Voter Guide 2025

A multi-million-dollar referendum for Rhinelander public schools will be on the ballot April 1.

“If it is approved, the district will be able to exceed its revenue limit by an additional $3 million per year in both the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years,” the school district’s website reads. “Once the current referendum expires in 2027, the district would then be able to exceed its revenue limit by $7 million in the 2027-28 and 2028-29 school years. In total, the district would be exceeding its revenue limit by $7 million in each of the next four years.”

Along with that referendum, Rhinelander area voters will also be voting for members of the school district’s nine member board of education; four seats are up for election in 2025 and all four incumbents — Doug Artus, Judy Conlin, Ronald Lueneburg and Mary Peterson — are running for re-election. 

There are also four candidates running against the incumbents; Jacqueline Zivko, Robert Shelly, former Oneida County board member Bill Freudenberg and Rhinelander police officer Kurt Helke. 

Jacqueline Zivko

Most refer to me as Jacqui.

I am initially from Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, but relocated to Oneida County in 2019 in pursuit of employment and family.

My educational and employment background is comprised of the following:

I received my high school diploma through Two Rivers High School. I then went on to pursue college education in criminal justice and social work.

I obtained my associate degree and completed the law enforcement Academy Program at Lakeshore Technical College.

In addition to this, I pursued a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice through Lakeland College and a minor social work certification through the University of Wisconsin/Stout.

I have employment experience in juvenile justice and social work. I am currently employed through Oneida County Human Service department as an ongoing social worker in the children and families unit. 

I am very dedicated to the work I do and I am grateful for the community connections this position has provided me. 

Upon my relocation to Rhinelander, I quickly grew to love the small town charisma and northwoods community.

I have four children within my family who are students within the school district of Rhinelander and have worked with several families and children within our community whom also attend. Aside from being a resident of Rhinelander, I portray several additional roles.

I am a mother, a parent, a parent of a child with specials needs, a community member, a social worker and advocate for special education.

I feel that my educational background and experience within these roles can offer a diverse perspective in regard to our school district’s academic success, needs, and community education.

What prompted you to run for election to the school board?

Through the multiple roles I portray, this has presented me with the opportunity to view our school district through multiple perspectives.

Through those positions, I have also seen a lot of the challenges that this community faces in regard to educational standards, academic achievement and individual student needs.

I decided to run so I can ensure that my children, in addition to every other child within the Rhinelander school district, is able to obtain academic success.

As a school board member, I would also like to gain understanding. I hope to utilize my role to learn and promote better community understanding of our educational standards as they progress forward and evolve within our ever-changing community.

I would like to openly discuss the current educational barriers our district is facing and how progress can be adjusted, maintained or improved to achieve ongoing academic success for our children and students.

I do not intend to support, purge or challenge every educational issue encountered but I do want to ensure that every issue at hand is adequately addressed and heard.

I feel I could be a liaison between the school district and community for an educational standpoint.

Within this role, I would help navigate the unanswered questions and ongoing changes within our society, to ensure that all families are presented with the same standard, regardless of social, educational, and/or economic status.

List three top priorities for the Rhinelander school district as you see them over the next three to four years.

Three top priorities I would like to see focused within the next few years in regard to RSD are additional opportunities for special education programming, support and resources.

More community collaboration in regard to addressing academic issues and parental concerns.

A more balanced approach to youth justice delinquency and the need for more accessible educational alternatives.

Kurt Helke

I have been a community leader in Rhinelander for going on 27 years.

I came to Rhinelander in 1998 as a veteran of the United States Air Force just after completing an education in criminal justice.

As a sergeant with the Rhinelander Police Department, I have taken on many roles problem solving within the community.

I have seen and dealt with first hand many of the challenges our parents and students face on the home front including struggles with addiction, mental health and domestic issues affecting families. I have raised two girls as a single father through this school district and have personally navigated the hallways of our schools being acquainted with extra-curriculars, the concerts, interacting with the parent portal, and the drop off/pick-up procedures at each school.

I have also been fortunate enough to meet many of the great teachers and administrators we have in this community and have seen the effect a great teacher can have once they connect with a child.

You might have seen me pull over a car, at an accident scene, out with my family, at the YMCA or heading up the annual shop with a cop event.

Now I’d ask you to consider me as a voice that you know and trust among this school board.

I believe I can bring a unique perspective to this board taking into account the value of all pieces to the education system which includes the students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members.

What prompted you to run for election to the school board?

The Rhinelander school board has been a thought for many years as I watched from the sidelines; however, as a full time, working single dad, the priority was always my children.

Now that my youngest daughter is graduating this year, I feel I can not only objectively dedicate myself with my time and attention but I can fulfill a need to give something back to the community.

In dealing with life’s adversities, I have become a student to many motivational speakers and self-improvement teachings, valuing the teachings of many books such as Extreme Ownership and Atomic Habits.

An important concept that led to this decision is that I have gone through my experiences, stresses and struggles in my life to forge me into the man I am today and now I will use my life lessons to positively influence others.

List three top priorities for the  Rhinelander school district as you see them over the next three to four years.

I believe the Rhinelander school district is currently led by a competent board of people that care for the district as a whole; I would like to continue the positive trajectory and bring in fresh ideas and perspectives. 

That being said, I think three important goals for the district are as follows:

1. I believe it is essential for the Rhinelander school district to continue to work on the challenges of adequately funding our schools.

It is important to be fiscally responsible with the budget and to continue working to solve the political issues with unlocking state education funds.

2. I believe it is a priority to recruit and keep quality staff within this district. Great teachers are the heartbeat of an educational system and as such we should make sure our teachers are paid competitive wages, receive good benefits and that their morale is not adversely affected by work related stressors.

We should be helping our teachers with wellness and peer support as they navigate the additional challenges of teaching in today’s world.

3. It is important to do everything we can to give the children of this community a great education that will help them grow and be successful in the future.

In doing so, we must be mindful of the curriculum presented and be flexible in understanding individual challenges.

As such, we must recognize the mental health challenges that have increased dramatically in the past decade.

This creates an additional demand for support for both students and staff.

Robert Shelly

I am 47 years old and moved from Pennsylvania to Rhinelander when I was three. 

I attended K-12 in the Rhinelander school. district.

During my junior and senior years of high school, I participated in an apprenticeship program at the local Ford dealership. My intent from a young age was to be an auto mechanic and having this opportunity afforded me the chance to understand what this career entailed. \

After graduation, I chose not to attend college to pursue this career, moving back to Pennsylvania and went to college for to work in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).

I currently work for a company out of Canada which sells forestry equipment across the world.

We are owned by Komatsu which is a global equipment manufacturer.

I am a PSSR and provide product support and sales from the Lake States to Texas. I have been in the forestry industry for 23 years.

I would like to participate on the school board and be able to give back to the community.

I believe that high school is the last chance for our kids to have a chance to experience what they are passionate about before committing to an expensive college.

I would like to work with the school district, Nicolet College and local businesses to provide these apprenticeship opportunities.

If elected, I would like to review teachers and staff to understand what can be improved to offer our kids the best education.

I believe that teacher pay needs to be reviewed and be merit based. This merit needs to be based on their student’s involvement and GPA averages.

What prompted you to run for election to the school board?

I elected to run for school board to try and give back to the community I grew up. 

I believe if we all contributed perhaps are communities would thrive throughout. 

As a person that travels the country and has interactions with numerous people, the thing I hear the most is how hard it is to find help. This needs to change not just in our community but throughout the U.S. The schools have instilled in every student that they need to attend college to be successful and this is not the case.

There are many skilled trades that can provide lucrative careers for these students, and for many this is a better option than college.

Students still need to be engaged in school and do the basics regardless of what one chooses for their career choices.

List three top priorities for the Rhinelander school district as you see them over the next three to four years.

Balancing the school district budget, provide opportunities for the students to participate in apprenticeship programs with local businesses and having all parents proud of the education the school district provides all students.

Bill Freudenberg

I am a longtime resident of Rhinelander and have been involved with many organizations as well as serving in city and county government.

I graduated from high school in Chicago but have no college experience.

I have attended many school board meetings to understand the role of the school board and the operations of the district.

I feel I am a well qualified candidate to serve on the school board moving forward.

What prompted you to run for election to the school board?

The desire to serve the community I live in. To bring my passions and strengths to the current board and work together for a better future for our students and our educators.

List three top priorities for the  Rhinelander school district as you see them over the next three to four years.

1. How taxpayers dollars are spent moving forward. 

2. Maintaining a quality education for our students and retaining good educators as well.

3. Communication with the people of the district to keep them informed on important matters.

Judy Conlin

I bring a wide variety of experiences and perspectives to the board as a special education and elementary teacher working in the district for 22 years, 6 years as the director of instruction for the Tomahawk school district, nine years as a mentor to area schools working on school improvement, and working with school teams in our region and throughout the state to understand and use data to improve student learning.

I am the board vice president.

I was the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) representative on the Wisconsin Council on Special Education from 2020-2024 and was co-chair of the council for two years.

WASB recently recognized me “for demonstrating a high level of commitment to Wisconsin public school students by participating in WASB professional development opportunities.” 

In 2009, I testified before the legislative education committee and before the joint finance committee in 2014, 2019 and 2021 about the negative impact of the funding formula on our district and advocated for increased funding for special education, which would provide significant funds to every school district.

I twice received the Outstanding Service Award from the Council for Exceptional Children Wisconsin Division of Early Childhood.

I currently serve on the board of directors for Camp Manito-wish YMCA in Boulder Junction.

What prompted you to run for re-election to the school board?

I decided to run for re-election because I feel my 18 years serving on the board has given me broad knowledge of our district and our priorities; I bring an understanding of a variety of perspectives to our discussions and decision-making.

As chairperson of the instruction and accountability committee, I understand and support the work that is being done to improve student learning and achievement; the superintendent noted that the curriculum and instruction committee has provided critical leadership in enhancing educational programs and strategies and understanding of data by board members.

I am proud that we elevated the importance of technical education, putting it on a equal par with the academic programs.

With district staff, I presented at the WASB convention to share information about our technical education programs and business partnerships.

As a member of the employee relations committee, I understand the need to have competitive salaries to attract and retain our quality teachers, administrators and support staff; this is especially important with the current teacher, support staff and administrator shortages. 

List three top priorities for the Rhinelander school district as you see them over the next three to four years.

Our students are our first and most important priority.

We must continue to focus on improving student achievement and providing the learning, social, emotional and behavioral supports necessary for them to succeed academically and in technical education programs and career opportunities.

This means providing interventions and additional instruction for students struggling to succeed while also meeting the needs of our most capable students who need to be challenged in their learning.

Having the most qualified people working with our students is critical to student success. 

We are committed to continuous improvement for our teachers and support staff: we invest in their professional learning and implementation of best instructional practices and provide supports as they work collaboratively to identify and address the learning needs of their students. It is our responsibility as a board to make sure that our students are taught by the best teachers, have the best support staff working with them, with the best administrators providing leadership and support.

Fiscal responsibility is essential both for achieving the first two priorities and for our accountability to our taxpayers.

We have worked to help our community understand the inequities in the funding formula that require us to go to referendum for our operational costs; we only get 24 percent of our funding from state aid.

Fiscal responsibility involves wise decision making: identifying ways to reduce costs while maintaining the high levels of instruction and services to our students, having an adequate fund balance to avoid the costs of short term borrowing, making sure that our budgets align with our priorities and communicating with our community about our decisions and providing them with opportunities to connect with their schools through community education programs and use of our facilities.

Part of fiscal responsibility is continued communication with legislators to inform them of our needs, the impact of their budget decisions and advocating for better and more equitable funding from the state.

Mary Peterson

I have been a resident of Rhinelander since being hired by former superintendent Cedric Vig as a K-12 music teacher.

I received my Bachelors Degree from UW Stevens Point and my Masters Degree in music education from the University of Minnesota.

I have been involved in education my whole adult life, either in front of a classroom or since retiring, volunteering to help with RHS musical theatre productions or K-12 choral programs. “What's Best For Kids” has always been a motto of mine.

Our kids have not changed, the society around them has.

What prompted you to run for re-election to the school board?

The kids need a voice of experience to represent them on the school board.

I feel I have been and will continue to be their advocate.

List three top priorities for the Rhinelander school district as you see them over the next three to four years.

My list: provide our K-12  students with the best tools for success as SDR graduates.

• Continue to hire the best staff available and to create an environment that encourages them to remain in our district.

• Work within our district budget without lowering our expectations of excellence for all of our students.

Doug Artus

I attended Elcho high school and moved to Rhinelander in my mid-twenties.

I worked in automobile racing as a safety manager for 10 years.  Currently, I work in Rhinelander at Enterprise Wood Products and I’m a pilot for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

What prompted you to run for re-election to the school board?

A big motivator for me to join the school board is my children.

I have kids in Rhinelander school and I want to help set policy that directly affects my children and my community.

List three top priorities for the Rhinelander school district as you see them over the next three to four years.

Always important is budget and another is hiring and retaining great staff.

Also, a safe and supportive learning environment for the students and staff. 

Ronald Lueneburg

I have been a member of the school district of Rhinelander board of education for 6 years (2 terms).

I have lived and worked in the Rhinelander community for the past 35 years.

I have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in public administration.

During my time on board, I have served on the operations and strategic planning committee and am currently on the employee relations committee.

I am pleased with some of the district’s accomplishments during my terms, such as the building of the Hodag Dome and the passing of a referendum to upgrade the trades program in the middle school and high school. I am humbled that the voters have supported me in the last two elections to be on the school board.

I would ask again for your support to be your voice in the school district.

What prompted you to run for re-election to the school board?

The reason that I am running for school board is essentially two-fold.

I want to continue with the board to ensure our youth are academically prepared for life after high school, whether that be going to college, a vocational institution or going into the work force.

I am a proponent of seeing that the youth of the community receive instruction in the fundamentals of education and that they can do so in a safe environment. These should be essential goals for the district.

Additionally, I very much supported the $26 million referendum to upgrade the trades programs in both the high school and middle school.

We are hurting in the trades area in this community and the area at large.

To get young people interested in pursuing these skill sets and remaining in the area would be good for all of us in the long run.

I think it is important to see this project through to its completion.

List three top priorities for the Rhinelander school district as you see them over the next three to four years.

The three top priorities, from what I can see, for the district in the upcoming years are as follows:

• Seeing that the funding sources which support the district, such as taxes and state aid (which needs to increase) are used responsibly.

Our district is in a financial predicament right now due to a host of reasons which the administration is working to inform the community of for the upcoming referendum. It will be up to the voters to process the information that has been made available to the public and vote in the manner they deem appropriate.

• Recruitment and retention of good teachers is also an important area the board will need to remain mindful of.

• School safety must continue to remain a priority.

While we are all aware that no school in this country can be 100 percent safe, we can continue to have measures in place to mitigate risk.

The public safety officials in the community do a great job working in partnership with the school district and I want to see these relationships continue to develop.