News & Events

Whitewater Unified School District Superintendent Samuel L. Karns is one of 43 principals [in his case, former principal] from across the nation being honored in Washington, D.C. ceremony.

Alexandria, VA, – Samuel L. Karns, [former] principal of Todd Elementary School [of Beloit], has been named as one of 43 exemplary elementary and middle-level principals from across the nation to receive the award of 2025 NAESP National Distinguished Principal (NDP) by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). The pre-K-8 principals travel to the nation’s capital from Oct. 23 – 24, to participate in two days of events that culminate in an awards banquet to honor their accomplishments. The program is held at The Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C. [The following statement regarding Karns appears on the NAESP website: In his three years as principal of Todd Elementary School, Samuel Karns has helped transform school culture, restore academic achievement, and expand equitable access to health and wellness. At the start of his tenure, Todd Elementary was rated a one-star school for “failing to meet expectations.” Just three years later, the school has progressed to three-star status, exhibiting year-over-year growth in reading and math. To get there, Karns assembled a cross-disciplinary leadership team to synergize and clarify campus improvement goals, reorienting the school’s culture to embrace collective ownership of school improvement. By leading 100-day improvement cycles emphasizing inquiry, planning, action, monitoring, and reflection, Karns has supported staff in advancing consistent, data-based strategies while invigorating professional collaboration and shared leadership. Karns has also reached beyond the school to eliminate barriers to learning and advance whole-child initiatives at Todd. Under his leadership, the school’s PTO relaunched as “E3”–Engage, Educate, Empower–generating a variety of new initiatives to support parents and students, including a popular mothers’ support group. Karns also launched the Back to School Community Health Fair, which has served over 1,700 people in two years with free immunizations, vision screenings, and other health services. Karns holds a Superintendent Licensure from Concordia University, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Texas A&M University, and a B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Texas at San Antonio.] “School principals continue to show exceptional adaptability and creativity in meeting the changing needs of students and staff,” said NAESP Executive Director L. Earl Franks, Ed.D., CAE. “The 2025 NAESP NDPs exemplify this resilience and leadership well beyond the status quo. Congratulations to this outstanding class of deserving school leaders.” Since 1984, the NDP program has recognized public and private school principals who make superior contributions to their schools and communities and has given them the opportunity to share best practices with each other. NAESP state affiliates selected these 43 principal honorees, who join 2,364 principals before them who have also been recognized as NAESP NDPs. It is particularly fitting to acknowledge the work of principals in October because it is National Principals Month, which was established to recognize and honor the contributions of school principals toward the success of the nation’s students and encourage awareness of their significance. Criteria for selection of the principals require that the honorees are active principals of schools where programs are designed to meet the academic and social needs of all students and where there are firmly established community ties with parents and local business organizations.

About NAESP – Principals are the primary catalysts for creating lasting foundations for learning. Since 1921, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) has been the leading advocate for elementary and middle level principals in the United States and worldwide. NAESP advances the profession by developing policy, professional learning, and resources for instructional leadership including specialized support and mentoring for early career principals. Key focus areas include pre-K-3 education, school safety, technology and digital learning, and effective educator evaluation. For more information about NAESP, visit naesp.org. Editor’s note: The photo on the homepage is courtesy of Tom Ganser.

Click here to register.

Walworth County Finance Director Jessica Conley will present the 2026 Preliminary Budget on behalf of the County’s Finance Committee at a Public Budget Hearing on Thursday, October 30, at 6 p.m., in the Board Room at the Government Center, 100 W. Walworth St., Elkhorn. The hearing is one of the final steps before formal budget adoption at the County Board meeting on Monday, November 10, at 5 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend the hearing to learn more about the budget and provide feedback to the Board of Supervisors and staff. Changes to the preliminary budget may be made by Supervisors up until the budget is adopted.

Walworth County residents can expect several direct benefits from the proposed 2026 budget. First, the County is budgeting an additional $1 million in sales tax revenue, helping to maintain services without raising property taxes. The County has also budgeted $1.29 million of contingency reserves, ensuring quicker responses to emergencies like severe weather and infrastructure needs without impacting core services.

The County is investing over $5 million of its existing reserves in capital projects, 41% of the total 2026 capital plan, while remaining debt-free. Among the capital projects outlined in the proposed budget, the future of the Government Center in downtown Elkhorn is particularly significant. The budget delays all Government Center capital improvement projects for 2026 to allow time for a comprehensive evaluation of long-term options, including potential relocation or renovation. This strategic pause avoids unnecessary spending while preserving flexibility and transparency in future planning. Finally, the County’s long-term capital planning process has been strengthened through a more complete 10-year Capital Improvement Plan, ensuring that infrastructure investments are aligned with community needs and fiscal sustainability.

The public budget hearing agenda, supporting documents, and the link to view the livestream can be accessed at https://www.co.walworth.wi.us/agendacenter. Members of the public can also attend in person. For more information about the proposed budget, visit www.co.walworth.wi.us/250/Budget. 

By Olivia Pagnotta
UW-W Senior
Social Work BA

By the time foster children enter their teens, they have been through many homes. They have experienced trauma and have been bounced around from place to place, waiting for someone to be their home. What these children need is stability, structure, and therapy. They need someone to show them their worth and to help them process their hardships. 80% of teens and children in foster care have mental health issues. This is because they lack stability, and many have little family structure and have experienced childhood trauma. The foster care system focuses on finding a place for the adolescents to stay, but what it needs to do is focus on healing their emotional wounds so that they can be set up for success.

The foster care system is there for when it is not safe for the children to stay with their biological family anymore. The foster system places them in a different home, either temporarily or permanently, based on what is best for the child. While it is great that foster children are receiving placement and getting into homes, they also need mental health support. Giving them a bed is a short fix, but mental health care is a long-term solution. Children are going through many changes, and so they do not know how to cope and make sense of their trauma. By talking to a mental health professional, they can start their healing journey and become their happiest self. In society, needs like food, shelter, and physical health are often met, while mental health is left out.

People need to care because this is the future generation. Care4Kids is a program designed to provide Wisconsin children and teens with the necessary healthcare. This includes mental health care. However, it is not supported in Walworth and Jefferson County. To help the children, please reach out to the Department of Health Services to advocate for the kids’ rights.

References

Care4Kids Program. (2014, April 24). Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/care4kids/index.htm

Foster VA. (n.d.). Facts About Mental Health In Foster Care | FosterVA.
www.fosterva.org. https://www.fosterva.org/blog/facts-about-mental-health-in-foster-care

Mental and Behavioral Health Needs of Children in Foster Care. (2020). Aap.org.
Mental and Behavioral Health Needs of Children in Foster Care

Editor’s note: The Whitewater Banner does not normally publish letters to the editor. We have received several submissions from UW-Whitewater students and are choosing to publish them since they have been written as a class assignment. The Banner appreciates having permission from Pixabay to use the photo on the homepage.

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Los Jóvenes de Crianza Merecen, no Solo una Cama

Por Olivia Pagnotta
Estudiante de último año en UW-W
Licenciatura en Trabajo Social

Cuando los niños de crianza llegan a la adolescencia, han pasado por muchas casas. Los
niños han experimentado un trauma y han estado de un lugar a otro, esperando que una persona
sea su hogar. Los niños necesitan estabilidad, estructura y terapia. Necesitan que alguien les
demuestre su valor y les ayude a procesar sus dificultades. 80% de los adolescentes y niños en
crianza tienen problemas de salud mental. Esto es porque ellos faltan estabilidad, muchos tienen
poca estructura familiar y han experimentado traumas de niños. El sistema de acogida se centra
en encontrar un lugar para los adolescentes, pero lo que debe hacer es curar sus heridas
emocionales para que puedan prepararse para el futuro.

El sistema de acogida existe para cuando ya no es seguro para los niños estar con su
familia biológica. El sistema de acogida pone a los niños en un hogar diferente, ya sea temporal
o permanentemente. Hacen lo que es mejor para el niño. Es positivo que los niños de acogida
estén entrando en hogares. También necesitan apoyo en materia de salud mental. Ofrecerles una
cama es una solución a corto plazo, pero la atención de salud mental es una solución a largo
plazo. Los niños están experimentando muchos cambios y no saben cómo afrontar su trauma. Al
hablar con un profesional de la salud mental, pueden comenzar su proceso de salud mental y
alcanzar su máximo potencial. En la sociedad, las personas necesitan comida, una casa y salud
física. No se satisfacen las necesidades de salud mental.

La gente necesita preocuparse porque esta es la generación del futuro. Care4Kids es un
programa que ayuda a los niños y adolescentes de Wisconsin a obtener la atención médica
necesaria. Esto incluye atención de salud mental. Sin embargo, no cuenta con los condados de
Walworth y Jefferson. Care4Kids es un programa que brinda a los niños y adolescentes de
Wisconsin la atención médica necesaria. Esto incluye atención de salud mental. Sin embargo, no
cuenta con apoyo en los condados de Walworth y Jefferson. Para ayudar a los niños, contacta con
el Departamento de Servicios de Salud para defender los derechos de los niños .

Nota del editor: El Whitewater Banner normalmente no publica cartas al editor. Hemos recibido varias contribuciones de estudiantes de la UW-Whitewater y hemos decidido publicarlas ya que han sido escritas como parte de una tarea de clase.

Proceeds from all sales on Thursday, October 23rd from 4:00-9:00 pm will go towards the Bus Fund.

The Whitewater Grocery Co-Op (Grocery Co.) will be holding its annual meeting on Wednesday October 22, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at the Community Engagement Center located at 1260 W. Main St., Whitewater. During the meeting, Owners will discuss the future community owned grocery store.

The Grocery Co., as it is commonly called, was established in 2017 when the Sentry Store closed. Since then, the Co-Op has gained over 900 Owners and continues to remain active. Over the past 18 months, the focus has been on site selection. Starting with a list of over thirty possible locations, the Board looked at sites from every angle, including: number of parking stalls, space rental costs, income projections, food desert status, and more.

While the ALDI store coming to town has reduced some of the food desert status, the east side of town remains a food desert. Additionally, the Whitewater Grocery Co-Op remains steadfast in its commitment to locally sourced, sustainable, reasonably priced products. Market studies conducted since the opening of ALDI continue to indicate a strong market for the Grocery Co. in Whitewater’s food ecosystem.

Whitewater Grocery Co-Op is your (future) friendly neighborhood grocer supporting fresh and local products. We value: community ownership, quality customer service, welcoming everyone, a lively learning and gathering space, and sustainable practices: people, planet, profit.