Stratford to close special ed. open enrollment
By Casey Krautkramer
The Stratford Board of Education last Wednesday voted not to accept any new open enrollment applications from special education students for the 2025-26 school year due to a lack of space available based on the current number of students. The district will continue to accept regular education students who don’t have special needs.
Superintendent Nathan Lehman told the school board that the projected increase in special education students is determined based on the completion of the current and expected referrals for special eduction, completion of the preschool screening process, parent referrals and ensuring space for the potential of new students enrolling into the district.
“Our caseloads of special education students are higher this year than in the past,” he said.
Board members Chris Dickinson, Tyler Skaya, Kitty Guyer and Kyle Jochimsen attended the meeting and voted to cut off special education open enrollment for next year. Board member Jeannie Tichy was absent.
Other business
■ The board accepted the resignations of custodian Alissa Adani and junior varsity girls basketball coach Breanna Ackley, and approved the hiring of Troy Bargender as junior varsity girls basketball coach.
■ Board members discussed the Wisconsin Area School Boards (WASB)’s 12 resolutions that will be voted on by district delegates at the the Wisconsin State Education Conference on Jan. 22-24 at the Baird Center in Milwaukee. The approved resolutions will then be sent to the Wisconsin State Legislature.
Four board members will be attending the conference, including Skaya, who represents the district as its WASB delegate. Board president Dickinson is also a member of the WASB policy and resolutions committee.
■ The board met in closed session to discuss the conduct of a school district employee but it did not take any action upon returning to open session.
■ The May school board meeting is being moved ahead one week to Wednesday, May 14, because the high school senior awards night is on May 21.
■ The next school board meeting is at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, in the school library.
