Important choices made at SDR school board meeting

An eventful meeting of the School District of Rhinelander board of education ended on an unexpected note Monday, May 18.

Emerging from closed session, the board accepted several resignations including that of Kyle Barber, principal of Northwoods Community Elementary School. Effective June 5, the resignation concludes a single year for Barber in that position.

“Kyle Barber has chosen to resign from his position,” SDR Superintendent Eric Burke told the Northwoods River News. “He will be missed at NCES and in the school district. We wish him the very best moving forward.

“We are fortunate to have current JWMS associate principal Ingrid Bodensteiner move into the principal position at NCES. Ingrid has been an associate principal and teacher in the School District of Rhinelander for over 10 years.”

Barber did not return the River News’ requests for comment.

The board also accepted the resignations of Central teacher Jaelyn Brendemihl, Central teacher Maria Lokemoen, RHS reading specialist Rachel Riske, Central teacher Kari Roepke, school counselor and program support staff Jessica Scholtes, Speech and Language Pathologist Madison Schulz, and Special Education teacher Mikaila Walker.

Hires were also approved: Aiden Belot for JWMS Social Studies, Lisa Chapman for RHS Family and Consumer Science, Sophia Cook for RHS Technology Education, and Heather Klimek for Crescent Elementary Special Education.

Health insurance increases

The board also took action on the district’s health insurance renewal for the 2026-27 school year, to help address what superintendent Burke called “the ever-increasing cost for health insurance, not just for our employees, but for our school district.”

Ken Zastrow, senior employee benefits consultant with USI Insurance Services, was also on hand with data. He noted that 2024-25 “didn’t run particularly well at a 108% loss ratio, if you will, or payment ratio to the tune of being underfunded by about $600,000.” An increase of $1 million is budgeted for 2026-27.

“Our current plan, when it’s compared to other plans of school districts, is considered very rich in that it’s at the 97 percentile for plans,” Burke explained. “ … We’d like to continue to be a plan that’s richer when comparing it to other plans, as long as we can. But it’s going to get more challenging as we move forward over the next few years.”

At the recommendation of the administrative team, the board voted to increase the current deductible from $1,000 single/$2,000 family to $1,500 single/$3,000 family.

The board also agreed to increase the cost share, from SDR’s current 4.53% of the cost to 8%. Zastrow said cost-share averages 12.8% throughout the state,

The co-pay amount for specialist doctor visits was increased from $25 to $60, after Helke’s try to amend the co-pay to be $50 did not find a second.

However, a motion to increase co-pays for emergency room visits from $150 to $300 did not pass, by a vote of 6 (Judy Conlin, Kurt Helke, Mary Peterson, Mike Roberts, Patricia Townsend, Merlin Van Buren) to 2 (Duane Frey, Ron Lueneburg). Before the vote, a motion by Helke to amend it to raise the co-pay to $250 instead of $300 did not find a second.

Budget report

Bob Them, the district’s director of business services, delivered the April budget status report. “We seem to be running pretty much right on budget, but just remember, 1% of the budget is about $400,000, so 1% swinging one way or the other, it’s $400,000. We’ll have another payroll here in May, and that’ll get us closer, and then once we really run out those teacher summer payrolls (we’ll know) exactly where it’s all going to land.

Other highlights

Among other highlights of the meeting, the board:

• Was asked again by juniors Ella Miljevich and Hayley Schiek, as they had last month, to keep the current phone policy, which allows the use of phone during passing time and lunch but not during instructional time. “We agree with the current policy, but the problem is the teachers won’t enforce it,” Schiek asserted. A new policy starting this fall, approved by the board last month, will not allow students to use their phone at all during the school day.

“We simply fail to understand why the board would pass a new restrictive policy when there is a current policy in place that is going unenforced,” said Miljevich. “Why aren’t the teachers or the administration enforcing the current policy? Why are students still using their cell phones during class, and the administration and you as a school board feel the only answer is to pass a new policy that is even more restrictive? Have you asked yourself, how is this going to help? … Every day we are challenged to critically think and to ask questions. We are asking you, the school board, to do the same. Don’t just blindly implement something you didn’t research into.”

• Heard in public comment from Cere Yeager, a 15-year employee of the district, the last 13 as a TA in 4K. 

“I’m here today because I have concerns about the proposed increase in health insurance costs,” she said. “As a part-time employee working 35 hours a week, I pay a large percentage of my health care costs. Since having a baby last summer, this premium has greatly increased. I now pay $542 per paycheck. This is over half my paycheck and in an average pay period with no holidays or school closures, I’m left with about $450 in take-home pay. … a co-pay increase from $25 to $60 for specialist visits will be very difficult for me and will leave me with no choice but to forego some necessary care … while part-time employees pay such a high amount for health insurance, I humbly ask the board to please reconsider adding any more to that burden. In particular, the co-pay increase for specialist care is simply too much and will create a great deal of hardship.”

• Heard from Bob Thom in an update on the construction project, budget status and funding that about $22,667,000 has been spent of the $26 million. “There’s a little over $3 million to go, and that will be for finishing up the tech ed rooms, and the bathrooms will be on the agenda for this summer. So by fall, it should all be wrapped up. As of now, they’re reporting that everything is in budget and on time,” he reported.

• Approved the full-time public school open enrollment applications for students requesting enrollment into and out of SDR for the 2026-27 school year and authorized Superintendent Burke to deny any applications he finds appropriate after review of non-resident student records.

• Appointed Van Buren as the district’s representative to the 2026 CESA 9 annual convention being held on Monday, August 3, at the CESA 9 office in Town Hall, Wis. 

• Approved Rhinelander High School’s Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association membership for the 2026-27 school year.

• Officially recognized Robert Tome as the designated administrator for board treasurer, as outlined in Bylaw 0152.

• Approved an increase of RHS breakfast and lunch meals by 10 cents for the 2026-27 school year. “They’re still going to be free at the middle school and the elementary school,” pointed out Burke, “so it’s really only the high school students and the adults.”

• Accepted with sincere gratitude gifts or donations of $100 from Nick Borski, $25 from Cassie Denn, $200 from Wendy Pradt Lougee, $500 from Bob and Susie Vig, and $5434, $6,800 and $3,000 from the Rhinelander Community Foundation, Inc.

• Heard that the Rhinelander High School graduation will be on Sunday, May 31 at 2 p.m. at the Hodag Dome.

The next regular monthly meeting of the full school board will be on Monday, June 22 at 6 p.m. in the Superior Diesel Advanced Learning Center in Rhinelander High School.

Ardith Carlton may be reached at [email protected].