The Whitewater Unified School District met Sept. 22 for the first school board meeting of the 2025-26 school year. The meeting ran just short of three hours, as the agenda included crucial discussion points about school renovations and finances, along with a presentation about district goals.
The meeting began with a Whitewater Middle School Student Council report from council member Jillian Buehler. Buehler discussed some upcoming events within the Whitewater Unified School District, while highlighting the success of the first few weeks of the school year.
“We rolled out the red carpet for our newest WMS class,” Buehler said. “They enjoyed a special day just for them to get comfortable and excited about middle school life. We are thrilled to say this year is off to a fantastic start.”
Following the report from Buehler, the board discussed the eighth grade’s recent trip to New York and Washington D.C. and approved two future trips for middle school classes. 8th grade English-language arts teacher Yvonne Fanshaw gave a presentation on the recent five-day trip, which brought 22 students and two staff members to many historical landmarks such as the United States Capitol, the Smithsonian Museums and the September 11 Memorial & Museum.
“The trip was a tremendous success, both academically and socially,” Fanshaw said. “The purpose of the trip has always been to connect the classroom learning with real-world experiences. Many students reflected that seeing these places firsthand made their studies come alive in ways the classroom simply can’t replicate.”
Fanshaw also proposed another trip to New York and Washington D.C. in July 2027, along with a trip for high school students to England and France in August 2027. The board approved both trips, although some board members expressed concerns about affordability causing students to not be able to participate, as only 22 of the 126 eighth grade students participated in the recent trip.
“I think the program is wonderful, but our message is all means all, and I will always fight for that,” school board clerk Lisa Huempfer said. “I don’t believe this is accessible to all, and I think that we have to have something, an alternative.”
Board member Jeff Tortomasi also expressed his concern for students who would not be able to attend, noting that an alternative trip would be beneficial to students who could not afford the trip. Board member Christy Linse noted that students should be allowed to get some form of class credit for the trip by allowing students to write a report on their experiences abroad.
Following the trip discussions, school district cabinet members gave a presentation on district goals for the 2025-26 school year while highlighting goals from previous school years. The district goals were presented using a “six pillar” method, with goals centered around ideas such as social and emotional well-being, communication, diversity and inclusion. Multiple goals included implementing new programs or focusing on already existing programs within the school district to help students succeed.
Renovations within the school district rounded out the meeting. Neil Hicks of the Whitewater High School Booster Club gave board members a look at the updated junior varsity baseball field dugouts.
“We just had some rickety old benches out there and one or two for spectators,” Hicks said. “Sometimes the kids would actually sit on those benches because there weren’t many spectators. Just seeing some decent dugouts at some other districts, we wanted to improve the JV field at some point.”
School building renovation plans are also underway. Bray Architecture presented their floor plan and rendering models for what the renovations would look like. Renovations will include a new, modern-looking gym and an expansion to the cafeteria. Currently, there is no set date for when renovations will start. Additionally, security improvements to the school district were discussed, including new security cameras that were recently installed.
The meeting concluded by adjourning into closed session.
