Whitewater school board members held a meeting to discuss the school district funds and organizing agenda changes moving forward. The board covered financial matters such as comparing revenues between districts, donation approvals, and ideas to improve district funds. The board was also focused on improving ways to attract more families back to the public school system. This meeting also addressed transparency concerns over the budget.

Starting off, the board highlighted the Whitewater High School FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Team. The team, named Ferradermis, recently showcased their talent in Duluth, Minnesota, as Impact Award winners. This was rewarded with a trip to the FIRST Championships in Houston, Texas.

This led to donation proceedings that called for approval from the board on donations that are over one thousand dollars. The high school team has already raised $38,000 in funds for their trip. The Whitewater High School Esports team was also celebrated for their state qualification.

The meeting discussed a concern mentioned by alderman Neil Hicks including the new aquatic and fitness center subcommittee agreement. Since this formation in early 2023, the agreement hasn’t been agreed upon by the City of Whitewater and the Whitewater Unified School District. This proposal is focused on solving financial material needs that can be agreed upon by both sides. 

“This entire process has had its ups and downs, milestones and miscommunications, the city has had their own issues as well–we acknowledge that, however both sides have worked tirelessly to get an agreement signed. We are right there ready to finish it, we just need to push it across the finish line,” Hicks said.

He also added that it has been over 400 days since the agreement had been proposed initially. The board meetings have records of consistently speaking on the issue, but still have yet to reach a decision to appease both sides.

After public hearings, Superintendent Dr. Caroline Pate-Hafety gave a monthly update reminder on the self-evaluation form that can be found on the School Perceptions website. The self-evaluation is board policy that reflects on performance reviews. This form offers a chance for the public to let their voice be heard and help gauge where the community stands. The self-evaluation surveys are beneficial to the community because they implement a way to connect to the board and provide feedback to help generate change for the future.

“That feedback is still helpful for the next board members, if you’re going to be with us, so I encourage you to complete the eval to not hold up the cycle with the thought that there would not be change over so that we can keep progressing,” Pate-Hafety said.

The School Board is aiming to be as transparent as possible and are taking measures to remain in check. The hope is to respond to all of these concerns and make an effort to reply accordingly.

The self-evaluations and upcoming election for the board will ideally help progress the district. The next upcoming election for the board will be April 2. The elected School Board members will serve three-year terms starting later that month.