s clarity is matched by its usefulness. BOE members highlighted the value of cohort data, comparative data, and longitudinal views of progress even while acknowledging that VASD’s unique demographics mean perfect peer comparisons are not possible. Dr. Clardy emphasized, and the BOE concurred, that increased diversity should never be framed as a barrier to high performance; rather, the district must stay committed to dismantling inequities while maintaining high expectations for all students. This sentiment drew agreement across the table and reinforced a shared belief that diversity and academic excellence are mutually reinforcing priorities.
BOE members also reflected on the report’s creation process, recognizing the significant amount of time and analytical work required. They expressed appreciation that the report is not merely an accountability document, but a tool the instructional team can actively use to understand system-wide trends, evaluate leadership moves, and refine practices. The report’s alignment of expectations, values, and day-to-day practice was seen as a strength that will support continued progress in literacy across grade levels.
Overall, BOE members agreed that the Monitoring Report demonstrates clear, measurable improvement in literacy outcomes. They noted the narrowing of gaps in several areas, the strong year-over-year gains, and the early signs of success in foundational skills. Members acknowledged that while some areas still require ongoing focus, particularly supports for multilingual learners, the district is unquestionably moving in the right direction. Several expressed admiration for the amount of growth captured in a single year, describing it as both significant and inspiring.
The BOE emphasized that this work reflects the dedication of VASD staff, the strength of district-wide instructional systems, and the collective commitment to ensuring all students become confident, capable readers, writers, speakers, and thinkers.
Member Stier Christensen motioned to approve the Results (R) 2.1 Language Arts Monitoring Report as presented as making reasonable progress. Member Medina seconded. The motion passed 7-0.
