There will be familiar faces in new administrative roles at Lakeland Union High School starting this summer. The reshuffling of some current administrative staff follows the announced separation of the principal/district administrator duties and the retirement of a long-time educator, both effective at the end of this school year at Minocqua.
Principal/district administrator Jim Bouche will relinquish the duties of principal and will be employed as part-time administrator. Assistant principal Justin Szews will be the full-time principal. Chad Gauerke, dean of students, will take over the assistant principal job. Phillip Updike, of Monroe, will be the new activities/athletic director, replacing retiring Dan Scharbarth.
On Monday, the school board approved contracts for Updike and Gauerke. The board then debated how to fill the post of dean of students, if at all. Szews lobbied for the post to be filled full time. “A full(-time) dean of students position has proven effective in the past and I would wholeheartedly recommend continuing to employ a full-time dean of students professional to help students build their behavior skills sets,” said Szews. (The board approved the principal contract for Szews last month.) Szews said since Gauerke became dean of students in 2014, the number of major discipline referrals has dropped significantly. “Now when we sit down with teachers at professional development sessions, we can spend time on improving classroom instructional techniques and teachers don’t need to focus as much of their energy on building acceptable levels of classroom behavior,” he explained.
Gary Smith’s moved to approve the administrative staffing model, which included filling the dean of students post on a full-time basis. It passed on a 7-2 vote with Barry Seidel and Shari Nimsgern voting “no.” Bouche said the position would be posted internally, but also advertised outside the building.
Gauerke will draw a salary of $79,500, plus a benefit package. He started at LUHS in 2010 as a long-term substitute teacher. He holds a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction principal license. Updike will be paid a salary of $71,000, plus a benefit package. His 24 years in education includes his current role as district administrator for the Argyle School District, a position he’s held since 2013. The Monroe resident holds several licenses, including superintendent, principal, coaching and physical education. In addition to the above, the administrative staff includes Rob Way, director of curriculum and director of pupil services; Stephanie Lewis, director of special education; and Greg Kopp, business/finance manager. The school psychologist position is currently vacant, and the Academy/Career Pathways director position will become vacant after this school year. It has been suggested that the Academy director’s responsibilities will be taken over by either the future dean of students or the assistant principal, or perhaps by both to some degree. The administration team has interviewed three individuals for the school psychologist post, but no one has been forwarded to the board on a recommendation. While no directive was given, a couple board members supported “growing” a current counselor position into a school psychologist. It was noted that very few school psychologists are coming out of the graduate school programs statewide, making the marketplace very competitive for those candidates.
In other actions, the board accepted the resignations of the following: Ken Thanig, head boys hockey coach; Len Larsen, Career Pathway director; Brenna Gabert, English teacher; and Arnold Neubauer, paraprofessional educator in the special education department. The board approved the hiring and salaries/stipends, for the following: Jennifer Varsik, ProjectSEARCH instructor, $59,500 annually; Jana VanDreel, special education/ID instructor, $59,500 annually; and Matt Thiessen, assistant girls soccer coach, $2,180 for the season. Board officers The board re-elected Ed Schaub as its president. He received six votes to Seidel’s three. Other officers elected were Gary Smith, vice president; Seidel, treasurer; and Barb Peck, clerk.
