Advocates for Education of Whitefish Bay

Advocates for Education
of Whitefish Bay, Inc.
PO Box 170123
Milwaukee, WI 53217-8011

AFE Today

Input Sought for New Whitefish Bay School Superintendent

The school district is seeking input on the characteristics for a new superintendent. They have invited the Whitefish Bay community to an Open Forum on February 10,  and they also encourage people to fill out a Leadership Profile Assessment form.

Open Community Forum to Provide Input

  • Wednesday, February 10
  • 7:00 p.m. High School Cafeteria

Leadership Profile Assessment Form
A form has been posted on the WFB School District website homepage that can be used to submit input into developing the profile of the type of superintendent we are hoping to attract to Whitefish Bay. The form can be found under “breaking news” on the top, right-hand side of the homepage.  The profile will be used in advertising and recruiting.  www.wfbschools.com

AFE encourages you to fill out the form and share your thoughts!  

Complete and return the form by February 12. There are several ways to return the form:

  1. Bring it to the Community Forum on February 10th, or
  2. Drop it off in the Superintendent’s office (Room 138, 1200 E. Fairmount Avenue), or
  3. Return it via email, mail, or fax to the following:

HAZARD, YOUNG, ATTEA & ASSOCIATES, Ltd.
1151 Waukegan Road, Glenview, IL 60025
email: office@hyasearch.com 
fax: 847-724-8467

 


 

Recent Newsletters



 

 

Two Candidates Seek Open School Board Seats - Voting is April 6

Whitefish Bay will hold elections this Spring for two school board seats. Cheryl Maranto will be seeking re-election after serving two previous three-year terms.  Maranto is an associate professor and chair at Marquette University’s Department of Management.

Michael Mosner, a sales executive with a Watertown-based manufacturing firm and father of three small children, is seeking the seat of outgoing board member Pam Woodard.  Mosner and his wife, Tricia, were co-chairs of the 4th of July Parade in Whitefish Bay in 2006 and 2007.

Important: Election is during Spring Break. 
If you will be out of town, you can vote by absentee ballot beginning 3 weeks before the election date (starting March 15). Absentee ballots are available at WFB Village Hal. 

District Investment Lawsuit News

The CDO investment was in the news again recently.  An article in the Journal Sentinel reported that the five school districts involved are being pressured to repay the loans that were taken out to finance the investments.  While there have been no big changes in the status of the lawsuit to date, it does appear that the investments themselves have lost a great deal of value. 

According to School Board Member Cheryl Maranto, and Shawn Yde, Director of Business Services, the School District’s lawyers have had communication with Depfa Bank but have not received a formal request to enforce the moral obligation of the loan.  The District is waiting to see the outcome of the court case before making any final decisions, unless that changes.  Regardless of the outcome, the school district’s financial health was recently rated as very strong even if the entire loan amount has to be repaid.  The link to the article is: http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/80518467.html

Whitefish Bay is one of five Wisconsin school districts that have jointly filed a lawsuit over investments made in 2006. The districts have established a website containing background information about the investments and the lawsuit, as well as links to news coverage. Visit the web site.
 

School Superintendent to Retire

Whitefish Bay School Superintendent Dr. Jim Rickabaugh is retiring in July, 2010 after serving our school district for 10 years. Dr. Rickabaugh came to the district in July 2000 after many years leading the school district in Burnsville Minnesota.  In 2008, he was named Superintendent of the year in Wisconsin. Be sure to visit Whitefish Bay Now for additional information on Dr. Rickabaugh's retirement. 

 

 Events


School Board Meetings are held in Room 47,
Whitefish Bay High School at 7 PM.
January
13 Jan - School Board Meeting - AFE Notes

February
3 Feb - School Board Meeting
10 Feb - Open Community Forum for School Superintendent Input: 7:00 PM, WFB High School Cafeteria
March
10 Mar - School Board Regular Business
 April
2 - 9 Apr - Spring Break
6 Apr - Vote for School Board
14 Apr - School Board Meeting
May
12 May - School Board Meeting
June
4 Jun - Bay Ball - Details [PDF]
9 Jun - School Board Meeting
10 Jun - Last Day of School
July
14 Jul - School Board Meeting



Key Dates 2009 - 2010

September 1            
First Day of School
October  29-30      

Teachers Convention

November 26-27     
Thanksgiving Break
December 23 - January 1 
Winter Break
April 2-9 
Spring Break
June 10 
Last Day of School
 

Facilities Referendum

On November 3rd, Whitefish Bay voters passed a two-part facilities update referendum. Both questions on the ballot received a YES vote.

The Basics:

Question 1
$9 million for essential infrastructure updates.  This work will include electrical, plumbing, roofing, building exterior and security updates.
 
Question 2
$13.6 million for projects including additions to Richards and Cumberland, a new, safer gym floor for the Middle School and new music space at the High School.  All of the additions will open up existing spaces for new uses such as science labs in the High School and increased space for special education.
 

More Information about the Referendum:

www.yesyesprogress.com

WFB School District website

Facilities Review Committee Charge and Conclusions [PDF]

www.YesYesNov3.com

New Education Resources Online!

Our newly-expanded list of links to Whitefish Bay curricula, teachers' recommended web sites and other sites of interest to parents.

 

Of Note...

President Obama's Back to School Speech
Read the text

Moody's Reconfirms a Strong Credit Rating for the School District
Press release [PDF]

New Director of Instruction for Whitefish Bay
Press release [PDF]

 

Copyright 2009 Advocates for Education of Whitefish Bay, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Advocates for Education
of Whitefish Bay, Inc.
PO Box 170123
Milwaukee, WI 53217-8011