New superintendent hired

By Kevin O’Brien

Angela Woyak, a Rib Lake native who is currently serving as an elementary school principal in Wyoming, has been been chosen as the next superintendent of the Marathon School District.

Woyak will assume the district administrator role on July 1, taking over for retiring superintendent Rick Parks, after the school board voted unanimously last Wednesday to approve her hiring. She was one of three finalists who visited the district earlier this month to meet with staff, students and community members.

Other finalists included Matthew Raduechel, a Wausau native who is currently in his second year as principal of Shawano High School, and Adam Jacobson, who has been in the Marathon School District for 18 years and is currently a business education teacher and technology coordinator.

Woyak’s professional background includes 18 years in school administration, in-

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Angela Woyak Superintendent

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cluding stints in Medford and her hometown of Rib Lake before moving to Wyoming. She currently serves as principal of Westside Elementary for the Park County School District in Powell, Wyo., where she has been for 11 years. She moved to Wyoming after adopting a foster son with her husband.

The district started a search for a new administrator after Parks announced in December that he was retiring after a 42-year career in education, including 17 years as superintendent and previous assignments as a teacher and coach. Earlier this year, the school board hired a search firm, HYAAssociates, to help find a new administrator who fit the needs and desires of district residents.

Former Stratford superintendent Scott Winch led the process, facilitating focus group discussions in the district and developing a leadership profile that was used to guide the recruitment process.

After the first round of interviews with applicants, the board narrowed the field down to three finalists who were invited to the district before board members deliberated one last time on April 9.

Under a two-year contract approved by the board, Woyak’s starting salary will be $140,000 for the 2025-2026 school year before increasing to $145,000 the following year.

In a press release, board presidents Jodi DeBroux said Woyak “has demonstrated a strong commitment to student success, equity in education, and transparent and collaborative leadership, all while building strong community partnerships.”

“We are excited to welcome Angela to our district, as her vision, experience, and passion for education aligns perfectly with our district’s goals, and we are confident that she will help us continue to provide high-quality education for every student and lead our district well into the next chapter,” she said.

Other business

■ The board approved 3.35 percent raises for teachers, which includes a $1,200 increase for each teacher plus a higher base pay of $41,500 per year. A 2.05 percent increase in administrative wages, $2,000 per administrator, was also approved, and an increase of 4.61 percent was approved for support staff, which includes an extra 50 cents per hour for general staff and 75 cents more per hour for contracted support staff.

■ Sarah Riesgraf, currently a fifth-grade teacher, was hired as the district’s new library media specialist. Principal Max Wienke said Riesgraf is working to get her certification and will be granted a provisional license in the meantime.

■ The board voted to switch employee health insurance plans from Aspirus Health to Security Health after Aspirus proposed a 12 percent increase in premiums for 2025– 2026. Board members still have to set copays and premiums at their next meeting. Security Simply One offers a 1.4 percent rate decrease with a narrow network of providers, while Security’s Premier plan offers a statewide network with a 7.2 rate hike.

■ The board renewed the district’s student accident insurance coverage for next year, at a cost of about $917, a $15 decrease.

■ The board approved an extra-duty wage schedule for 2025-2026, with a new pay rate of $21 per hour for non-advisors who chaperone at school dances.

■ The board accepted a low bid of $36,840 from Lakeland Door for replacing four sets of exterior doors at Marathon Elementary and Marathon Venture Academy. Wienke said the doors are all in bad condition and don’t always shut properly.

■ The board approved teaching, co-curricular and support staff contracts for the 2025-2026 school year, with vacancies to be filled in third grade, fifth grade and high school science.

■ The board approved a 2024 district report card, which includes several indicators of career and college readiness among students, along with “Points of Pride” for the district, such as the high rate of staff retention, the availability of extra-curricular activities and the $176,100 in scholarships awarded to students last year. The full report card is available at the district website.

■ The board authorized the True North (Shell) gas station on the north end of the village to use the school district’s logo on a new “Pride Pump,” which is used to raise money for district-related causes, similar to one in place at the R-Store.

■ Wienke told the board that a total of 41 students and chaperones from MVA and St. Mary’s Catholic School are signed up for a field trip to Washington, D.C. later this year. He also noted that an annual field trip to Ashland has been canceled because the Northern Great Lakes Visitors Center was unable to accommodate the students. Instead, a trip to the North Lakeland Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters has been scheduled for May 21-22, which came with an unanticipated cost of $1,000.

■ The board renewed the district’s busing contract with Fischer Transportation for another five years, with a 4 percent increase in the cost for general routes and a 7 percent increase for special education routes (which require more work) for 2026-2027. In years two through five of the contract, the district can negotiate the rates based on the Consumer Price Index as a default.

■ The board scheduled the next round of ACT and pre-ACT testing for students at Marathon High School for March 17, 2026.

■ The board approved a motion to have motivational speaker Terrence Talley come to MVA on May 13 for a presentation on mental health, which may also be given to high school students and school board members on the same day.

■ High school principal Dave Beranek said the Midwest Renewable Energy Association has awarded the district a $9,000 grant to cover the cost of solar panels at the district’s new outdoor classroom.