Verona Area School District, Wisconsin

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Verona Area School District
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Verona, Wisconsin
District details
Superintendent: Dr. Tremayne Clardy
# of school board members: 7
Website: Link

Verona Area School District is a school district in Wisconsin.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...

Superintendent[edit]

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This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Dr. Tremayne Clardy is the superintendent of the Verona Area School District. He was appointed to the position on January 4, 2021. Clardy's previous career experience includes overseeing the operation of 32 elementary schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District.[1]

Past superintendents[edit]

  • Dean Gorrell was the superintendent of the Verona Area School District. Gorrell was appointed superintendent in 2005 and served until 2021. Gorrell's previous career experience included working as the superintendent of the Marshall School District.[2][3]

School board elections[edit]

The seven members of the Verona Area Board of Education are elected to three-year terms. Three of the members must reside in specific geographic portions within the district. The Portion 1 member must live in the part of the district outside of the cities of Verona and Fitchburg. The Portion 2 member must live in Fitchburg, and the Portion 3 member must live in Verona.[4]

While candidates for the Verona Area Board of Education must conform to the above residency requirements to run for the Portions 1, 2, or 3 seats, all elections for the board are held at large.


Office Name Date assumed office
Verona Area School District Board of Education At-large Jennifer Murphy April 26, 2021
Verona Area School District Board of Education At-large John Porco April 26, 2021
Verona Area School District Board of Education At-large Noah Roberts 2016
Verona Area School District Board of Education At-large Kalyanna Williams September 21, 2020
Verona Area School District Board of Education Portion 1 Meredith Stier-Christensen 2016
Verona Area School District Board of Education Portion 2 Amy Almond 2005
Verona Area School District Board of Education Portion 3 Kristina Navarro-Haffner 2017


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This officeholder information was last updated on August 2, 2021. Please contact us with any updates.
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Governing majority[edit]

To read about the governing majority on the Verona Area Board of Education between 2015 and 2018, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

2017-2018[edit]

Verona Board of Education, 2017-2018
Amy Almond
Russell King
Thomas Duerst
Kristina Navarro-Haffner
Noah Roberts
Meredith Stier-Christensen
Renee Zook

The Verona Board of Education voted unanimously on 91.86 percent of its votes between May 1, 2017, and February 5, 2018. This percentage represented a 0.03 percentage point decrease from the previous time period measured. The board approved 83 of 86 motions (96.51 percent) during this time, excluding procedural, roll call, and adjournment votes. These votes were counted from executive, special and regularly scheduled sessions, and exclude committee meetings. The top three issues voted on were fiscal/budgetary matters (27.91 percent), personnel (23.26 percent), and board procedures (23.26 percent).

  • When the board did not vote unanimously:
    • The appointment of new members to the board accounted for six of the seven non-unanimous motions.
    • A motion to approve board policies and rules related to fundraising, including sales and solicitations involving schools and naming rights associated with sponsorships accounted for the other non-unanimous motion with Almond voting "no."

The voting data indicated 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. The table above shows the composition of the board during the time period measured. (Note: A bolded name indicates a board member was newly-elected or appointed.)[5]

2016-2017[edit]

Verona Board of Education, 2016-2017
Amy Almond
Dennis Beres
Russell King
Thomas Duerst
Joanne Gauthier
Noah Roberts
Meredith Stier-Christensen
Renee Zook

The Verona Board of Education voted unanimously on 91.89 percent of its votes between May 2, 2016, and January 23, 2017. This percentage represented a 6.91 percent decrease from the previous time period measured. The board approved 73 of 74 motions (98.65 percent) during this time, excluding procedural, roll call, and adjournment votes. These votes were counted from executive, special and regularly scheduled sessions, and exclude committee meetings. The top three issues voted on were board procedures (29.73 percent), personnel (24.32 percent), and fiscal/budgetary matters (20.27 percent).

  • When the board did not vote unanimously:
    • The only motion that did not pass was one to nominate a community member for appointment to an at-large seat on the board. On this matter, Almond, Beres, and Zook voted "no", while Duerst and Roberts voted "yes".
    • The appointment of new members to the board accounted for two other non-unanimous motions. The vote that brought Stier-Christensen to the board saw Duerst vote "no," and the vote that resulted in King being appointed saw Roberts voting "no."

The voting data indicated 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. The table above shows the composition of the board during the time period measured. (Note: A bolded name indicates a board member was newly-elected or appointed.)[5]

2015-2016[edit]

Verona Board of Education, 2015-2016
Amy Almond
Kenneth L. Behnke
Dennis Beres
Derrell Connor
Thomas Duerst
Joanne Gauthier
Renee Zook

The Verona Board of Education voted unanimously on 98.80 percent of its votes between April 1, 2015, and April 18, 2016. The board approved 83 of 83 motions (100 percent) during this time, excluding procedural, roll call, and adjournment votes. These votes were counted from executive, special and regularly scheduled sessions, and exclude committee meetings.

The voting data indicated 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. The table to the right shows the composition of the board during the time period measured.[5]

School board elections[edit]

See also: Verona Area School District elections in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, & 2021

Elections for the Verona Area Board of Education are held on the first Tuesday in April each year. Newly won terms begin on the fourth Monday in April. Elections are staggered so that two or three seats are up for election each year.

Four seats on the board were up for general election on April 6, 2021. A primary was scheduled for February 16, 2021.

Public participation in board meetings[edit]

The Verona Area Board of Education maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[6]

The public is welcome to attend any VASD Board meeting.

The Board welcomes public input. Parents, staff, students and community members may comment at Board meetings or submit written comments about issues that come before the Board. Comments that threaten, intimidate, or make disparaging comments about Board Members, District staff, and other members of the public are unacceptable. The Executive Assistant to the Superintendent accepts all written comments for the Board.

COMMENT AT A BOARD MEETING

  • Each agenda allows for up to 15 minutes of time devoted to public comment. 

  • Each speaker has a maximum time limit of 3 minutes.

  • Board members may ask a speaker questions following the speaker's presentation.


DEADLINE TO SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTS

The deadline to receive written comments is 11 a.m. on the Friday prior to each meeting unless otherwise noted. The specific deadline for each meeting is listed on the meeting agenda.

SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENT


When submitting a written comment, please provide the following information on our Google Form:

--Your name

--Your relationship to the District


--Schools with which you are associated


--Phone number


--Email address, so the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent can confirm receipt of your comment


--Please keep comments to 250 words or less 


If you are unable to use the Google Form, you may email your comments to:

Rhiannon Smith

Executive Assistant to the Superintendent

smithrc@verona.k12.wi.us

608-845-4354

Please be aware that all information you provide to the VASD in your comments, including your name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number, is considered a public record and would be subject to disclosure under Wisconsin’s Open Records Law.

The VASD Board is committed to serving people with disabilities. If you need Board information in an alternative format, please email or call the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent.[7]

Budget[edit]

From 2010 to 2013, the Verona Area School District had an average of $65,226,500 in revenue and $62,511,250 in expenditures, according to the United States Census Bureau's survey of school system finances. The district had a yearly average of $33,397,500 in outstanding debt. The district retired $9,881,250 of its debt and issued $5,512,500 in new debt each year on average.[8]

Revenue[edit]

The table below separates the district's revenue into the three sources identified by the agency: local, state, and federal.

Revenue by Source
Fiscal
Year
Local State Federal Revenue Total
Total % of Revenue Total % of Revenue Total % of Revenue
2010$36,000,00055.69%$24,518,00037.92%$4,131,0006.39%$64,649,000
2011$37,003,00055.19%$25,607,00038.20%$4,432,0006.61%$67,042,000
2012$37,324,00058.66%$23,317,00036.65%$2,986,0004.69%$63,627,000
2013$37,979,00057.91%$24,450,00037.28%$3,159,0004.82%$65,588,000
Avg.$37,076,50056.86%$24,473,00037.51%$3,677,0005.63%$65,226,500

Expenditures[edit]

The table below separates the district's expenditures into five categories identified by the agency:

  • Instruction: operation expenditures, state payments on behalf of the district for instruction and benefits, and retirement system transfers
  • Support Services: support services, food services, and retirement system transfers for support service staff
  • Capital Spending: capital outlay expenditures (i.e., construction, land or facilities purchases, and equipment purchases)
  • Debt & Gov. Payments: payments to state and local governments and interest on school system debt
  • Other: all other non-K-12 programs, except food services
Expenditures by Category
Fiscal
Year
Instruction Support Services Capital Spending Debt & Gov. Payments Other Budget
Total
Total % of Budget Total % of Budget Total % of Budget Total % of Budget Total % of Budget
2010$37,619,00061.45%$19,815,00032.37%$965,0001.58%$1,688,0002.76%$1,136,0001.86%$61,223,000
2011$39,303,00061.36%$20,922,00032.67%$1,498,0002.34%$1,331,0002.08%$995,0001.55%$64,049,000
2012$36,813,00059.55%$21,853,00035.35%$902,0001.46%$1,211,0001.96%$1,041,0001.68%$61,820,000
2013$38,388,00060.98%$20,709,00032.90%$1,777,0002.82%$928,0001.47%$1,151,0001.83%$62,953,000
Avg.$38,030,75060.83%$20,824,75033.32%$1,285,5002.05%$1,289,5002.07%$1,080,7501.73%$62,511,250

Debt

The table below shows the amount of debt retired, issued, and outstanding in the district for each year.

Debt
Fiscal
Year
Retired Issued Outstanding
2010$17,145,000$5,160,000$37,225,000
2011$3,670,000$0$31,955,000
2012$11,600,000$9,970,000$32,275,000
2013$7,110,000$6,920,000$32,135,000
Avg.$9,881,250$5,512,500$33,397,500

Teacher salaries[edit]

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year Minimum Maximum
2020-2021[9] $39,486 $96,397

Academic performance[edit]

Proficiency assessments[edit]

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[10]

Mathematics[edit]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:[11]

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)
Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native
American (%)
Two or More
Races (%)
White (%)
2018-2019 41 45-49 10-14 14 PS 35-39 54
2017-2018 41 45-49 15-19 13 PS 35-39 54
2016-2017 44 40-44 15-19 15 PS 30-34 58
2015-2016 46 45-49 15-19 16 PS 40-44 58
2014-2015 49 45-49 15-19 22 ≥50 45-49 61
2013-2014 56 60-64 24 24 <50 N/A 68
2012-2013 57 65-69 20-24 21 <50 N/A 70
2011-2012 57 60-64 20-24 21 ≥50 N/A 69
2010-2011 80 80-84 50-54 52 60-79 N/A 90

Reading/language arts[edit]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:[11]

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)
Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native
American (%)
Two or More
Races (%)
White (%)
2018-2019 44 50-54 10-14 15 PS 40-44 58
2017-2018 44 45-49 10-14 15 PS 40-44 59
2016-2017 48 45-49 15-19 20 PS 40-44 62
2015-2016 48 45-49 20-24 17 PS 45-49 61
2014-2015 57 50-54 20-24 29 ≥50 65-69 68
2013-2014 44 45-49 17 13 <50 N/A 55
2012-2013 46 45-49 20-24 13 <50 N/A 58
2011-2012 46 50-54 15-19 14 <50 N/A 56
2010-2011 85 80-84 65-69 55 ≥80 N/A 93

Graduation rates[edit]

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:[11][12]

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific
Islander (%)
Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native
American (%)
Two or More
Races (%)
White (%)
2017-2018 95 ≥80 80-89 ≥95 PS ≥80 ≥95
2016-2017 95 ≥80 ≥90 ≥90 PS ≥80 ≥95
2015-2016 94 ≥50 80-89 80-89 PS ≥80 ≥95
2014-2015 95 ≥50 80-89 ≥90 PS ≥50 ≥95
2013-2014 94 ≥80 ≥80 80-89 PS N/A ≥95
2012-2013 93 ≥50 70-79 80-89 PS N/A ≥95
2011-2012 93 ≥80 70-79 ≥90 N/A N/A ≥95
2010-2011 90 ≥80 70-79 60-79 PS N/A ≥95

Student enrollment[edit]

Year[13] Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2018-2019 5,656 2.0
2017-2018 5,543 2.1
2016-2017 5,430 0.2
2015-2016 5,418 0.1
2014-2015 5,411 -0.4
2013-2014 5,433 2.2
2012-2013 5,316 8.7
2011-2012 4,892 0.1
2010-2011 4,889 4.6
2009-2010 4,675 0.1
2008-2009 4,671 2.5
2007-2008 4,556 0.4
2006-2007 4,540 2.8
2005-2006 4,415 5.9
2004-2005 4,170 -7.3
2003-2004 4,497 1.2
2002-2003 4,445 2.4
2001-2002 4,339 2.8
2000-2001 4,222 2.4
1999-2000 4,122 0.9
1998-1999 4,087 3.7
1997-1998 3,943 2.9
1996-1997 3,831 4.6
1995-1996 3,664 4.2
1994-1995 3,515 6.0
1993-1994 3,316 4.8
1992-1993 3,165 8.5
1991-1992 2,918 6.7
1990-1991 2,735 7.0
1989-1990 2,556 5.4
1988-1989 2,425 6.7
1987-1988 2,273 7.6
1986-1987 2,113 -

About the district[edit]

Verona Area School District is located in Dane County, Wisconsin.
Verona Area School District is located in Dane County, Wisconsin. It is classified as a large suburban school district by the National Center for Education Statistics. The district served 5,656 students during the 2018-2019 school year and comprised 13 schools.[14]


During the 2018-2019 school year, 27.0% of the district's students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 14.1% were English language learners, and 7.4% of students had an Individual Education Plan (IEP).[15]

Racial Demographics, 2018-2019
Race Verona Area School District (%) Wisconsin K-12 students (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native N/A 1.1
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 3.9 4.0
Black 7.5 9.1
Hispanic 19.5 12.3
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander N/A 0.1
Two or More Races 6.4 4.1
White 62.6 69.3

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.

Contact information[edit]

Verona Area School District seal.jpg
Verona Area School District
700 North Main St.
Verona, WI 53593
Phone: 608-845-4300

See also[edit]

Wisconsin School Board Elections News and Analysis
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External links[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. Verona Area School District, "Superintendent's Corner," accessed July 27, 2021
  2. The Fitchburg Star, "VASD: Verona superintendent celebrates 10 years," accessed July 9, 2015
  3. Unified News Group, "A good long tenure: Gorrell to retire from district in June 2021," January 17, 2020
  4. Verona Area School District, "Board Policies," accessed February 10, 2016
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Verona Area School District, "Board Meetings," accessed February 15, 2017
  6. Verona Area School District, "Public Participation," accessed July 27, 2021
  7. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  8. United States Census Bureau, "Public School System Finances: Historical Data," accessed December 1, 2015
  9. Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, "Public Teacher Salary Report: 2020-2021, Verona Area School District," accessed July 27, 2021
  10. U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 To protect student privacy, percentages were reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five (5) or fewer students were included in a data set, the data was replaced by "PS."
  12. U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "Four-Year Adjusted-Cohort Graduation Rates - School Year 2017-18 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
  13. National Center for Education Statistics, "ElSi tableGenerator," accessed March 8, 2021
  14. National Center for Education Statistics, "Search for Public School Districts," accessed March 8, 2021
  15. National Center for Education Statistics, "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey," accessed March 8, 2021

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