Athens K-12 OK’s 2% raises, $500 stipends
By Casey Krautkramer
The Athens Board of Education on Monday approved an employee compensation model that gives teachers a 2 percent increase in their base salary, or $1,054, and a $500 one-time stipend for the 2025-26 school year.
School districts such as Athens follow the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of inflation, when determining raises. The CPI is 2.95 percent for the 2025-26 school year. Small rural school districts like Athens tend to provide teachers with a smaller increase in pay than the CPI suggests, yet also give them one-time stipends so they aren’t tied to a high salary percentage increase every school year.
Board member Tom “Chummo” Ellenbecker said the stipend is nice because it provides teachers with short-term relief, but he’s hoping the district will be in a better financial position in the future to give teachers the full CPI percentage increase in their yearly salaries.
Other business
■ The board approved the district’s switch in health insurance from Aspirus to Security Health through the Marathon County health insurance consortium for the 2025-26 school year. This will result in an approximately a 2.69 percent increase compared to this school year.
All together, the district will pay approximately $29,283 more for health insurance in 2025-26, which is a smaller increase than if the consortium would’ve stayed with Aspirus. Athens would’ve faced a 12 percent increase, or $81,924, if the consortium remained with Aspirus for 2025-2026.
■ The board approved a motion to allow Athens High School senior Aleah Frahm to attend the FBLA National Leadership Conference with Athens FBLA advisor Michelle Murkowski, June 29-30, in Anaheim, Calif. Frahm told the school board she was surprised to take first place in the Future Business Educator category at the FBLA state competition and she is honored to be representing Athens at the FBLANational Leadership Conference.
■ Board members accepted the retirement of middle/high school math teacher Chris Czech at the end of this school year. Czech has taught for 33 years in the district. The board also approved the hiring of Ron Kremstreiter as part-time lawn maintenance worker this summer.
■ The board approved an addendum to the human resources report acknowledging that Jamey Handschke, maintenance and operations supervisor, will resign to relocate closer to his wife’s job.
■ After meeting in closed session, the board approved teacher contracts and letters of intent for 2025-26 as presented. Superintendent Andrea Sheridan did not divulge any details as to staffing levels for next year.
■ Physical educator and health teacher Jessica Bingham spoke during the public comment period at the start of Monday’s school board meeting. She invited board members to attend the Athens Distinguished Alumni ceremony at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, in the middle/high school commons. This year’s Athens Distinguished Alumni inductees will be Glen Luetschwager, Class of 1974, Steve Janke, Class of 1988, and Davis Zubke, Class of 2009.
Bingham also spoke as a parent about the importance of the school district keeping the Title 1 reading program even if the federal government stops funding the program. She said it has been very beneficial for her son at Athens Elementary. She also would like the school district to hire a Title 1 reading teacher for the sixth and seventh grades next school year, because she doesn’t want her son to fall through the cracks because he no longer has reading intervention.
Sheridan a finalist in Cambridge
Sheridan was a top three finalist for the School District of Cambridge superintendent job. The Cambridge Board of Education announced at its meeting on Monday that it has chosen Heather Cramer, who has served as the Hutisford School District superintendent and elementary school principal for the past eight years, as its new school superintendent.
Jeff Eichelkraut, New Glarus middle school principal and director of instruction for the past two years, was the other candidate for the School District of Cambridge superintendent job. The School District of Cambridge is a similar sized school district compared to Athens. Cambridge is located 22 miles southeast of Madison.
HEADED TO CALIFORNIA- Aleah Frahm, center, was the top finisher for Athens FBLA at the State Leadership Conference, March 31-April 1, earning the right to compete at the National Leadership in California, June 29-July 2. Frahm took first place in the Future Business Educator category. Also attending the state convention from Athens were, from left to right, Bianca Boneske, Brooklynn Soens, Frahm, Itzel Espinoza-Quiroz and Isabella Zastrow. Over 600 FBLA members from 24 regional chapters competed in over 65 events, attended workshops and elected a new 2025-2026 Wisconsin State FBLA officer team. Frahm will be one of more than 8,700 high school students from nearly 1,600 high schools who compete in more than 100 events in California. They will also pariticpate in workshops, meet with with representatives from over 60 colleges, universities and employers and hear from keynote speakers. Michelle Murkowski is the Athens FBLA advisor. SUBMITTED PHOTO
