Scott Staude, Burlington High School head baseball coach and Karcher Middle School math teacher, was recently featured for his efforts to grow the game of baseball internationally. In addition to leading the Demons baseball program for the past 26 years, Staude has traveled to countries including Sweden, Germany, the Bahamas, and the Czech Republic to provide coaching clinics and mentorship to youth baseball coaches. His work continues to make a positive impact on young athletes both locally and around the world. Read the full article: Growing the Game linked below. |
Our commitment to creating exceptional learning environments continues to be recognized beyond our district. On June 26, Nick Ryan (Karcher Middle School Principal), Jon Nelson (Assistant Principal), and Steve Berezowitz (School Counselor) were selected to present at the Creating a Culture of Excellence for All Conference in Madison, where educators from across Wisconsin gathered to share effective practices. Their invitation to present highlights the district's leadership in developing innovative systems that support student success and reflects the meaningful work taking place every day in our schools.
The focus of their presentation was “From Systems to Students: Compassionate, Committed, and Comprehensive Approaches to Middle School Success” - sharing how commitment to compassion has guided the development of the comprehensive systems, effective team collaboration, and proactive Tier 1 strategies. They highlighted the successes seen in terms of character education, social-emotional learning, and targeted academic student support - demonstrating how intentional structures translate into meaningful outcomes for students and staff alike.
Kudos and THANK YOU to Nick Ryan, Jon Nelson, and Steve Berezowitz for doing and outstanding job representing BASD!
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The severe storms on July 3 left a lasting impact on many families in our community, including Sarah Guard, a BASD paraprofessional at Cooper Montessori. While Sarah and her two sons, Silas and Sydney, are incredibly grateful to be safe, they lost their home and are now facing the overwhelming challenge of rebuilding their lives.
Sarah has spent years caring for and supporting students in our schools, and those who know her recognize her kindness, compassion, and generous spirit. Today, she and her family could use the support of the community they have been proud to be a part of.
Burlington has always shown what it means to come together during difficult times. If you are able, please consider making a donation to help Sarah and her boys as they begin the journey of rebuilding after this devastating loss.
Click the link below to support Sarah and her family. ❤️
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4K students can enroll now in BASD for the start of the 26-27 school year!
Learn more at www.basd.k12.wi.us or call (262) 763-0210 ext. 1012.
Online registration for all will open on August 3!
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In total we had 219 students engaged in summer school for the past five weeks. Thank you to our staff and students who engaged in summer school as it is always such a great opportunity for students to engage in additional literacy, math, other fun classes, and/or to take additional credits in the summer for our high school students. |
Spark Squad students have enjoyed an engaging start to the summer. The program began with a Harry Potter-inspired Sorting Ceremony, placing students on teams that earn points through challenges and positive behaviors such as teamwork, kindness, and helping others.
Students have participated in activities including a Gordon Ramsay Food Challenge, Ducks in a Row Challenge, student-led drumming, canvas painting, and a field trip to Trackside. They also enjoyed educational visits from the Racine Zoo and the Burlington Public Library Bookmobile. Through these experiences, Spark Squad continues to provide students with opportunities to learn, collaborate, and have fun throughout the summer.
Enrollment has ranged from 318 to 376 students enrolled within any given week. That is about 70 students per day and runs through August 14th.
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Wisconsin Connect Charter School has been awarded a $480,000 grant from DPI. The dollars will assist with furthering the development of the program as the Charter School is getting close to 200 students enrolled!
Congrats to Mandy Adams (WisCo Program Coordinator) and Laura Craemer (District Grant Writer) on the work behind this grant!
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Just a reminder as we head into the second half of summer... As part of the USDA Summer Food Service Program, all children, 18 years of age and under are eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch offered at Karcher Middle School! |
There are still activities and classes for students and community members to engaged in through our Community Education Department. Take a look at the guide and/or share the link with those looking for activities to do! |
Our most recent District Newsletter has been sent to all residences across the district in June. We do have extra copies at the district office if anyone would like more. "The Focus" is our district mailed newsletter that we produce at least 3 times a year to highlight the AMAZING work taking place across our system! |
There is a generic posting on WECAN for anyone interested in any ExtraCurricular Openings at any time. The list below is what is currently open:
- JV2 Girls Volleyball Assistant Coach
- Softball Head Coach
- JV2 Boys Basketball Assistant Coach
Positions for the 2026-2027 School Year (posted on WECAN):
- BHS: Anatomy & Physiology, part-time
- ASL Interpreter ,full-time
- Speech & Language Pathologist Elementary Level, full-time
- RN, district wide, part-time
- HR Coordinator, full-time year round
- Long Term Substitute for BHS Science for the start of the school year (must have a bachelor's degree; ability to teach Biology a plus)
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The Burlington Area School District shares information from community organizations as a service to families. The events and programs listed below are not sponsored, endorsed, or supervised by the district, and the district assumes no responsibility for their content, operations, or activities. |
Taylor Wishau, Board President - April 2027
Marlo Brown, Vice-President - April 2027
Paul Kobernick, Clerk - April 2028
Benjamin Puffer, Treasurer - April 2029
Andrea Brewer - April 2029
Rosanne Hahn - April 2029
Kate Johnson - April 2028
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Andrea Brewer, Paul Kobernick, Marlo Brown, Kate Johnson, Rosanne Hahn
Absent: Taylor Wishau, Ben Puffer
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Burlington Area School District (BASD) is so grateful for the continued generosity of our community. This month, we have received over $3,800 in donations that directly support our students, programs, and schools. These gifts make a meaningful difference in the lives of our students and staff. BASD is truly fortunate to be surrounded by such a caring and supportive community.
Larger donations to note:
- WI National Guard
- Reesmans Excavating
- Redmer and Sons Recycling
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Megan Zimmerman from Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) provided an update on the first 6 months of the self-funded health insurance plan where the focus was to assist the board with understanding how and why this change to self-funded has been so good in terms of cost-saving measures for our employees and the district. One key aspect she shared was that the industry standard of great use and steerage to the plan design is at about a 57% rate nationally. As a district we are currently at 48% which MMA is very impressed with being only 6 months into a plan. |
Chris Weins, Director of Pupil Services gave an update to the board on required annual information to be presented to the board on seclusion & restraint data along with bullying data for the school district. Chris shared that our seclusion & restraint data is down from the previous year. Additionally Chris did a nice job sharing with the board the difference between bullying, conflict, and harassment. Frequently behavioral events at school are deemed to be bullying when in fact most are either a conflict or harassment. Chris also shared how we document, communicate and train staff, as well as our 2026/2027 school year action steps. |
Jill Dreger, Director of Health Services, presented the annual School Health Services Report, providing an overview of the department's work during the 2025–2026 school year.
The attached report highlights the district's health services, including immunization compliance, with the district maintaining 100% compliance with state requirements for immunization documentation or approved waivers on file. The report also summarizes special health programs, including Seal-A-Smile and student screening initiatives, as well as annual data on first aid and illness care, medication administration, 911 calls, concussions, student health conditions, and communicable diseases. In addition, the report outlines staff training completed throughout the year, as well as recommendations and goals for the 2026–2027 school year.
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Every three years, Wisconsin school districts are required by DPI to convene a Wellness Committee to review and evaluate the district's Local School Wellness Policy. The committee must consist of at least 75% parents, community members, and students, with no more than 25% district staff.
This spring marked our three-year review cycle, and the committee met on May 6, 2026.
The team reviewed and discussed the Triennial Assessment and the district's wellness policy, providing good insight, suggestions, and thoughts for the district to consider over the course of the next three years.
Jill Dreger, Director of Health Services (and our certified district nurse) shared information about the committee's suggestions and what adjustments we plan to make based on their feedback. The suggested adjustments are noted within the Wellness Board Presentation (orange link below).
Then, districts have to submit a completed report to DPI and share it publicly through our Annual Notices, which are provided to all families during registration and posted on the BASD website.
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The new contract was an item for action at the board meeting due to the need to approve the name change on the contract. The contract remained the same as it was with Thomas Bus, with the exception of the insurance amounts as Riteway carries higher insurance coverages than Thomas did.
The school board unanimously approve the contract as written.
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Wis. Stat. requires that School Boards place a notice on the agenda of the Board’s first meeting of each school year (July) that clearly identifies the pupil academic standards adopted by the School Board under 118.30(1g)(a)1, Wis. Stats., that will be in effect for the school year.
As a district we have always followed the Wisconsin Academic Standards, therefore, this is simply a requirement for the board to acknowledge yearly that we do adhere to and follow the Wisconsin DPI Standards.
Additionally, per Policy 2460, The DPI Special Education Model Forms and Policies and Procedures Manual shall be adopted annually by the Board.
This too means we follow the rules and expectations put in place when it comes to special education per the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for Special Education.
The school board unanimously approved the use of the Wisconsin Academic Standards and the DPI Special Education Model Forms, Policies, and Procedures Manual for the 2026-2027 school year.
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Some staff appointments were finalized after Wednesday's Personal Committee and are therefore presented as an item for Action.
The school board unanimously voted to approved the appointments as presented.
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Reminder: Policies go through the first reading at the policy committee level. This is the second reading of the policy. If there are any policies that a member of the board wants to pull out for additional discussion you can make a motion to request a specific policy come out and be added to the next meeting and then gain board approval to do so (if that were something anyone wants to do). |
NEOLA Policy Review regarding Act 57 & Act 89. These are all policies our board had to review due to new laws and requirements set forth by the state of Wisconsin.
- NEOLA's recommendation is to add the section: Appropriate Discussion Content When Using Personal Communication Devices (PCD).
- This section modernizes the code of conduct to address the digital realities of social media and instant communication. By aligning with the 2025 Wisconsin Act 89 and giving the Board options that align with staff and volunteer requirements, this additional verbiage creates necessary safeguards for Board-to-student interactions and ensure that private digital conversations don't undermine public transparency.
- This policy also has additional verbiage added that sets the general expectation of all board members to review the meeting agendas and submit questions to the Superintendent prior to the meeting, whenever practical. This additional verbiage states "this expectation does not in any way intrude upon the Board members right to ask questions or engage in discussion at a Board meeting". The verbiage is there to assist with efficiency at meetings by giving time for the data requested to be collected.
- *The difference in this policy (1213) vs the policies below (3213 & 4213) is the beginning section Required Notification. This is present in the Administration policy and not the others because it has to do with the notification to families which will be handled by the Superintendent (reminder the capital S indicates or designee). This section does not apply to Professional and Support staff. All other changes listed below are included in all three policies.
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- These policies provide Board guidance for student safety, designed to clarify everything from physical accidents to sexual exploitation. It protects students by establishing for staff standards of care with accountability. It seeks to address the concept of "student welfare" into a set of mandatory, enforceable behaviors that keep the learning environment guarded, and establishes a standard of care to protect student safety by defining behavioral boundaries for all staff.
- The verbiage added was optional under Act 57 and is now required by 2025 Wisconsin Act 89. The updated language creates student protections, providing explicit definitions for "grooming" and "boundary violations" to attempt to address predatory behavior before it escalates. By mandating the use of District-approved communication platforms, the changes regulate the digital loopholes where inappropriate relationships often begin. Furthermore, these revisions ensure the District remains in strict compliance with new 2025 state laws. These changes are required by 2025 Wisconsin Act 89.
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- This policy bridges the gap between personal convenience and public accountability, so that District business conducted on private devices remains secure, professional, and legally compliant. It protects the privacy of students and staff by regulating how sensitive data is stored and where devices can be used.
- This revision establishes oversight of digital interactions by requiring the use of District-sanctioned communication platforms for all student-related correspondence. These changes are required by 2025 Wisconsin Act 89.
- This policy ensures District technology is used strictly for educational purposes while maintaining compliance with federal and state safety mandates, such as the Children’s Internet Protection Act. It establishes clear behavioral standards regarding digital conduct and artificial intelligence to mitigate institutional liability and protect students from inappropriate content. By defining monitoring protocols and privacy limits, the policy provides the necessary framework for the Board to manage resources and maintain a secure learning environment.
- The revisions regarding digital communication are required by 2025 WI Act 89 (Wis. Stat. 118.07(7)), which mandates that school boards define "appropriate content" for interactions between staff and students. The statute (118.07(7), Wis. Stat.) does not define "appropriate content" but requires. Districts to specify in policy what "appropriate content" means locally. The goal of the statute is to protect students by regulating staff and volunteer communication with students; however, the law was written to also apply to student communication to District employees, i.e. "between" staff/volunteer and student, and therefore this policy language is included in the student policy section.
- While the specific Artificial Intelligence (AI) and social media protocols are optional local additions, they are necessary to maintain academic integrity and prevent the unauthorized disclosure of student data. These revisions are important because they provide a standardized framework for managing modern technological risks that traditional screening methods cannot address. The revisions due to 2025 WI Act 89 and consideration of related options are legally required, however, the revisions due to AI are recommended by NEOLA but not required by law.
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- This policy is essential for maintaining professional boundaries by prohibiting private one-on-one digital interactions between staff and students and ensuring all social media activity is archived as a public record. Under 2025 WI Act 89 (Wis. Stat. 118.07(7)), these changes are required by law to define "appropriate content" for digital communication and to address staff-student interactions.
- This policy is important because it establishes rigorous vetting through background checks and sets clear boundary expectations for all community members, including Board members, who interact with students. These revisions are important as they extend the same safety standards and platform restrictions to volunteers that are already applied to all staff members. These revisions are required by 2025 Wisconsin Act 89.
- Title Change from Child Abuse and Neglect.
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This policy is essential for safeguarding student welfare by establishing mandatory reporting procedures and requiring recurring staff training on the identification of abuse and neglect. The revised sections concerning immediate parental notification for alleged sexual misconduct or unauthorized student representations are required by law under Wis. Stat. 118.07(5) and Wis. Stat. 948.098(1)(d). These changes are important because they create a standardized, time-sensitive communication protocol that ensures families are informed when their child is a suspected victim of misconduct. These revisions are required under 2025 Wisconsin Act 57 and 89.
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The following policies were reviewed, as part of our ongoing district policy review and no changes are recommended:
The following policies were reviewed, as part of our ongoing district policy review and changes are recommended:
The changes notes that the schedule of current benefits is available digitally and no longer a hard copy in each office.
The change in this policy is that meal/beverage reimbursement is limited to meals not otherwise provided with the registration or furnished as part of the conference or event, no reimbursement will be made for a substitute purchase.
Requested Policy to be Reviewed:
0131.1 BYLAWS AND POLICIES - Due to our previous change to procedure moving the first reading of policies to the Policy Committee and the second reading to the full board it is recommended to update this policy. Tim from NEOLA recommended the following changes to add the verbiage "or committee" and remove "and, once proposed, shall have remained on the agenda of each succeeding Board meeting until approved or rejected."
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During the Policy Committee review of Policies 3440 and 4440, Job-Related Expenses , the committee decided it was important to make an adjustment to the reimbursement meal rates, as well as practices to prevent duplicate meal reimbursements, and align administrative procedures to ensure it all aligns to board policy.
The board unanimously approved the rate adjustments for food/beverage reimbursements for staff as well as the documentation requirements, based on the policy language changes recommended by the policy committee.
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Updates from committees that met since the last monthly board meeting:
Personnel Committee (Marlo Brown - Chair)
- Committee met Wednesday, July 8, 2026 - virtually to discuss appointments, retirements and resignations that were presented tonight. There was no closed session.
Policy Committee (Paul Kobernick - Chair)
- Met on June 22 to review the policies that were presented for the 2nd reading at the board meeting tonight.
- 12 policies were reviewed as part of the ongoing district review.
- 9 policies relating to Act 89 were reviewed.
Board Governance / Communications Committee (Kate Johnson - Chair)
- Kate Johnson that the Board Governance & Communication has not met since the last board meeting.
- She also shared that, I (Jill) was appointed to the executive committee for the Southern Wisconsin School Alliance (SWSA) which is a group of board members and superintendents that focus on engagement with legislators and government officials with a common goal of furthering the understanding of public school funding.
- Additionally, Kate did talk about what was discussed at the last SWSA meeting on June 9, 2026. Members participated in breakout sessions to define "predictable, sustainable funding" and "fully fund public schools," with discussions centered around the need for CPI-based increases, special education funding improvements, and eliminating unfunded mandates. The group also reviewed recent legislative developments including the failed budget surplus negotiations and the 400-year veto provision, discussing how to effectively communicate these issues to legislators and the public.
Finance Committee (Ben Puffer - Chair)
- Finance Workshop was held on June 15, 2026 and talked about the next operational referendum, finance 101, financial scorecard, 25-26 and 26-27 budgets, and a potential City and BASD collaboration.
Teaching & Learning Committee (Andrea Brewer - Chair)
- Met on June 25, 2026 with the focus being on Standards Based Grading at the High School. Amy Levonian (BHS principal) and Kerry Sett (Instructional Coordinator) presented on Standards Based Grading and shared adjustments that will be made going into the 2026/2027 school year.
The following committee has not met since the last Board Meeting.
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Building & Grounds Committee (Rosanne Hahn - Chair) - will schedule as needed or requested.
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Southern Wisconsin School Alliance (SWSA) Monthly Meeting - Tuesday, July 14, 2026, 7:30 am, Virtual
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Finance Committee Board Workshop - Monday, July 27, 2026, 6:00 pm, District Office
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Teaching & Learning Committee Meeting - Tuesday, August 4, 2026, 5:00 pm, District Office
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Personnel Committee Meeting - Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 2:00 pm, Virtual
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Policy Committee Meeting - Thursday, August 6, 2026, 5:30 pm, District Office
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School Board Meeting - Monday, August 10, 2026, 6:30 pm, District Office
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The school board convened in closed session pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes 19.85(1)(c) to discuss proposal of salary adjustment recommendation for administrators and hourly rate for support staff for the 2026-2027 school year.
The board did come out of closed session and into open session to approve the suggested salary adjustments for administration and support staff for the 2026-2027 school year.
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BASD Proud,
Dr. Jill Oelslager, Superintendent
Taylor Wishau, Board President
Marlo Brown, Vice President
Paul Kobernick, Clerk
Ben Puffer, Board Member, Treasurer
Andrea Brewer, Board Member
Rosanne Hahn, Board Member
Kate Johnson, Board Member
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