Input still sought for new district administrator

By Kevin O’Brien

When trying to attract a new superintendent, former Stratford district administrator Scott Winch said it helps to let prospective applicants know what a school district’s greatest strengths and challenges are.

For the Marathon School District, these two categories seem to be intertwined. The qualities that draw families to the district – high academic standards, experienced staff and abundant extracurriculars – are also leading to an ongoing growth spurt that’s putting pressure on the district’s limited space and faculty.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” said school board president Jodi DeBroux at a public hearing held Monday as part of the district’s process for finding someone to replace retiring superintendent Rick Parks.

Besides DeBroux, just one district resident and one teacher attended the community focus group held in the high school auditorium, but it was only one of seven group discussions held Monday throughout the district. Winch, who now works as a consultant for the search firm HYA Associates, said he spoke to a total of 36 students and staff on Monday about what they would like to see in a new superintendent.

Another community focus group is planned for this Sunday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m., which will be held via Zoom so people can participate remotely from their homes. District residents and staff are also encouraged to take an online survey available by going to www.marathon.k12.wi.us, clicking on “District Administrator Search” under the Community menu and scanning the QR code. (A link to the Zoom meeting is also available.)

HYA’s goal is to use this input to create a leadership profile report for the school board to review at its next meeting on Feb. 12, after which it will be posted on HYA’s website for candidates to read, Winch said.

The purpose of the leadership profile is

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twofold, he said. It will not only serve as a road map for the school board and new administrator to follow into the future, it will also act as a recruiting tool for applicants.

“People will wait to apply for a job until they see what’s in that report to see if it’s a good fit or not,” he said.

The job opening was posted on Jan. 13 and will remain open until Feb. 20. Winch said HYA is anticipating between 12 and 15 people to apply for the position.

“We think it’s a pretty attractive job for candidates, so we’re expecting a strong candidate pool to choose from,” he said. “As I told the school board before, our job is to make their job hard and present several good candidates to choose from.”

Winch asked focus group participants three main questions: what are the district’s greatest strengths, what are its biggest challenges and what traits would they like to see in a new administrator.

District resident Scott Baeseman listed low class sizes and highquality teachers as two areas that complement each other. Teacher Ryan Winkler said the district’s extracurricular offerings – both athletic and academic – are also a strength, and so is the stability provided by low staff turnover and a school board that supports administrators. “I think our parents and community support education,” he said. “I hear a lot from people who work in other communities, and I think we’re lucky to have the support we have.”

Winch said he heard a lot of people mention support from the business community, both large companies and smaller operations, as a big plus for the district. As advisor of the Youth Apprenticeship program, Winkler said a lot of students are given opportunities to start their career paths early because of businesses in the area. Speaking as someone who grew up in Rib Falls, moved out of the area for several years and then came back to raise his family, Baeseman said he and his wife chose Marathon in part because of its high test scores. He said other families are making the same decision, especially as the Wausau area develops toward the west.

“With everything expanding and growing, Marathon has no choice but to expand and grow with it,” he said. “Otherwise, we’re going to stagnate and go the other direction, and that’s not good either.”

At the same time, Baeseman said its important for Marathon schools to retain their small class sizes with individualized attention for students.

“You go to a lot of bigger schools, and the kids are just a number,” he said. “It’s not like that here.”

Like all schools in today’s world, Winkler said Marathon struggles to find enough quality applicants when teaching jobs open up, which is especially problematic as the veteran staff start to retire.

“We could be losing a lot of people in the next five to six years,” he said. “How are we going to maintain our high academic standards, making sure we have quality applicants coming?”

Limited space is another issue, Winkler said, noting the use of the auditorium as a choir classroom and the number of tables and chairs pushed out into the hallways. Baeseman agreed, noting that the high school is landlocked, with Marathon Cheese to the south and County Materials to the west.

“This is not going to be the high school forever,” he predicted. “It’s going to have to go somewhere else for it to be able to expand to meet the needs of the future.”

When asked for characteristics they would like to see in the next superintendent, Winkler said loyalty to the district and dedication to the community would be desirable.

“I would like to see someone that doesn’t see Marathon as a stepping stone,” he said. “Someone who would like to stay here awhile.”

On the issue of experience, Baeseman said hiring a younger candidate may not be bad, since an older one may demand a higher salary.

“With experience comes cost,” he said.

When Winch asked for some parting comments that would capture why someone would want to come to Marathon City to be the superintendent, Winkler said it’s clear that the community takes pride in its school district, which makes it a destination for families, students and teachers.

“There’s something here for everybody,” he said. “Even though it’s a small school, we try to make sure that there are opportunities for everybody.”

Scott Winch