WiRSA State Conference 2025 - OVERVIEW
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Wednesday, October 29, 2025
~ Registration - Vestibule Area
~~ (3:00 - 6:30 PM)
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Welcome Reception 7:00 pm. - Commons
~~ (7:00 - 8:30 PM)
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Thursday, October 30, 2025
~ Registration - Vestibule
~~ (7:00 AM - 12:00 PM )
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Breakfast Buffet - Expo Center
~ (7:00 - 8:15 AM)
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Welcome and Logistics - Jeff Eide & DPI representative
Expo Center
~ (8:00 - 8:10 AM)
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Welcome ~ - Expo Center
~ (8:10 - 8:25 AM)
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Keynote - Mark Mambretti (8:30 - 9:40 AM)

You'll discover the method behind the "Magic" of improving your workplace's culture, climate, and result
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Exhibitor Time - Booth Locations
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Breakout Session #1 (10:00 - 10:50 AM)

• Spruce 1 - The Human Advantage: Preparing Rural Students for a Workforce Shaped by AI

• Evergreen 2 - Rooted in Rural Referendum Results

• Stonefield 3 - Better Together: Building Vibrant Community Engagement Through Collaborative Partnerships

• Woodland 4 - Hodag Readiness – Creation of Career Academies in Rural High Schools

• Frontier 6 - Breakout - Administrators that Lead: Empowering Student Services for Student Success

• Harvest 7 - Creative Restructuring of Student Services in a Rural Environment

——————————————————Exhibitor Time - Booth Locations——————————————————
Breakout Session #2 - (11:00 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.)

• Spruce 1-  Voucher Transparency for Rural Districts: Accountability in Action

• Evergreen 2 - If a Mouse was your boss

• Stonefield 3 - Strategic Planning: Progress Without the Pain

• Woodland 4 - The Science of GRiT: Building Resilient, Future-Ready Students in Rural Schools

• Frontier 6 - “Project 180 – Students Making a Difference, A Multi-District Collaboration”

• Harvest 7 - Sharing K-12 Teachers, Courses, and Educational Programming Through Distance Education Partnerships
  

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Lunch | Sandstone - (12:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m). - Expo Center

WiRSA Award Recognitions

1. CESA Employee of the Year

2. Support Staff Person of the Year

3. Teacher of the Year

4. Principal of the Year

5. Administrator of the Year

6. School Board of Education Member(s) of the Year

7. Advocacy Award

8. Community Partner of the Year

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Breakout Session #3 - (1:20 p.m. - 2:10 p.m.)

• Spruce 1 - SUPPORTSMANSHIP: Raising the Standard for Rural School Athletics

• Evergreen 2 - Leveraging Staff Members as Instructional Coaches in Rural Schools

• Stonefield 3 - Addressing Mental Health Needs Through Community Connections

• Woodland 4 - Empower, Don’t Prohibit: Student Ethical Use of AI to Help Curb Cheating

• Frontier 6 - Creating a Culture of Excellence: A Focus on Student Achievement and Growth

• Harvest 7- Small School, Smart Tools: Using AI to Win Big on Grants
  

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Exhibitor Time - Booth Locations
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Breakout Session 4 - 2:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.)

• Spruce 1 - “From Point to Purpose: Advancing Rural Education Through Partnerships with UWSP”

• Evergreen 2 - "Who's Coaching Your Coaches?"

• Stonefield 3 -  Flexible Coaching and Mentoring Models for Rural Schools

• Woodland 4 - EMPOWERING SCHOOL COMMUNITIES: See Stakeholder-driven planning in action

• Frontier 6 - What Drives Parent Satisfaction? A Data-Informed Roadmap for Rural Schools
  

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Exhibitor Time - Booth Locations
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Breakout Session #5 - (3:30 p.m. - 4:20 p.m.)

• Spruce 1 - Formative Assessment Practices (and How AI Can Help)

• Evergreen 2 -  From Teacher to School Psychologist: Bridging the Gap in Rural Schools

• Stonefield 3 - A Dual Enrollment Introduction to Education Course Model for Rural Schools

• Woodland 4 - Driving District Growth with SWOT-KPI-SMART Integration: How Fennimore’s Administrative Team Translated Organizational Strengths into Measurable Student Outcomes for 2025–26

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Reception / Silent and Live Auction (5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.)
Commons - (Auction Items & Extra Seating) Spruce 1 & Sands 5
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Friday, October 31, 2025

Continental Breakfast - Expo Center
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Exhibitor Time (7:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.)
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Welcome ~ (8:15 - 8:30 a.m.)
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Special Presentations (8:40 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.)

• Evergreen & Frontier - Anne Chapman - The price of parallel systems: How state policy shapes the public resources for three systems of K-12 education

• Woodland & Trillium - Attorney Alana Leffler and Attorney Ella Wolle, Renning Lewis & Lacy - Legal Update: Free Speech, Student Discipline, and Title IX
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  Special Presentations - (10:00 am. - 11:00 a.m.)
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• Evergreen & Frontier - Mike Beighley & Cory Kulig - From Tradition to Transformation: Rural Schools Leading the Future of Learning, shaped by automation, AI, and advanced manufacturing

• Woodland & Trillium - Chris Saldana - Shifting Dollars, Shifting Students: Understanding Wisconsin’s K-12 Finance Trends
  
  
  WiRSA Annual Meeting - Following the special presentations
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  WiRSA Board of Directors Meeting - Following Annual Meeting
  

WiRSA can't thank our sponsors enough for their incredible support for our rural and town schools!
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• Kraemer Brothers - Commercial Construction Experts

• School of Education - UW-Stevens - Haru Center - For Opportunities in Education

• Nexus Solutions - Better Buildings. Better Learning.

• Performance Services - Transforming Spaces, Empowering Places

• CMS4 Schools - Providing Software Services for K-12 and Educational Agencies.

• JMC - Smart Software for even smarter schools

• Findorff - Building & Beyond

• Community Insurance - Discover the Community Insurance Corporation Advantage

• Miron Construction - Building Excellence

• PTMA - Grow Your Community with PTMA Financial Solutions

• TRICOR - Insurance Built for YOU

• Upper 90 - Modernizing Facilities and Infrastructure Through PRACTICAL Solutions

• Learning Blade - Exposing More Students to STEM, Computer Science, and CTE

• Cartwheel - Helping kids get back to being kids

• Renning, Lewis, and Lacy - Wisconsin’s #1 Practice for EDUCATION LAW
  

• You'll discover the method behind the "Magic" of improving your workplace's culture, climate, and results. Click Here

• Spruce 1 - The Human Advantage: Preparing Rural Students for a Workforce Shaped by AI

• Evergreen 2 - Rooted in Rural Referendum Results

• Stonefield 3 - Better Together: Building Vibrant Community Engagement Through Collaborative Partnerships

• Woodland 4 - Hodag Readiness – Creation of Career Academies in Rural High Schools

• Frontier 6 - Breakout - Administrators that Lead: Empowering Student Services for Student Success

• Harvest 7 - Creative Restructuring of Student Services in a Rural Environment

• Sands 5 - Auction Items / Available for Meetings / Discussions

• Trillium 8 - Meetings / Phone Calls, etc.

• Spruce 1 - Voucher Transparency for Rural Districts: Accountability in Action

• Evergreen 2 - If a Mouse was your boss

• Stonefield 3 - Strategic Planning: Progress Without the Pain

• Woodland 4 - The Science of GRiT: Building Resilient, Future-Ready Students in Rural Schools

• Frontier 6 - “Project 180 – Students Making a Difference, A Multi-District Collaboration”

• Harvest 8 - Sharing K-12 Teachers, Courses, and Educational Programming Through Distance Education Partnerships

• Sands 5 - Auction Items / Open room

• Trillium 8 - Meetings / Phone Calls, etc.

House Salad, Pork Tenderloin, Rice Pilaf, Seasoned Vegetables

1. Special Recognition - Mark “Gus” Gustafson

2. CESA Employee of the Year - Heather Fish

3. Support Staff Person of the Year - Judy Makovec

4. Teacher of the Year - Julie Korish

5. Advocacy Award - Lexi Allen

6. Principal of the Year - Erika Stewart

7. Administrator of the Year - Mitch Wainwright

8. School Board of Education Member of the Year - Gerald Roethel

9. Community Partner of the Year - Ronald and Joyce Wanek Foundation & Ashley Furniture Industries

• Spruce 1 - SUPPORTSMANSHIP: Raising the Standard for Rural School Athletics

• Evergreen 2 - Leveraging Staff Members as Instructional Coaches in Rural Schools

• Stonefield 3 - Addressing Mental Health Needs Through Community Connections

• Woodland 4 - Empower, Don’t Prohibit: Student Ethical Use of AI to Help Curb Cheating

• Frontier 6 - Creating a Culture of Excellence: A Focus on Student Achievement and Growth

• Harvest 7 - Small School, Smart Tools: Using AI to Win Big on Grants

• Sands 5- Auction Items / Available for Meetings / Discussions

• Trillium 8- Meetings / Phone Calls, etc.

• Spruce 1 - “From Point to Purpose: Advancing Rural Education Through Partnerships with UWSP”

• Evergreen 2 - "Who's Coaching Your Coaches?"

• Stonefield 3 -  Flexible Coaching and Mentoring Models for Rural Schools

• Woodland 4 - EMPOWERING SCHOOL COMMUNITIES: See Stakeholder-driven planning in action

• Frontier 6 - What Drives Parent Satisfaction? A Data-Informed Roadmap for Rural Schools

• Trillium 8 - Available for Meetings / Discussions

• Sands 5 - Auction Items / Available for Meetings / Discussions

• Spruce 1 - Formative Assessment Practices (and How AI Can Help)

• Evergreen 2 -  From Teacher to School Psychologist: Bridging the Gap in Rural Schools

• Stonefield 3 - A Dual Enrollment Introduction to Education Course Model for Rural Schools

• Woodland 4 - Driving District Growth with SWOT-KPI-SMART Integration: How Fennimore’s Administrative Team Translated Organizational Strengths into Measurable Student Outcomes for 2025–26

• Sands 5 - Auction Items

• Harvest 7 - Auction Items / Available for Meetings / Discussions

• Trillium 8 - Auction Items / Available for Meetings / Discussions

Special Presentation #1

• Spruce & Sands

  • Anne Chapman Presents WASBO Research Director Presents: The price of parallel systems: How state policy shapes the public resources for three systems of K-12 education

• Stonefield & Harvest

  • Attorney Alana Leffler and Attorney Ella Wolle, Renning Lewis & Lacy - Legal Update: Free Speech, Student Discipline, and Title IX

Special Presentation #2

• Spruce & Sands

  • Mike Beighley, Superintendent, Whitehall, and Cory Kulig, Superintendent, Eleva-Strum present: From Tradition to Transformation: Rural Schools Leading the Future of Learning, shaped by Automation, AI, and Advanced Manufacturing

• Stonefield & Harvest

  • Chris Saldana, UW-Madison Assistant Professor
    of K-12 Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis Presents: Shifting Dollars, Shifting Students: Understanding Wisconsin’s K-12 Finance Trends

Annual meeting - Wisconsin Room

Agenda

WiRSA Board Meeting - Wisconsin Room

Agenda