News & Events

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

Dollar General (DG) opened its doors by the roundabout on Friday morning, March 3 and on Saturday afternoon a cashier told the Banner that the store has been very busy ever since, with many customers commenting that they appreciate not having to drive across town to do some of their shopping. The store is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. It is located across Bluff Road from Kwik Trip.

Though the signature black and yellow exterior signage is present, the exterior of the store is very different from most DG stores. The developer, Midwest WI, LLC, purchased the land from the city, and consequently the Common Council took the opportunity to have input towards the goal of what it considered to be more desirable design specifications than are found in many of the stores.

The DG homepage describes their operation as “offering products that are frequently used and replenished, such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, basic apparel, housewares and seasonal items.” An article in Chain Store Age, dated July 1, 2021, indicated that in an effort to address food insecurity in many areas, DG was offering fresh produce in more than 1300 stores, and planned to expand the offering in up to 10,000 of its locations. Supermarket News reported in May 27, 2022 that fresh produce was then sold in over 2300 stores with a goal of 10,000 plus still in place. The Whitewater store has no fresh produce, and the personnel indicated that they do not expect for it to be offered. The store, however, has a long wall of coolers and freezers, which as been another recent DG priority.

The store has three self-service registers, two of which are for card purchases only. Orders may be placed online for pickup.

DG stores have also recently opened in nearby Tibbets, Eagle, and Palmyra.

The annual WUSD Legislative Breakfast was held on February 15 in the Whitewater High School Library Media Center. Legislators in attendance were Sen. Steve Nass, Rep. Ellen Schutt, and Rep. Scott Johnson. In addition there were a number of guests, including city and UW-W representatives.

Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, WUSD superintendent, provided the following opening remarks, “Thank you all for coming. I appreciate the time you have decided to hear the needs of public schools. 

With respect, we want you to know that students and staff in Wisconsin and specifically Whitewater Unified School District, deserve more than zero. Zero budget increase. The current budget simply does not meet the needs required in public schools to educate students and show growth and improvement. 

Per-pupil spending on public education nationwide grew by 23% from 2008 to 2018, but only 15% in Wisconsin, an increase that places Wisconsin 38th in the nation in public education spending. That speaks poorly about the value we place on education for our children in our state. 38th? 

I was shocked coming from Illinois to see the low rates of categorical aid that are provided to schools in Wisconsin. You should know as you listen today that Whitewater Unified School District is disproportionately impacted by that lack of funding. Here is why- We are classified as a rural district that covers over 200 square miles with 2000 students. About 50% of our enrolled students’ families are at the poverty level. Meaning our students need a higher level of intervention and support. 

21.1% of our students are identified as ELL (that has grown significantly in recent years, ending last year with approximately 125 students who were newcomers from Nicaragua), requiring additional staffing and support. That is the highest in the region. 

19.4% of our students are identified as having IEP’s, (also significantly over the regional and national average), requiring special education supports and services that are extremely costly. 

Sustaining fiscal strength is necessary for the vitality of our schools and community. We ask you to consider funding and policy decisions that will support WUSD schools.

Increase the categorical aid reimbursement rates to 45% in FY24 and 60% in FY25, 75% in FY26 and 90% by FY27. Prior to the 19-21 increase, this appropriation had been frozen for 11 years. Providing categorical aid (spendable dollars) vs. state aid (tax relief) ensures that every district in the state receives the same increase based on the number of students enrolled in their schools.

Please help Whitewater Unified to continue to support the needs of ALL students.”

The district had solicited topics of discussion from staff and board members, and a variety of them addressed the following topics:

Mental health supports & funding – Dr. Lanora Heim, director of pupil services

The Forward Assessment – Caroline Pate-Hefty urged the legislators to look into the costs and benefits of the Forward exam. Although federal accountability requires the adoption of an assessment to evaluate school/district outcomes, Pate-Hefty enumerated some of the implications of the assessment that Wisconsin has chosen. For e.g., although the exam is given in March, results are not available until late July or even in August, which is too late to use the data to support instructional planning/practice. Fourth graders take 11 tests, which span 10 days! Accommodations required for special education and English learners are intensive and consume weeks. There are other assessments that meet the federal standards.

Special Education Funding – Ben Prather, director of business services, indicated that the current state reimbursement rate only covers about 32% of aidable costs. Wisconsin school districts collectively transfer more than $1 billion annually from district general funds to cover the funding gap between required special education costs and current state special education funding, he stated.

Thayer Coburn, president, spoke to the fact that the Legislative Fiscal Bureau recently projected that the state’s budget surplus will hit $7.1 billion by July 2023. He asked, “Will the legislature commit to dipping into that to address educational needs in the state?”

Larry Kachel, treasurer, addressed state funding specifically toward immigration growth and needs. He also encouraged the development of grant programs for industrial arts/technology education courses and equipment.

Brent Mansky, high school principal, addressed the need for state funding for post-secondary options for students.

As the meeting moved towards concluding, the legislators responded to the questions that had been posed, without making any specific commitments.

The City of Whitewater is partnering with UW-Madison Division of Extension to facilitate a strategic planning process to help determine the direction for the City’s operations and budget for the next two years. The Extension Institute of Community Development works with communities to build the vitality that enriches the lives of the residents and enhances the quality of life in the community.

John Weidl, Whitewater City Manager, explains, “Strategic planning is about our positioning the City of Whitewater relative
to our competitors and to our opportunities. And we are competing – for potential residents and taxpayers, for qualified
and dedicated staff, for grant money to make road repairs and fund new ideas, to supply services to neighboring
communities and non-City residents, and for other resources from non-government organizations (NGOs) and the State
and Federal Government that are mission critical. Departments also compete for supplies, financing, and resources within
and without the organization with similar needs — from new vehicles and computers to improved software and marketing
efforts. The City is also positioning itself to attract other key stakeholders, such as future employers, investors, or
suppliers.”

Through the strategic planning process, the City of Whitewater will evaluate where we are, identify resources, develop a
vision for the future, and plan for challenges along the way. The goal is to create a roadmap to implement lean
government principles, prioritize key strategic issues, identify our dependencies and interconnections, and identify what
stakeholders want from the City and what the City wants from them.

To provide input in this planning process, a Community Listening Session will be facilitated by UW-Madison Division of
Extension. This session will offer people with diverse backgrounds the opportunity to express their views about key issues
of concern through an organized process. The results of this effort will help City leaders and elected officials to further
understand the community’s current needs and strengths as they complete the strategic planning process.

City of Whitewater taxpayers, residents, commercial property owners and representatives of organizations operating in
the City of Whitewater are encouraged to register to be part of the discussion.

This Community Listening Session will be held Monday, March 6, 2023 from 6:00 -7:30 p.m., at the City of Whitewater’s
Municipal Building, 312 W. Whitewater Street, Whitewater in the Council Chamber.

Registration for this session is required as space is limited to the first 50 registrants. Please follow this link to complete the
registration form: https://forms.gle/xApooi8sYsuyjMW7A

Gov. Tony Evers on February 24 ordered the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff on Sun., Feb. 26, 2023, in honor of Fire Chief Todd J. Yandre of the Lake Mills Fire Department, who passed away in the line of duty on Feb. 15, 2023.   “Chief Yandre was by all accounts a caring and loyal friend, mentor, coach, husband, father, and grandfather who was dedicated to serving his community. Chief Yandre served the Lake Mills Fire Department for more than four decades, first as a volunteer firefighter and eventually becoming chief of the department,” said Gov. Evers. “Kathy and I share our deepest condolences with the Yandre family, his wife, Monica, his children, Jordan and Catherine, his grandchildren, and all of his friends and family at the Lake Mills Fire Department. He will not be forgotten.” Chief Yandre graduated from Lake Mills High School and later earned his degree in emergency management with an emphasis in fire safety from Lakeshore Technical College. He joined the Lake Mills Fire Department in 1981, becoming a full-time firefighter in 1995 and chief of the department in 2019.  Services for Chief Yandre will be held on Sun., Feb. 26, 2023, in Lake Mills.  Executive Order #188 is available here and will be in effect from sunrise to sunset on Sun., Feb. 26, 2023. This order is in effect concurrently with Executive Order #187 and flags should remain at half-staff through Fri., March 3, 2023, in accordance with Executive Order #187, available here.