MONROE - This week, the new school year begins in Monroe under the watch of a new district administrator.
Rick Waski, who assumed the office of district administrator in July, was principal of Monroe High School from 2010 to 2013 before serving as district administrator for the Adams-Friendship school district.
Waski said his previous work as an employee of the district gives him a valuable perspective to help run the district.
"My number one goal is to improve the district's communication with the community," Waski said. "I know the Monroe community supported our operating referendum last year, but we need to have that level of communication all the time."
To that end, Waski said the district's newsletter will be delivered four times a year, rather than twice. He also said the district hired social media firm SocialSchool4EDU to streamline the district's social media communications.
Waski said that he is also aware of several communication issues within the district organization that he hopes to address.
As the school year begins, Waski said he plans to address the achievement gap between students from higher- and lower-income families. Students from families with lower incomes often perform worse than those from families with higher incomes.
"We're looking into both academic and social programs," Waski said.
For example, Parkside Elementary School will incorporate school breakfasts into the school's weekly morning meetings, Waski said. Other systems will be improved in all schools to identify poorly performing students to get them the assistance they need.
Waski said that at Adams-Friendship nearly 80 percent of students were eligible for free or reduced lunches. To address the related problems of widespread rural generational poverty, Waski was able to secure significant mental health grants for school counseling, as well as district-wide free breakfasts and lunches.
"Since poverty isn't as widespread here, that wouldn't be an option for us, unfortunately," Waski said.
Although Waski noted that the state's budget for this year is one of the more education-friendly budgets of recent years, declining enrollments will continue to make managing the district's budget a "constant battle."
"The 2016 referendum allowed us to maintain our current programming for the time being," Waski said. "But if there are problems in the future, then we'll have to make some hard decisions."
Despite the challenges, Waski said he was glad to be working in Monroe again. Waski's wife, Andrea, and his two children - Clayton, 13, and Morgan, 11 - supported the move back to Green County.
"The driving force for my return was the quality of the Monroe community," Waski said. "I know my kids are excited to get to live here again."
Rick Waski, who assumed the office of district administrator in July, was principal of Monroe High School from 2010 to 2013 before serving as district administrator for the Adams-Friendship school district.
Waski said his previous work as an employee of the district gives him a valuable perspective to help run the district.
"My number one goal is to improve the district's communication with the community," Waski said. "I know the Monroe community supported our operating referendum last year, but we need to have that level of communication all the time."
To that end, Waski said the district's newsletter will be delivered four times a year, rather than twice. He also said the district hired social media firm SocialSchool4EDU to streamline the district's social media communications.
Waski said that he is also aware of several communication issues within the district organization that he hopes to address.
As the school year begins, Waski said he plans to address the achievement gap between students from higher- and lower-income families. Students from families with lower incomes often perform worse than those from families with higher incomes.
"We're looking into both academic and social programs," Waski said.
For example, Parkside Elementary School will incorporate school breakfasts into the school's weekly morning meetings, Waski said. Other systems will be improved in all schools to identify poorly performing students to get them the assistance they need.
Waski said that at Adams-Friendship nearly 80 percent of students were eligible for free or reduced lunches. To address the related problems of widespread rural generational poverty, Waski was able to secure significant mental health grants for school counseling, as well as district-wide free breakfasts and lunches.
"Since poverty isn't as widespread here, that wouldn't be an option for us, unfortunately," Waski said.
Although Waski noted that the state's budget for this year is one of the more education-friendly budgets of recent years, declining enrollments will continue to make managing the district's budget a "constant battle."
"The 2016 referendum allowed us to maintain our current programming for the time being," Waski said. "But if there are problems in the future, then we'll have to make some hard decisions."
Despite the challenges, Waski said he was glad to be working in Monroe again. Waski's wife, Andrea, and his two children - Clayton, 13, and Morgan, 11 - supported the move back to Green County.
"The driving force for my return was the quality of the Monroe community," Waski said. "I know my kids are excited to get to live here again."