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Public schools featured in spring primary election
North Crawford and Wisconsin
North Crawford
GILLIAN POMPLUN
Crawford County Independent & Kickapoo Scout
Updated: Feb 14, 2025, 2:02 PM
Published: Feb 12, 2025, 3:34 PM

On Tuesday, Feb. 18, Wisconsin will hold its spring non-partisan primary election. Voters will go to the polls to narrow the field of candidates, in various elections, that will appear on the ballot of the spring non-partisan election, to take place on Tuesday, April 1.

Locally, voters will cast primary election votes for candidates for the North Crawford School Board, and for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. In the state Superintendent election, voters will vote for one of three candidates on the ballot. Those candidates are incumbent Jill Underly, and challengers Jeff Wright, Sauk Prairie Schools Superintendent, and education consultant Brittany Kinser.

In the North Crawford School Board primary election on February 18, voters will vote for two of five candidates on the ballot. The primary election will narrow the field to four candidates, whose names will appear on the April 1 spring election ballot. Then, on April 1, voters will vote for two candidates to fill two, three-year terms on the school board.

In the running for seats on the North Crawford School Board are incumbents Jerry Coleman and Charissa Richter, and challengers Jesse Swenson, Melany Jelinek and Tyler Olson.

Jerry Coleman

Incumbent school board member Jerry Coleman was first appointed to the school board in 2021, and then elected to serve a three-year term in April of 2022. In May of 2024, Coleman was elected vice president of the school board. Coleman serves on the Personnel, Curriculum, Budget and Audit committees, and as the district’s delegate to CESA-3.

Coleman is a lifelong dairy farmer in the Town of Clayton, which he says is “not so much a career as a way of life.” He and his wife Katrina Johnson, who leads ‘Sources of Strength,’ a best-practices suicide prevention program in local schools, have two children who attend North Crawford. Coleman holds a business degree from UW-Platteville.

“As a dairy farmer, I know how to deal with limited budgets, and the importance of making the right choices,” Coleman explained. “It’s one thing to have to make those choices in my private life, and another to make them in the public sector, where the choices the school board makes affect the community, the taxpayers, and students and staff at the school.”

Coleman emphasized that he grew up in this community, and says “I know the values of this community, and understand its strengths and weaknesses.”

“We have a lot of poverty in our area, which I’ve experienced first hand, and this affects our families and students in multiple ways, from housing to employment,” Coleman said. “All of these challenges in our community become challenges for our school district.”

Coleman says he is seeking re-election to the school board to build on the successes the district has achieved in the last three-to-four years.

“The referendums passed by the district voters in November of 2022 have been huge successes,” Coleman said. “We now have a strong building, and I want to help continue the board’s work to build the staff and the school community. It has been an honor to serve on a board that has done a tremendous job.”

As far as key issues facing the district, Coleman discussed student English Language Arts (ELA) and Math scores, and staff retention as two important issues he wants the school board to focus on.

“With our new ELA and math curriculums, we have seen significant improvements in student scores on standardized tests, but we still have to get better,” Coleman said. “This is my number one objective, and I want to see the district give the staff and the administration the tools they need to continue to improve.”

Coleman said that for him, staff retention is also a key priority, and he wants to see the district make the best use of its limited resources.

“I have lots of faith in our community to make the best choices, and I’m honored that my neighbors and community have invested a lot of trust in me – I know the school board’s decisions aren’t always popular, but as a board member, I’ve always acted in the best interests of our community,” Coleman said. “We have a great staff and an amazing administration, that has done a great job of working with kids who have special needs, and in facing the challenges the district has experienced.”

Charissa Richter

Incumbent school board member Charissa Richter was first elected to the school board in April of 2022 for a three-year term. Richter sits on the Personnel, Budget and Policy committees of the board, and serves as the district’s correspondent.

Richter works as an occupational therapist at Gundersen in Boscobel, and lives with her husband Jimmy, and children Cecil and Bernadette in Gays Mills. Her son Cecil attends North Crawford in the third grade, and her infant Bernadette receives care at the North Crawford Daycare Center. She earned a degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati in occupational therapy.

 Richter grew up in a small town in central Ohio, and after graduating Xavier University, moved to Colorado with her husband Jimmy, where she began her career as an occupational therapist. Her husband Jimmy started their retail shop, Little Boxes Vintage in Colorado.

“About four years ago, we moved to Gays Mills with our son, Cecil, and settled into this welcoming community. We opened our shop, Little Boxes Vintage, in the mercantile in Gays Mills and I started a position at Gundersen Hospital in Boscobel, continuing my occupational therapy career,” Richter explained. “We believe it is important to stay active in our community, and are both active members with the Gays Mills Lions Club and Connect Communities Gays Mills.”

Richter said that experiences that have helped prepare her for service on the North Crawford School Board include time spent in grad school, working as an occupational therapist, and participation in multiple community groups.

“I've learned how to listen, collaborate with others, and critically analyze situations to thoroughly consider a complex situation prior to making a decision,” Richter said. “These are all important skills to have as a school board member.”

Richter says she is highly motivated to continue as a member of the school board, and feels the board has accomplished a lot over the last few years.

“I'm eager to continue with that momentum. The board has a vision, and set goals to increase academic scores, improve communication with the community, retain staff, and maintain our building, all while working within our budget,” Richter explained. “I feel we have made nice headway with these things, but there is still much work to be done. I believe that I can make a positive difference for our students, staff, and community while serving in this role, and would be honored to continue in this capacity.”

“There are always so many wonderful things happening at the school. It's exciting to watch it all unfold,” Richter said. “The staff and administrators do such a wonderful job of seeking out opportunities to improve what the school has to offer our students. I think it helps the staff to know they have a school board that supports their efforts.”

 Richter says she is looking forward to the school expanding what is offered through the school forest. She pointed out that the district still has a capital improvement list to chip away at to keep the grounds in good working order.

“We will also be looking at staff surveys to guide us in our staff retention efforts, and we are always looking at academics as a high priority. We want to ensure that students have excellent curriculum, and the teachers are equipped and supported to utilize it well.”

Richter says that a new Wisconsin biennial budget will be upcoming, and she is hopeful that the state will increase the funding allocated for public schools.

“Either way, we will need to keep a close eye on our budget to ensure we are good stewards of our funds, to best utilize the resources we have,” Richter said.

Jesse Swenson

Jesse Swenson, although not currently an incumbent candidate, has served on the school board multiple times over the years. She has also served as a coach for the track team, is a North Crawford graduate, and has sent her children to the school as well.

“We are a family of North Crawford graduates, operating our beef operation on our sesquicentennial farm in Star Valley,” Swenson explained. “My husband Kurt owns and operates Crooked Creek Construction, and our three children have all been extremely active students and athletes at North Crawford.”

Swenson cites her preparation for serving on the school board as “being involved with North Crawford throughout my life, be it as a student, a volunteer, a coach, a school board member and asa parent. These experiences give me perspective on every aspect of what our district needs from our school board.”

Swenson says she is motivated to run for the school board because of the need for greater transparency for our district members.

“I think a school board can forget who they're representing at times,” Swenson said. “School boards need to represent the entire district, not just their interests or beliefs.”

Swenson says the most important issue facing the district is teacher retention and attracting new, quality teachers.

“I'd like to see teachers, coaches, etc paid more,” Swenson said. “If elected, my priorities would be exactly that. Let's reevaluate where the money is going, and pay staff more.”

Melany Jelinek

Melany Jelinek is the youngest of nine children, and grew up on a dairy farm between Seneca and Eastman.  She married Brad Jelinek in 2001, and they are both Seneca graduates. They have six children - Brent, Beau, Darci, Kaylee, June and Briggs.

“I had an in-home daycare from 2001–2008. In 2009 we moved to a farm in the North Crawford School District, and milked 150-200 goats until 2021,” Jelinek said. “I recently started my own painting and cleaning business, and my husband is employed by Fowler and Hammer, and works in LaCrosse.”

Jelinek says that having children in the school district for 14 years, working at the school for five years as a paraprofessional, along with coaching at North Crawford, have all given her plenty of hands-on life experiences to be prepared to serve on the North Crawford School Board.

“I became motivated to run for the school board after attending numerous school board meetings, and speaking with other concerned parents, community members, and North Crawford School District employees, both former and current,” Jelinek said. “We need more board members that will ask the tough questions and do their due diligence at looking into recommendations that are brought to the board before voting on them.”

Jelinek pointed out that the school already has a strategic plan for 2024-2029 on the school website addressing areas of current issues. It includes student achievement and growth, stakeholder engagement and communication, staff recruitment and retention and fiscal responsibility.

“Having the plan in place is the first step. If elected I would do my part to hold those accountable and make sure we are following through with the plan,” Jelinek said.

Jelinek cites improving the education of all the students that would prepare them for life after high school as a priority.

“Whether they choose a four-year college, technical college, a trade school or joining the workforce, I want them to be prepared,” Jelinek said. “Other priorities would be listening to the concerns of parents and community members,  along with looking into our staff turnover rate and open enrollment out numbers.”

“Ultimately, I truly want a positive learning environment for the students at the North Crawford School District. In order for that to happen, parents need to feel heard and our staff needs to feel supported. Raising responsible, respectful, reliable, resilient students is the ultimate goal. They are our future.”

Tyler Olson

Tyler Olson grew up and has spent his whole life in Gays Mills. He graduated from North Crawford in 2014, and continued his education in Platteville. He has a seven-year-old son, who is currently obsessed with “everything Mario.”

“The biggest thing that has prepared me to serve on the school board is my experiences as a teacher,” Olson said. “I believe that I will work for the teachers and students to provide them with the best possible environment to learn and teach. Being in the school for multiple years, I understand what both the teachers and students want. I believe that I can help make our school a better place.”

Olson said his motivation for running for the school board is the students and the teachers. His sister and girlfriend currently work at North Crawford, plus he has family throughout the school.

“I want it to be the best experience for all who walk through North Crawford,” Olson said. “One of the bigger issues that I see is staff retention, and making North Crawford a place where people want to stay. I have ideas that will make our school even more desirable.”

Olson said his top priorities will be student and teacher focused, finding ways to help all achieve the goals that they are wanting to achieve. 

“I want to provide opportunities for all. Advocating for teachers pay, and providing more support and learning opportunities for the students,” Olson explained.

Special Education has a primary importance
At North Crawford
Special Education
THE NORTH CRAWFORD special education department is an integral part of the district and a point of Trojan pride. The department staff is made up of, from left, Christopher Finnell, Erin Konichek, Olivia Gabrielson, Jen Pedersen, Cara Wood, Sara Troshynski-Fredelake, Melinda Biege, and Emily Patti, as well as Tracy Morovits-Feye and Andrew Watters, who are not pictured. - photo by JORDAN DERRICK
JORDAN DERRICK
Crawford County Independent & Kickapoo Scout
Published: Mar 12, 2025, 7:42 PM

It seems these days, special education plays a vital role in supporting student equity and equality.

In the North Crawford School District, the special education department is extremely important to the staff, students, and community.

At North Crawford, 18.8% of the student population require special education services, according to the 2023-24 district report card. This is a similar figure to most nearby districts.

Despite having similar numbers, the school’s special ed department is often considered one of the best in the area.

“Our department is really dedicated to making sure we get the best out of the kids, and that they get the best out of us,” high school special education teacher Andrew Watters said about the program. “We are willing to try new things and are always adapting our program.”

The purpose of the department is to provide better access to education for students who need more support.

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) is a federal law that outlines special education in public schools. It is described as a law that “makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children.”

The Act was reauthorized and renamed in 1990, from the EHA or Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The EHA was originally put into place in 1975, to protect the rights of and require meeting the needs of disabled youth. 

Since the EHA, and now the IDEA, schools and services have become much more inclusive and beneficial for disabled students, with nearly 7.3 million students receiving special education services in the 2021-22 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

North Crawford Student Services Director Cara Wood says that she has noticed the negative feelings that many families have toward special education in public schools.

This stigma makes it harder on the students, as they or their families may fear mistreatment or poor services. Wood says that North Crawford is working to fight these fears and continue to provide the best services they can.

Public schools must comply with IDEA, otherwise they may face legal action and/or loss of federal funding.

“Special education is not optional,” North Crawford Superintendent Brandon Munson said about funding the program. “We cannot turn down high needs students, so we pay for the services, whether we have the budget or not.” 

The disability groups covered under the act include:

• autism;

• deaf-blindness;

• deafness and hearing impairment;

• emotional disturbance;

• intellectual disability;

• orthopedic impairment;

• other health impairment;

• specific learning disability;

• speech or language impairment;

• traumatic brain injury; or

• visual impairment (including blindness).

With such a broad range of students, many who qualify for the special education program choose not to participate, as not all qualifying students and their families feel they need the support.

Often times, students with certain disabilities can even grow out of the program.

“Students learn as they function and grow, and, especially with disabilities like autism, certain students may outgrow special education,” Director of Student Services Cara Wood said.

Special education from the district ranges from students ages 3-21. Children with developmental disabilities can participate in the Wisconsin birth-to-3 program, where they offer speech, occupational, and physical therapy before the children begin attending school.

The end of a student’s K-12 services doesn’t end their access to services. Once students reach the end of their K-12 career, they have a right to disability accommodations in many higher-education institutions and workplaces.

Adapting is extremely important for the entire special education department, students and staff alike, whether it is to the next chapter in their life or their next student.

“There is constant change. No day is exactly the same, no student is exactly the same,” Watters said.

The basis of any special education program is the IEP, or Individualized Education Plan.

Every student in the special education program has an IEP. Its purpose is to evaluate the circumstances of and plan for each student’s year.

The meeting includes the parent or guardian and teachers of the student, along with the director of special education. As described by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, “an IEP is a program designed to meet the unique and individual needs of a student that qualifies… under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).” 

The IEP is a written guideline, which is revised yearly, for the special education team to follow. It serves to ensure students are receiving the necessary services and are continually meeting their educational goals throughout the year.

Superintendent Munson says that IEPs can be a key to keeping communication between the district and the students’ families open and consistent.

As the parent of a student in special education, Emily Patti feels that the program at North Crawford has done great work with her son.

Patti’s child is enrolled in North Crawford Elementary School. Throughout his time in the district, he has received an array of services, including extra instruction, emotional regulation, and help with adjusting to the school environment.

“Everybody wants to work with these kids and understand them on a really deep level,” Patti said about the program. “There isn’t one set curriculum that works across the board, in general or special education. Everyone is really adaptive and really cares.”

The feelings Patti has toward the department’s staff are not uncommon.

“We have really great teachers and assistants,” Director of Student Services Wood said. “They are always here and so committed to their roles; it’s what makes the program work.”

North Crawford's special education department has come to be highly regarded because of their relationships and communication with the families of students and their quality of services provided. 

The staff works incredibly hard to create a safe and comfortable learning environment for each student, and hopes to continue evolving the program for the better.

A unique aspect of the North Crawford department is the Trojan Brew Company, a mini coffee shop run by high school special education teacher Christopher Finnell.

Finnell started the program three years ago with his students, selling coffee to a handful of teachers in the building, and they have worked to expand it to be much larger since.

“The students involved in Trojan Brew Co. are learning valuable skills, such as managing check registers, budgeting, inventory, self-advocacy, and more,” Finnell said.

North Crawford works hard to support growth and provide a great education for every student.