WAUKESHA — Incumbents Kelly Piacsek, board president, and Anthony Zenobia, board vice-president, are running for reelection on the Waukesha School Board against Stephanie Fidlin, Eric Brooks and Angelique Byrne.
Patrick McCaffery, who was first elected to the board in 2006, announced in December that he would not seek another term.
Three of them will be elected to the School Board during the April 2 election. The Freeman asked the candidates questions ahead of the election.
Here are their responses:
FREEMAN: Why are you running for this position?
BROOKS: As a former educator, I know that a quality education is the key that opens the door to success and opportunity.
When our students thrive, our community thrives. Education should empower everyone. We need to make sure that we are meeting kids and families where they are at and providing them with multiple pathways to success.
I’m running to: Ensure that parents always have a voice in their child’s education, drive academic achievement to make sure that our students are college and career ready, hold the line for taxpayers and continue Waukesha’s tradition of fiscal responsibility.
BYRNE: I believe in strong public schools and want Waukesha Public Schools to meet the needs of the community. As an educator and parent in the district, I see areas where the district could meet students’ needs in more creative and effective ways. I want all students to have opportunities that will set them up to flourish in all areas of life posthigh school. I want to ensure there are as many attractive opportunities in Waukesha schools as there are in neighboring districts. I want to make our programming innovative, robust and visible, to attract and retain students.
FIDLIN: As a parent with three students enrolled in the district, I am committed to the success of our public schools for my children, as well as our community. I have watched the chaos of the school board over the past three years as beloved teachers from our schools have resigned and achievement has declined. As a volunteer with PTO, serving as co-president for the past two years at Summit View, I have seen firsthand that our teachers need more support from the district. I am running to make Waukesha schools an excellent place to receive the highest quality education.
PIACSEK: As a mom of three district students, my family is fully invested in our schools and community, and it has been an honor to serve the district for the past three years. We have much to celebrate on behalf of our students, thanks to talented staff, thriving programs and engaged families. As board president, I’ve been committed to leading positive, measurable changes, yet there is still much to do. I’m eager to continue the work toward reclaiming our reputation for educational excellence and leadership in Waukesha County and across Wisconsin.
ZENOBIA: I am proud of what the board has accomplished in the last three years and the direction the district has taken. We’ve addressed student recovery following Covid, made major investments in curriculum for all students, passed a Parental Rights Resolution, maintained talented and professional staff, and improved our facilities all while keeping tax rates low, navigating important issues and making some hard choices. I want to keep the gains we’ve made and use that momentum to continue improving the quality of education in Waukesha so our students can achieve even better outcomes.
FREEMAN: What is the most pressing issue facing this school district?
BROOKS: For me, the most pressing issue is always going to be improving academic achievement, especially at the elementary level. SDW has been outpacing the state when it comes to learning recovery postpandemic.
We need to keep that momentum going forward as we transition from learning recovery to academic excellence. This means maintaining high expectations for our students as we continue to implement rigorous, evidence-based curricula in the classroom.
Improving student achievement also means finding ways to address the issue of chronic absenteeism, which spiked during and after the pandemic. Increasing parental engagement and communication is a good first step.
BYRNE: Declining enrollment is impacting Waukesha, as it is in most of the state.
District administration has not shared long-term plans to address this. Our community needs to know the district’s long-term vision to address declining enrollment so residents have the opportunity to provide feedback. This would allow the community to understand the financial and programming decisions the district is making and have input on needed changes. The board should come up with creative solutions that will increase open enrollment. By creating opportunities and programs the community values, they could retain district students and attract more families.
FIDLIN: The most pressing issues facing this district are staff turnover and low achievement scores. Statewide school district report scores from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for the 2022-23 school year show that the Waukesha School District was the lowest performing district in Waukesha County. The current board has prioritized creating divisive policies over pursuing academic excellence. Teacher resignations have doubled in the past two years per data collected by the EAW. Without a change in leadership, we will continue to lose our quality educators and students to higher performing districts.
PIACSEK: The most important thing is ensuring our students get a great education and are college or career ready after graduation. Cultural, political, and social distractions have eroded the core mission of public schools. Our local efforts to reverse this trend by implementing proven core curriculum across all grade levels and maintaining classrooms as places to learn, free from personal ideologies and indoctrination, are starting to pay off. Our teachers are making a difference and our students are rising to higher expectations. It’s imperative that a focus on learning remains the top priority.
ZENOBIA: The manufactured and untrue perception that the Waukesha School Board and Administration does not care about the students and families it serves. Nothing could be further from the truth. I want all our students to thrive in a secure learning environment. I respect and value our teachers and staff. I want available resources and programs to benefit students and families in need. I have not encountered another board member, administrator or any staff that felt differently or acted otherwise.
FREEMAN: Districts are continuing to face financial challenges and difficult decisions. How would you deal with this?
BROOKS: Thanks to the leadership of the board, the district’s finances are in a great place. While other school districts in the county are going to referendum this spring, Waukesha has been able to make significant investments in our schools while reducing the total tax levy for district residents by 7.8%. I plan to keep us on this path forward.
Every financial decision that we make as a district should prioritize the academic needs of all students while still keeping the best interests of the taxpayer at heart.
BYRNE: It’s important to inform district residents about the state funding formula that was put into place in 1993 and how it impacts Waukesha Public Schools. Waukesha receives less money per pupil than many similar districts. With this knowledge, it’s imperative to be transparent about how the district is managing taxpayer money and how the needs of the district can be met. I would work to find out what the district needs are and find creative solutions that continue to meet all learners’ needs, paired with safe and functional facilities and educational spaces that prepare students for future jobs.
FIDLIN: By addressing the declining enrollment we can help keep dollars in our district. Waukesha prides itself on having the lowest mill rate, and we have not regularly relied on referendums to help fund our district. With the recent increases for the water expansion and City Hall, no one is looking for higher taxes. That is why it is so important to address our declining enrollment. As we lose students to higher performing school districts, we lose funds for our schools. We need to make Waukesha a destination district where families want to live, work, and educate their children.
PIACSEK: An increase in home, private and charter schooling, coupled with declining birth rates, means that public school enrollment could continue to drop. We must pursue strategies that focus resources in the classroom and optimize our ability to meet diverse learning needs with less money.
Recent steps to right size our building footprint and standardize curriculum allow us to maintain competitive compensation while lowering our tax levy by almost 8% since 2021. Disciplined spending and proactive planning are the best approach to weathering mounting external pressures in the future.
ZENOBIA: I credit our Board, both in the past and present, which have worked hard to maintain the district’s financial health.
Enrollment continues to decline, due to many factors, so we have made tough decisions that address structural deficits. Bringing more students under fewer roofs has saved dollars, but more importantly, it focused more resources on where our student needs are. As a result, major programs and services have not been cut while reducing facility expenses and improving education.
FREEMAN: Parents are very passionate about their children’s education. What are ways you make parents feel heard but still do what’s best for the district?
BROOKS: Having been an educator, I know that kids do best when their parents/guardians are active and engaged in their education. That’s why I support ongoing parent engagement and the work that the Board has done to ensure that parents have a voice in the education of their child. It’s critical that we continue to support parental rights here in Waukesha. We should also work to improve communications between the district and our families to keep them informed and engaged on district matters.
BYRNE: To intentionally listen to concerns, I want to create more channels for systematic feedback from students and parents before making major decisions. It’s important to hear from parents and students to find out their needs, thoughts and opinions. I want to strategically engage a diverse pool of voices so everyone is heard and use this information to find the best research-based educational practices to make decisions that meet students’ needs. I believe this will help to create strong programs and increase support for all learners and families.
FIDLIN: Parents play a vital role in the partnership of education. Parents absolutely need to be heard. There needs to be more transparency in communication from the district. Communication should be proactive to prepare families for changes or decisions being considered and to solicit timely feedback before the decision is made. Too often in this district decisions are made without any communication, and then angry families flood the board with emails to express their displeasure. This reactive communication does not build trust between families and the district. We need to bring families into the decisions from the start.
PIACSEK: Parents being heard IS what’s best for the district. Parents are their children’s number one advocate and first teacher. Parents feel most unheard when their children’s learning needs aren’t prioritized or when topics and materials that transgress family values enter the curriculum without parents’ knowledge or consent.
In 2023, I drafted a parental rights resolution that outlined the Board's commitment to creating a positive, age-appropriate and transparent learning environment. The resolution passed unanimously, affirming the Board’s belief that parents really do know what’s best when it comes to guiding and being informed of their children’s school experience.
ZENOBIA: I ran on listening to parents in 2021. I have been a strong advocate for parents and their voices to be heard, and I weigh that feedback in my decisions.
Silenced and ignored parents will move their students out of the district, but parents happy with and engaged in the direction of their child’s education are a district asset. Doing what is best for parents and families is what is best for the district. Yet, making the best decision for all families sometimes has a negative effect on a few, and that is the toughest part of this job.
FREEMAN: There continues to be a division in local government and school boards. How do you work with others you don’t necessarily agree with?
BROOKS: Between my seven years working in childcare and education, and my time working in politics, I’ve seen my fair share of petty arguments. The best way to address this division is to focus on productive conversations with the shared common goal of helping kids. Last year, I helped craft bipartisan legislation that transformed how we teach literacy in Wisconsin. This meant setting aside political differences and working with people across the political spectrum to reach a compromise. I am always willing to work with anyone, regardless of politics, if it means improving educational outcomes for students.
BYRNE: I seek to honor the inherent value in others to build understanding and come together on common goals so I can serve the students and families of Waukesha. I will work to look beyond differences and be thoughtful and respectful in discussions, leaving religious, political, and personal opinions behind in order to focus on student and community needs. I believe it’s important to gather information from the community, including school employees, students, and parents to keep discussions informed and not rely on personal convictions alone. This will help us make strong decisions that will improve our schools
FIDLIN: In order for this district to be successful, the board must operate with the common goal of supporting the highest quality education for our students and providing a supportive workplace for our staff.
There must be mutual respect for differing viewpoints, and board members should work together using collaborative communication. A school board should not be comprised of only like-minded people. It must represent the many stakeholders in the district. However, the board members must be unified in their commitment to the success of our schools. Working together is the only way to move forward.
PIACSEK: Since being elected, I have worked alongside 14 different school board members. Whether or not we have agreed, I have approached the work professionally, well-prepared, willing to listen, and solutions- oriented. As board president, I have been committed to conducting orderly meetings, and our board does a great job of working together without taking things personally. Difficult decisions are part of the job, but you leave the votes in the boardroom and get back to work. We need to remember that we adults set the example for our kids. Be respectful, be honest, do your best, learn, and move on.
ZENOBIA: Division stems from tyrannical government policy opposing the will of the people who have lawfully and peacefully assembled to redress grievances like: Covid mandates, DEI, CRT, sexually graphic and explicit materials, and gender ideology as means to control and indoctrinate minors.
Elected officials who support these policies and the small, radical groups who champion them, while ignoring concerned parents, are being replaced. For several elections, the democratic process has been self-correcting local government, and with it, our nation’s school boards are more reflective of the people they represent. I will be cheering on these patriots all the way!
Read more of ourÌý2024 spring election previews here.
