GALESVILLE — The Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School Board swore in a new member, took a first reading of a policy overhaul the state now requires by Sept. 1, and spent much of the rest of its July 13 meeting on the facilities referendum that goes to voters on Aug. 11.
Cameron Cantlon, appointed at a special meeting July 9 to fill an open seat, took the oath and joined the board. He arrived at 6:49 p.m. — nineteen minutes into the first meeting he was a member of. He joins President Todd Roessler and members Scotti Berg, Cindy George, Deb Lakey, Adam Leavitt, Kara Nelson, Harold Olson and Sara Olson.
The referendum is on the Aug. 11 primary ballot — the same ballot that decides the Republican primary for Trempealeau County sheriff. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Wisconsin allows registration at the polling place with proof of residence.
The meeting ran forty-five minutes, in the G-E-T High School library.
The referendum case, told from a lunchroom
Michele Butler and Cary Brommerich briefed the board on a summer of community presentations about the proposed facilities referendum and invited members to three “Talk and Tour” events, the last two falling in the week before the vote. The board also reviewed the referendum website and a new overview video.
| Talk and Tour | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Trempealeau Elementary | July 20 | 6 p.m. |
| Ettrick Elementary | Aug. 3 | 6 p.m. |
| G-E-T High School | Aug. 4 | 6 p.m. |
The sharpest argument for the referendum did not come from the presentation. It came from a building report.
Galesville Elementary Principal Melissa Wilber wrote that full-day 4K has added more than 30 students, and that her building must now feed over 270 children in a single hour in a lunchroom that seats 140 at a time.
The proposed referendum would increase seating in our lunchroom and move it to a larger space.
Melissa Wilber, principal, Galesville Elementary, in her building report to the board
Resident Sue Guenther spoke on the referendum during public comment. Roessler later thanked her for her work with the Vote Yes Committee.
A new state law, and a Sept. 1 deadline
The board took a first reading of a package of policy revisions required by 2025 Wisconsin Act 89, enacted in March. The law requires every public and private school in the state to adopt formal policies by Sept. 1 governing communication between employees and students, during school hours and outside them. It also mandates annual staff training to identify, prevent and report grooming behavior and professional boundary violations, with consequences up to termination.
The revised policies would require staff and volunteers to use district-approved platforms for all student-related digital communication, prohibit private one-on-one social media contact between staff and students, and add parental notification requirements when a child is a suspected victim of misconduct.
A companion update to the board's own code of conduct, extending similar standards to interactions between board members and students, is recommended but not required under the law.
July 13 was a first reading only. Adoption has to follow before the September deadline, which leaves the board its Aug. 10 regular meeting to act.
Money
The board authorized early redemption of a portion of the district's 2015 general obligation refunding bonds and approved short-term borrowing authority to cover operational expenses if needed.
It renewed a cooperative agreement with the Holmen School District for Project Bridge, a program serving one G-E-T student at an estimated cost of $11,030. The consent agenda carried roughly $4 million in payroll and vendor vouchers.
Hiring, and a summer that isn't quiet
Personnel approvals included a new Ettrick Elementary principal and AGR teacher, Tony Hart, effective July 1, along with an art teacher, a middle school special education teacher, a part-time counselor and a cook. The board also approved a full slate of fall coaches, among them seven assistant football coaches and new head coaches for volleyball, cross country and girls golf.
Around the district, summer has been busy. Close to 100 students are lifting weights two or three days a week at the high school, helped by a booster club donation. The band has been marching in area parades. The musical's summer camp ran the week of July 13, and Trempealeau Elementary staff and families walked in the Catfish Days parade July 12.
Enrollment in 4K stands at 96 for next year. The district piloted a three-day “Jumpstart to 4K” on July 21-23.
What changes in the fall
The board adopted its annual academic standards notice and approved a 2026-2029 long-range library plan built on the Future Ready Librarian framework. The plan includes new guidance on students' responsible use of artificial intelligence.
K-5 classrooms will launch “Into Reading” this fall, the district's new English language arts curriculum grounded in the science of reading, with teacher training beginning at the August inservice. The district is also switching student information systems to Infinite Campus, and the athletics department is rolling out “Bound,” a scheduling and digital ticketing platform for school events.
The meeting adjourned at 7:15 p.m. The board's Committee of the Whole meets Aug. 6 at 6:30 p.m. The next regular meeting is Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m.