The Tosa Ledger

LEAD STORY — “Raises on paper, pay cuts in practice?” WEA warns net-pay may shrink once premiums/deductibles hit. “$16.1M vs $8M: what did voters actually fund?”

WEA warns that raises risk being offset by higher health‑plan premiums/deductibles; seeks net‑pay modeling and clarity on referendum/state dollars vs. the Fund 10 rebuild.

What’s new: WEA’s “Salary Discussion Update” reports that any raise may be offset by higher premiums and deductibles for educator health insurance. The union has asked the administration for detailed net-pay modeling by plan tier, plus recruitment and turnover data to accurately assess compensation needs. We have been documenting this issue for weeks. Many teachers report being outraged about the lack of salary increases and report a lack of clarity at contract signing, and voters are asking what exactly they voted for with last year’s operating referendum, which was presented publicly as $16.1M per year for four years and included a stated goal to bring educator pay to the median (50th percentile) of peer districts. (Sources: wauwatosa.k12.wi.us BoardDocs) However, the District’s published breakdown shows $8M total over four years earmarked to increase compensation (≈$2M/year), plus $52.4M for the operating shortfall and $4M for curriculum. 

By the numbers (WEA):

• +$1.8M: recently passed state special‑education funding increase for WSD (this year).

• ≈$2M/year: referendum dollars previously discussed for existing educators.

• Fund 10: Board reportedly prioritizing rebuilding cash reserves.

• Offer concept: Step increases (~3% for most) plus an additional across‑the‑board bump. WEA argues educators should receive both an inflationary increase (~2.95%) and real salary advancement—not one at the expense of the other.

Why it matters: If premiums/deductibles rise, headline raises can turn into pay cuts at the take‑home level. That pressures morale and retention, and undermines claims that the health plan is competitive.

What to ask next:

1. Publish net‑pay tables (single/spouse/family) comparing last year vs. this year: premiums, deductibles, typical out‑of‑pocket exposure.

2. Release a plain‑English use‑of‑funds explainer for the +$1.8M state allocation and the ~$2M/year referendum commitment—and the timeline/target for rebuilding Fund 10.

3. Post the health‑plan summary of benefits and any cost‑sharing changes (district vs. employee).

4. Publish an HR recruiting/turnover memo and the methodology for any turnover‑savings assumptions used in pay planning.

5. Share a bargaining timeline with milestones and a public issues list (comp bands, health costs, recruitment/retention).

Source: WEA “Salary Discussion Update” (WEAC Region 7, August 2025).

TED MARTIN UPDATE — “EQUITY” CONCERNS ALLEGEDLY OVERRIDE SENIORS POST‑FLOOD

Community rooms in the new elementary schools may not be opened for senior programs during Senior Center cleanup unless space remains after all other relocation needs are met. New Recreation Department Director Ted Martin reportedly cited the need to adhere to “equity” principles—resulting, for now, in no openings for seniors.

Actionable questions:

• What objective criteria are being used to prioritize space?

• Are seniors considered a protected/priority group in disaster recovery planning?

• What is the earliest date community rooms could open to seniors?

BAND TRANSPORTATION EQUITY — EAST FUNDING RESTORED AFTER PARENT PRESSURE FOLLOWING FLOOD

Update: Only after families pressed the district to fund Wauwatosa East’s marching band transportation—as they were previously told would happen—did the district confirm it will cover the costs this season.

After raking in $124.4 million in referenda last year, the district still couldn’t budget a few thousand dollars to get East’s marching band to competitions—until parents publicly pushed back. The facts:

• Oct 2024: The CFO told directors that both East and West would be district‑funded starting 2025–26.

• 2024–25: West received $3,857; East was later told to scrape together $7,500—after the Hart Park flood gutted booster revenue.

• Aug 22, 2025: An “urgent” email warned East’s competitive season could be canceled. Hours—and a wave of family pressure—later, leadership confirmed coverage “this season.”

Meanwhile, East hires another assistant dean to monitor study hall, but can’t lock in buses for the program that quite literally binds the high school together? That gap undermines parity and predictability.

What to do:

1. If equity means anything, it means parity and predictability: publish the FY25–26 line items for East and West.

2. **Codify a Co‑Curricular Transportation Equity policy so essentials aren’t hostage to last‑minute advocacy (cover buses for both schools for competitions, parades, and playoff pep).

3. Stop making kids and grandparents paper over budgeting misses with emergency fundraisers. Fund the band—up front, on the record, every year.

ATHLETICS FUNDING & FUNDRAISERS — WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING? SHOW US THE LEDGER.

Related to the band saga: families report athletes being asked to provide 20+ phone numbers and emails to fuel third‑party fundraisers—cash asks for basics like baseballs—even as some teams lose transportation. We’re still charged a $50 athletics fee, but what does it buy now? One team reportedly raised ~$11,000 last spring and still can’t see a clear ledger showing where it went—or if it stayed with the team.

Minimum standards:

• If the district is collecting or causing the collection of minors’ contact lists, it must be opt‑in with explicit parental consent; no sale/share of minors’ data; and deletion on request per contract.

• Fundraisers should supplement, not backfill, core costs the district used to cover.

Fixes:

• Publish per‑sport line items and ledgers.

• Post the fundraiser contracts and fee schedules.

• End mandatory contact quotas so kids and grandparents aren’t plugging budget holes in the dark.

WVA CHARTER — ABSENCE OF GOVERNANCE AND OVERSIGHT?

Wauwatosa Virtual Academy (WVA) runs on big dollars and thin sunlight. The district’s own WVA page is bare—no governance‑board roster, minutes, or performance dashboard—while Board records show vendor pivots (Pearson → Edmentum) and, during COVID, $2+ million earmarked to enroll students, plus 127 non‑resident students as recently as 2023.

The 2021 charter promises a five‑year term with a formal three‑year review and an active governance council; the district now concedes the review never happened and plans to let the charter expire in 2026 and fold WVA into a district “program.” That’s precisely why transparency can’t wait.

Action items:

• Publish the charter contract, governance roster, minutes, and outcomes.

• Post the current‑year contracts and totals.

• Lay out the conversion plan—budget, accountability, and who’s in charge—before the charter sunsets.

• If AVID merited quick, public corrective action at $150K, WVA’s scale merits nothing less.

WHISTLEBLOWER INBOX — THIS WEEK

• Residency & athletics eligibility — allegations of non‑resident attendance.
  A whistleblower alleges some students attend WSD without meeting residency/open‑enrollment requirements, including cases of enrolling/remaining solely for athletics. Claim: addresses can be provided once at initial registration and never re‑verified; alleged counts could be approximately 100 district‑wide.

Ask → Publish the residency verification policy (initial + re‑verification frequency), annual counts of exceptions/waivers, and the WIAA compliance attestation for athletics (how rosters are verified; remedy steps if errors are found). Provide an anonymized audit summary that protects student privacy (FERPA).

• Post‑move enrollment policy — clarity on limits and waivers.
  Tipster reports families who move out of Tosa can remain enrolled indefinitely, including in Montessori (and possibly WSTEM) while resident students wait‑list. Other districts cap this (e.g., one‑year tuition waiver).
  Ask → Publish the stay‑enrolled after move policy: duration, conditions, and whether it differs by program. Release current counts of students attending on post‑move waivers and the impact on wait‑listed resident students.

• Calendars unlocked the day of a stakeholder meeting.
  June 26, 2024 (1:53 p.m.): leaders were told to “allow me to view all event details” on their Google Calendars; that same morning a board‑member/constituent meeting took place.
  Ask → What privacy guardrails and retention limits apply?

• Grade‑config flip: K‑8 praised, then K‑6/7‑12 advanced.
  Nov 2023: the superintendent wrote K‑8 is “more successful,” yet months later K‑6/7‑12 was pushed.

Ask → Release the side‑by‑side analysis (costs, outcomes, transitions) that justified the switch.

• Hiring & placements look centrally steered.
  Records show superintendent‑led resets on key admin searches (reopened postings, added bonuses, multiple panel rounds).
  Ask → Publish the hiring packet: posting, panel roster, scoring rubric, finalist slate, and the written rationale.

• West Athletic Director hire — finalist reportedly swapped.
  Community report: interviews finished and a finalist identified, then a different candidate—allegedly a superintendent acquaintance—was installed.
  Ask → Release the posting, panel roster, scoring sheets, finalist list, offer memo, start date, and any conflict‑of‑interest disclosures.

• Backpack‑policy dust‑up shows the governance/management blur.
  A parent’s Sept 5, 2024 note describes a contentious meeting and asks for data; response: “not a Board‑level issue.”
  Ask → Define when site rules escalate to policy—and what qualifies as “data‑driven.”

• Board complaint closed; no remediation noted.
  A Sept 19, 2024 counsel memo didn’t substantiate a closed‑session disclosure tied to Longfellow; the Board President took no further action.
  Ask → Even without a finding, what confidentiality training or reminders followed?

• Principals’ time: heavy meetings, no system metric.
  District response lists dense recurring meetings and says monthly hour totals aren’t tracked.
  Ask → Start reporting a monthly range and protect dedicated student/family time.

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Disclaimer

All views reflect testimony, public records, and editorial opinion. Allegations are supported with source documentation where noted. No conclusions are asserted here; all parties are invited to provide corrections or context. Right of reply: send corrections or context via the contact form at tosa2030.com/contact and we’ll review promptly for inclusion in the next issue. Freedom of speech is protected by the First Amendment. 

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