SCHOOL DISTRICT OF LA CROSSE BOARD OF EDUCATION
June 1 & 15
The Board held two regular meetings and two workshops in June. These meetings included one School Showcase featuring a report from the director of the La Crosse Public Education Foundation. In addition to highlighting their collaborations with community partners over the past year, LPEF reported providing $55,000 for the Emergency Family Fund and $90,000 for Gold Star Awards, which are competitive grants that fund innovative educational projects proposed by teachers and staff.
In their regular meetings, the Board heard updates on the current referendum construction projects with assurances that the projects are all on track. Additionally, The Director of Community Services reviewed policy and conditions related to FUND 80, the community program and services fund included in the annual school property tax bill. The fund is designed to provide all area students with opportunities beyond the school day, such as early childhood development and safe places for students to go after school, sports and clubs.
The two workshops held in June provided further perspectives on the Board’s authority and budget and on possible solutions to the District’s middle school need. Workshop 1 featured historical information on how school boards’ authority in Wisconsin has evolved over the years and a legal orientation to the Board regarding members’ communication and use of social media. Also, the Director of Business Services explained how the budget works and provided information on school finance.
Workshop 2 focused on options for middle school facilities provided by a representative from Bray Architects in Milwaukee. The three options described were to build a new middle school, to complete additions/renovations to the existing middle schools, or to reconfigure the current buildings with 7-12th graders at the high schools and 6th graders in the elementary buildings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CITY OF LA CROSSE COMMON COUNCIL
June 11
At the June 11 meeting, council members’ monthly announcements included the receipt of Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) grants for subsidized housing at the former Lincoln School and Emplify sites.
At the start of regular business, the council voted to open a public hearing and move an appeal from the School District of La Crosse to the top of the agenda. District representatives appealed the April 22 council designation of Emerson Elementary as a local historic structure. An amendment to refer for nine months failed, followed by a vote to grant the district’s appeal; Emerson Elementary is no longer designated a local historic structure. A letter from the Chamber of Commerce requesting a review of the Heritage Preservation Commission’s process is attached in the materials for this meeting.
Other notable actions at the June meeting included a refusal of a request for a beer garden license for Tequila’s Mexican Restaurant, approval of the use of TID funds for the Washburn Neighborhood Boulevard Improvements and Community Garden Development, and approval of the issuance and sale of Water System Revenue Bonds for up to 3.7 million dollars for water main replacement in connection with the State of Wisconsin’s Safe Drinking Water Loan Program.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VILLAGE OF FRENCH ISLAND TOWN BOARD
The board members for the Town of Campbell will continue to serve as the board for the Village of French Island until results of the July 7th board election are known. They met once in June. Business included actions around signage and celebration relating to the incorporation and new name as well as discussion of the June listening sessions with the DNR regarding PFAS mitigation funds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LA CROSSE COUNTY CRIMINAL JUSTICE MANAGEMENT
At its June meeting, the CJMC received a report from staff which summarized all information
from the panels of the past year. The report focused first on describing individuals who need help the most, including those with serious untreated mental illness; drug use; unstable or no housing; frequent contact with law enforcement; a pattern of cycling through jail, emergency departments, shelters and crisis services; limited or no family or social supports; difficulty with medication adherence; trauma and adverse childhood experiences; and difficulty navigating the current systems which could help them.
Additionally, this summary included descriptions of ways that the systems and services which could help these individuals are fragmented: they have difficulty sharing information, poor coordination among services/systems, inconsistent handoffs from one to another, and unclear responsibilities.
The key takeaways from this process of reviewing all of the information from the past year are
——access to housing and treatment is needed;
——gaps in service exist for people who do not qualify for involuntary intervention;
——relationships and community support make a difference;
——existing services are helping but limited;
——the fragmentation of the system is a significant barrier.
The CJMC also discussed a La Crosse County pilot program for five high-frequency jail users with serious mental illness. The program offers a 12-month diversion-from-jail plan which includes a social worker and a therapist and later a psychiatrist and nurse practitioner to provide coordinated, intensive and persistent community support.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LA CROSSE COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
At the June meeting, HHS passed a resolution to accept funds to support household utility expenses. An Energy Specialist position will be added to the HHS staff. Key information from the Health Director’s report included reminders that the Health Department monitors school absences to watch for illness trends, that they train police officers about new products used by teens, and that they provide funding for young families and senior citizens to buy food at farmers’ markets. Key information from the Human Services Director’s report included information that foster families receive donated tickets for entertainment options and that June 15 was Elder Abuse Awareness Day; HHS dealt with about 600 reported cases of elder abuse in 2025.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LA CROSSE COUNTY JUDICIARY AND LAW
At the June meeting of the JLC, the co-chair of the Civilian Review Board reported on their activities since November of 2024 and requested an extension of the board process. The resolution requesting an extension of the pilot Civilian Review Board until November 2028 was passed unanimously.