Kim Plache

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Kim Plache

Democratic Party

Prior offices

Wisconsin State Assembly

* * *

Wisconsin State Senate

* * *

Racine Unified School District At-large

* * *

Report an officeholder change

Education

Bachelor's

University of Wisconsin, Parkside

Graduate

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Personal

Profession

Senior community relations officer

## Contents

* 1 Biography
* 2 Elections
* 2.1 2016
* 2.1.1 Results
* 2.1.2 Endorsements
* 2.2 2015
* 2.2.1 Results
* 2.2.2 Funding
* 2.2.3 Endorsements
* 2.3 2012
* 3 Campaign themes
* 3.1 2016
* 3.2 2015
* 3.2.1 The Journal Times questionnaire
* 4 Board membership
* 4.1 2014
* 5 About the district
* 5.1 Demographics
* 5.1.1 Higher education achievement
* 5.1.2 Median household income
* 5.1.3 Poverty rate
* 6 Recent news
* 7 See also
* 8 External links
* 9 Footnotes

Kim Plache is a former at-large incumbent on the Racine Unified Board of Education in Wisconsin. She was first elected to the board in April 2009. Plache won re-election to a third consecutive term in the general election on April 7, 2015.

Plache lost election to the District 4 seat against fellow board member Julie McKenna in 2016. She ran for a two-year term in the general election on April 5, 2016.[1]

In a candidate questionnaire, Plache stated her position on the nonbinding referendum question on the ballot which sought to create a separate school district for Caledonia and Sturtevant. She said, "RUSD offers academic and extracurricular opportunities for all levels of students; ... Dividing up the district would adversely affect RUSD’s ability to continue to do so; and could increase property taxes to support additional and duplicative administrative services."[2]

While the board is a nonpartisan office, Plache served as a Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Senate and State Assembly.

## Biography[edit]

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Plache has her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and her master's degree in public policy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has served as both a state senator and a state representative for Wisconsin. She is currently the senior community relations officer for the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.[3]

## Elections[edit]

### 2016[edit]

See also: Racine Unified School District elections (2016)

The 2016 election for all nine seats on the Racine Unified School District was the district's first using a by districtOnly the registered voters of a particular area may vote for a particular seat in a by-district election. This is opposed to an "at-large" election, in which all registered voters can vote for seats on the ballot regardless of geographic location. system rather than electing members at-largeAll registered voters can vote for seats on the ballot in an at-large election. This is the alternative to a "by-district" election, in which only the registered voters of a particular geographic area may vote for a particular seat up for election.. A primary election was held on February 16, 2016, for Districts 6 and 7 with the general election on April 5, 2016. Board candidates were required to live in their election districts. The change was enshrined in state law through legislation sponsored by State Sen. Van Wanggaard (R) and State Rep. Tom Weatherson (R), who represent districts that include Racine. The election districts approved by the school board on October 27, 2015, led to three races in 2016 where three incumbents were assured defeat because they faced fellow board members.[4][5]

Candidates backed by the Wisconsin AFL-CIO won seven of the board's nine seats in 2016. Michelle Duchow in District 1 was not endorsed due to her unopposed race and District 9 winner Robert Wittke was endorsed by The Journal Times as a candidate who would stand up to unions.

District 1 candidate Michelle Duchow was the only unopposed candidate in the race. Dennis Wiser defeated fellow incumbent John Koetz in District 2, while incumbent Michael Frontier ousted fellow board member Pamala Handrow in District 3. Julie McKenna defeated Kim Plache to take the District 4 seat. Challenger Steven Hooper defeated incumbent Chuck Goodremote for the District 5 seat. Newcomer Matthew Hanser narrowly defeated board president Melvin Hargrove in District 8. Incumbent Don Nielsen finished first in the District 7 race against challenger Brian O'Connell. Nielsen and O'Connell defeated Adrienne Moore in the primary. Three newcomers were guaranteed to join the board after this election with no incumbents running in Districts 1, 6 and 9. John Heckenlively defeated Jim Venturini for the District 6 seat, while Robert Wittke defeated Kurt Squire in District 9.[5] Ernest Ni'A was defeated by Heckenlively and Venturini in the District 6 primary. Bryn Biemeck was removed from the ballot in District 6 following a Wisconsin Government Accountability Board appeal by the Racine Education Association.[6]

#### Results[edit]

Racine Unified School District,
District 4 Special Election, 2-year term, 2016

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Julie McKenna Incumbent | 51.13% | 2,293
Kim Plache Incumbent | 48.87% | 2,192
Total Votes | 4,485
Source: Racine Unified School District, "Racine Board of Education Official Election Results," accessed June 15, 2016

#### Endorsements[edit]

Plache received the endorsement of The Journal Times prior to the general election.[7]

### 2015[edit]

See also: Racine Unified School District elections (2015)

Three at-large board incumbents, Wally Rendón, Don Nielsen and Kim Plache, sought re-election in the general election on April 7, 2015. They faced challengers Bryn Biemeck and Lisa Parham.[8] While Nielsen and Plache retained their seats and Parham won her first term on the board, Rendón and Biemeck were defeated.

#### Results[edit]

Racine Unified School District,
At-Large General Election, 3-year term, 2015

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Kim Plache Incumbent | 25.3% | 11,183
| Nonpartisan  | Don Nielsen Incumbent | 21.7% | 9,571
| Nonpartisan  | Lisa Parham | 20.9% | 9,248
| Nonpartisan  |  Wally Rendón Incumbent | 17% | 7,494
| Nonpartisan  |  Bryn Biemeck | 15.1% | 6,656
Total Votes | 44,152
Source: Racine County, Wisconsin, "Final Official Election Results for 04-07-2015," accessed April 22, 2015

#### Funding[edit]

Plache reported no contributions or expenditures to the Racine Unified School District Clerk for School Board Elections as of March 30, 2015. She filed as exempt from filing campaign finance reports when she filed for her candidacy.[9]

#### Endorsements[edit]

Plache was endorsed by The Journal Times, which stated, "with Plache’s legislative experience, she is able to offer intelligent insight into the way the state operates and use her experience to help educate the board. She also has a junior attending Case High School, which helps give her real life experience with the district."[10]

### 2012[edit]

Racine Unified School District,
At-Large General Election, 3-year term, 2012

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Kim Plache | 22.3% | 12,223
| Nonpartisan  | Don Nielsen | 18.9% | 10,383
| Nonpartisan  | Gretchen Warner | 18.2% | 10,012
| Nonpartisan  |  Brian Dey  | 14.4% | 7,910
| Nonpartisan  |  Roger Pfost  | 13.5% | 7,416
| Nonpartisan  |  Scott Brownell  | 12.5% | 6,840
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in candidate  | 0.1% | 82
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in candidate  | 0% | 17
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in candidate  | 0% | 13
Total Votes | 54,896
Source: Racine County Clerk, "Official April 3, 2012 Election Results," accessed September 23, 2014

## Campaign themes[edit]

### 2016[edit]

Plache answered the following questions from The Journal Times:

“  |

1) Last year, the School Board was divided for months on the district’s employee handbook. What role should administrators, unions and the board have in future handbook changes?

Administrators, with input from both union and non-union employees, should bring proposed employee handbook changes to the board where all district stakeholders have an opportunity to voice their opinions. All proposed changes should be evaluated in terms of how how they will advance our goals of closing achievement gaps, raising academic achievement for all students and graduating every student to be ready for college or a career. The current board policy (Section 13 of the employee handbook) is at best unworkable and at worst illegal. The board needs to ensure all policies are unquestionably legal and meet the needs of employees, union and non-union, and all district stakeholders.

2) The district recently entered into a tentative agreement to buy the Sturtevant Sportsplex for $5.2 million, and the district is studying how to use and pay for the complex before the board’s May 10 deadline to approve the deal. If you are elected, under what conditions would you support the district buying the Sportsplex?

A solid fiscal and academic plan is critical for any proposed acquisition. The purchase of the Sportsplex would be a major investment. The board must clearly understand the planned purpose of this acquisition, and evaluate any facility related costs and benefits relative to existing facilities, ongoing maintenance and community needs.

3) As the district implements block scheduling in high schools next year in preparation for new career academies, some have criticized the district for moving ahead on the change too fast, most notably employee unions. Should the district go ahead with block scheduling next year? Why or why not?

Block scheduling should move forward as planned. It is a key component to the career academy model. This is a significant shift in the way the teacher presents the material and does require professional development and on-going professional support to successfully make this change. The planning has been going on for more than a year, with input received from numerous teachers and professional staff. Paid professional development opportunities are being offered. If more professional development is needed then it should be offered. I find it very concerning that the union leadership chose not to accept repeated offers to become much more engaged in the early planning process, but we cannot allow the union leadership’s unwillingness to participate in the planning undermine our efforts on behalf of the students. We cannot delay the education of our kids for the career opportunities of today and tomorrow. This change is critical for the future of our kids and our community.

4) Over the last year, the villages of Caledonia, Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant have been weighing whether to fund a study of leaving the Racine Unified School District. Would you support these communities breaking away from Unified? Why or why not?

My goal is to continue recent efforts to engage more actively with our municipal counterparts and continue to learn from each other. It is clear that many individuals in Caledonia, Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant do not feel heard and they have a desire to better understand the work of RUSD as it relates to “their” kids. The duplication of operating costs, facilities, etc., in multiple school districts are likely to be prohibitive for taxpayers. As we do engage with these village leaders, they have had an opportunity to share concerns they have heard and to learn about recent changes in RUSD that are showing significant and exciting gains. Our school district and our communities will be stronger if we are united and working together.

5) If elected, what is the most pressing change you would push for the district to make?

If elected, I will continue to push for an administration and board-aligned 3, 5 and 10-year district plan, encompassing all district operations. This plan would not be stagnant, but would be adjusted as needed. Currently the administration has created a 3-year plan, but to me it is crucial that the board, representing all district constituencies, quickly address creation of a long-range plan in an open and transparent manner.

[11]

|  ”

|
|

—Kim Plache (2016), [12]

### 2015[edit]

#### The Journal Times questionnaire[edit]

Plache participated in a questionnaire of all the school board candidates by The Journal Times. The questions and her responses are below.

“  | JT: Why are you running for a seat on the Unified school board? What relevant experience would you bring?

Plache: I am running for re-election to the Racine Unified School District Board of Education to continue the early signs of progress RUSD is seeing towards closing the achievement gap between minority and white students, while continuing to offer a broad array of outstanding educational opportunities to all students of RUSD.

My background as a state legislator provides a unique perspective on the state of Wisconsin’s policies and politics related to K-12 education. My extensive network of community contacts is useful for collaborating and communicating between a wide range of individuals and the district, on behalf of the district.

The ability to raise achievement levels for our students is directly related to the long-term success of Racine and the surrounding communities, which has been a driving force for me throughout my professional life.[11]

|  ”

|
|

—Kim Plache (2015)[2]
“  | JT: What is the most pressing issue the board must address?

Plache: Raising the achievement levels of our lower-performing students, while continuing to offer a broad range of curricular and extracurricular opportunities, in a climate of reduced state and limited local aid.[11]

|  ”

|
|

—Kim Plache (2015)[2]
“  | JT: What is your position on the idea of municipalities like Caledonia or Sturtevant creating their own school districts?

Plache: RUSD offers academic and extracurricular opportunities for all levels of students; in an environment reflecting the rich ethnic and economic makeup of the community and the country. Dividing up the district would adversely affect RUSD’s ability to continue to do so; and could increase property taxes to support additional and duplicative administrative services.[11]

|  ”

|
|

—Kim Plache (2015)[2]
“  | JT: How do you think Unified should adjust to the cuts in state funding expected in the proposed 2015-17 state budget?

Plache: The proposed cuts in the 2015-17 state budget are projected to reduce aid to the district by approximately $10 million. At the same time, the superintendent has identified investments designed to propel the district forward in raising achievement levels for our students, which would cost the district more than $6 million.

Because of state laws limiting school districts’ ability to raise taxes, these investments will need to be reconciled within our current budget. It is the responsibility of our superintendent to develop and maintain a multi-year financial plan that is related directly to the board’s number one priority to ensure “all students are prepared academically, for personal success in life, for their chosen careers, and to be positive, contributing members of the global community.”

It is the board’s role to deliberate and take action once the proposals are presented to the board. My focus in these deliberations will be on raising achievement and aligning our resources with this goal.[11]

|  ”

|
|

—Kim Plache (2015)[2]
“  | JT: Did you support the referendum approved in November that will allow the district to collect about $128 million in taxes over the next 15 years? Why or why not?

Plache: Yes, I did support the referendum because it was a unique opportunity to invest much-needed financial resources in our facilities, without raising property taxes.[11]

|  ”

|
|

—Kim Plache (2015)[2]
“  | JT: How do you think the district should address discrepancies in achievement between whites and minorities?

Plache: By continuing and expanding programs that, where implemented, have begun to show significant improvement in the rate of achievement growth in minority test scores.[11]

|  ”

|
|

—Kim Plache (2015)[2]
“  | JT: Is the Racine Unified School District failing or succeeding in its charge to educate local students? Why?

Plache: One need only read the A+ section in the Racine Journal Times to see countless examples of outstanding young people who are accomplishing amazing goals and to see that RUSD is succeeding in its charge to educate every student who is applying themselves towards receiving a great education.

Many of our students are dealing with the effects of poverty and high community unemployment, and are not coming to school prepared to learn. RUSD is not responsible for outside adverse circumstances, but we are responsible to meet every child where they are and assist them in reaching their potential.

Through the leadership of Dr. (Lolli) Haws and the incredibly hard work of hundreds and hundreds of educational professionals and community partners, we are beginning to see improvement. However, until we see significant improvement in achievement levels, throughout the district, we will be judged as failing to educate all local students.

We can do much better. We have the foundation in place. We have the leadership and talent in the district and community to make significant improvement.[11]

|  ”

|
|

—Kim Plache (2015)[2]

## Board membership[edit]

### 2014[edit]

The Racine Unified Board of Education voted unanimously on 97.3 percent of its votes between January 1, 2014, and July 1, 2014. Every vote recorded by the board passed.

The voting data indicates that there was no clear governing majority or minority faction on the board. No individual board member's voting record differed significantly from that of the other board members.[13]

## About the district[edit]

See also: Racine Unified School District, Wisconsin

Racine Unified School District is located in Racine County, Wis.

The Racine Unified School District is located in Racine, which is the seat of government for Racine County in southeastern Wisconsin. Racine County was home to 195,163 residents in 2014, according to the United States Census Bureau.[14] The district was the fifth-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 20,301 students.[15]

### Demographics[edit]

#### Higher education achievement[edit]

Racine County underperformed compared to Wisconsin as a whole in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 23.0 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 26.8 percent for the state as a whole.[14]

#### Median household income[edit]

The median household income in Racine County from 2009 to 2013 was $54,090, compared to $52,413 for Wisconsin.[14] During that same time period, the median household income for the entire United States was $53,046.[16]

#### Poverty rate[edit]

From 2009 to 2013, the poverty rate in Racine County was 13.3 percent. During that same time period, the poverty rate was 13.0 percent for the entire state, and it was 15.4 percent for the United States.[14][16]

|  Racial Demographics, 2014[14]

Race  |  Racine County (%)  |  Wisconsin (%)
White  |  84.2  |  87.8
Black or African American  |  11.7  |  6.6
American Indian and Alaska Native  |  0.6  |  1.1
Asian  |  1.3  |  2.6
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander  |  0.1  |  0.0
Two or More Races  |  2.2  |  1.8
Hispanic or Latino  |  12.5  |  6.5

|  Presidential Voting Pattern, Racine County[17]

Year  |  Democratic vote (%)  |  Republican vote (%)
2012  |  50.8  |  47.3
2008  |  52.7  |  45.4
2004  |  47.3  |  51.4

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

## Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Kim Plache Racine school. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Kim Plache - Google News

## See also[edit]

* Racine Unified School District, Wisconsin
* Racine Unified School District elections (2015)
* Racine Unified School District elections (2016)

* Hot tub Gatorade, turnout in Peoria and the Wisconsin state...
* Wisconsin school districts 2014 review

## External links[edit]

|  Suggest a link

|

* Racine Unified School District
* Office website
* LinkedIn page

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `list`
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 The Journal Times, "Candidates offer vision for RUSD," March 30, 2015
3. ↑ LinkedIn, "Kim Plache," accessed September 24, 2014
4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `newmap`
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Journal Times, "Election filings, Racine County school boards," January 6, 2016
6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `biemeck`
7. ↑ The Journal Times, "Journal Times editorial: Journal Times endorses eight candidates for Racine Unified School Board," April 3, 2016
8. ↑ Margaret Koenig, "Email correspondence with Racine Unified School District Office of Communication & Community Engagement," January 7, 2015
9. ↑ Margaret Koenig, "Email correspondence with Pat Meyer, Racine Unified School District Deputy Clerk for School Board Elections," March 31, 2015
10. ↑ The Journal Times, "Journal Times editorial: Unified School Board — We endorse Plache, Biemeck and Parham," April 1, 2015
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
12. ↑ The Journal Times, "Kim Plache on the issues," March 15, 2016
13. ↑ Racine Unified School District, "Board of Education Meetings," accessed August 28, 2014
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 United States Census Bureau, "Racine County, Wisconsin," accessed July 6, 2015
15. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 United States Census Bureau, "State & County QuickFacts: USA," accessed July 6, 2015
17. ↑ Racine County Clerk, "Past elections," accessed February 5, 2014

2016 Racine Unified School District Elections

Racine County, Wisconsin
Election date:| Primary election: February 16, 2016
General election: April 5, 2016
Candidates:| District 1 (Three-year term): Michelle Duchow

District 2 (One-year term): Incumbent, John Koetz • Incumbent, Dennis Wiser
District 3 (One-year term): Incumbent, Michael Frontier • Incumbent, Pamala Handrow
District 4 (Two-year term): Incumbent, Kim Plache • Incumbent, Julie McKenna
District 5 (Two-year term): Incumbent, Chuck Goodremote • Steven Hooper
District 6 (Two-year term): John Heckenlively • Ernest Ni'A • Jim Venturini
District 7 (One-year term): Incumbent, Don Nielsen • Adrienne Moore • Brian O'Connell
District 8 (Three-year term): Incumbent, Melvin Hargrove • Matthew Hanser

District 9 (Three-year term): Kurt Squire • Robert Wittke

Important information:| What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot
2015 Racine Unified School District Elections

Racine County, Wisconsin
Election date:| April 7, 2015
Candidates:| At-large: • Incumbent, Don Nielsen • Incumbent, Kim Plache • Incumbent, Wally Rendón • Bryn Biemeck • Lisa Parham
Important information:| What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot

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