Spicuzza announces retirement, search & hire firm approved

By Nicole Rogers
Posted 1/22/25

Good news announced at the January Prescott School Board meeting spotlighted Andrea Hintz as the Chamber of Commerce chosen educator of the year. Student school board rep Katie Hoover updated the …

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Spicuzza announces retirement, search & hire firm approved

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Good news announced at the January Prescott School Board meeting spotlighted Andrea Hintz as the Chamber of Commerce chosen educator of the year. Student school board rep Katie Hoover updated the board on school activities.

“Last week was Snow Fest Week, which included dress up days and an assembly on Friday where students competed against the other grades for the Cardinal Cup,” said Hoover. “Last Monday, National Honor Society Students volunteered at the Coaches vs Cancer game to raise money for cancer. And then on the sports side, the boys’ basketball team is having a successful season and are currently nine to four. The dance team took first place in pom and jazz and were overall Middle Border Conference champs at the recent competition in Eau Claire.”

Board members shared words of appreciation for Superintendent Dr. Rick Spicuzza as he announced his retirement after a decade of service in the district.

“This is a hard one for us,” School Board Vice President Tanya Holub began. “Rick, you have been the superintendent of this district for 10 years. That's been the whole entire time I've been on the school board. I've worked with many superintendents in the past, but I don't think that people within the community or outside of our close-knit home of leaders and school board members understand how much energy and effort you put into the success of this district. And your endless research, your data. I remember it was maybe four or five years ago. We had to ask you to stop sending us so much data and email and stuff.  You are constantly researching, constantly looking up stuff and trying to make us better.”

Holub went on to say that back in 2017, academically the district ranked 9 or 10 compared to other local schools and now the district is ranked number one.

All members agreed the district has grown and improved under his leadership and he will be missed. Later in the meeting a motion was approved to hire HYA to help with the search and hire of a new superintendent. This firm was highly recommended by the board for its timeline and stakeholder engagement. The search company will reach out to the school and community to identify their wants and needs which will hopefully lead to hiring a superintendent in the spring.

The board approved open enrollment for nonresident students only if the board-approved class sizes are not exceeded. Any nonresident who is already enrolled will be retained and siblings of nonresident students not already enrolled will get priority, but they are not guaranteed acceptance.

The 2025-2026 academic school year was approved, which highlighted the decision to have President’s Day off and extend the school year by one day.

The 10-year buildings and grounds plan was approved, detailing current and future projects. Fund 46 is used for these capital projects, a way to save money for upcoming projects.

Bus drivers’ pay was increased, matching that of other staff. The motion approved involved a 1.5% increase on the top of the 2.5% base rate to take affect Jan. 30. The curriculum writing hourly rate was also increased from $20 to $30 per hour. The rate has not changed in 10 years and is based on current salary standards.

Spicuzza provided an update on upcoming legislation and its impact on public school funding. The governor’s budget recommendation for the 2025-2027 biennium will be released on Feb. 18.

“We are $47 above the lowest school district in the state,” Spicuzza began, “and that is really hard when you talk about providing competitive wages, probably one of the greatest things that we've been able to do from a finance department and school board is, despite how we've been funded, how we've been underfunded in public education, the last 10 years, every single staff member has been able to get a raise. And previously, we've had years of freezes. We've had years where we were unable to advance people. And I think that that has been based on making really prudent, but sometimes very challenging decisions. I would really like more and more people to assist in having a voice down in Madison as they sit on $4 billion local taxpayers’ money, as well as having $1.9 billion in a rainy-day fund. And again, the legislature is not a bank.

“We pay taxes for services. Prescott public school provides services. We are providing some of the top academics. We have wonderful athletics and a beautiful performing arts center that is serving students, K-12. And I would encourage our community to continue to advocate for public education. Jeff Ryan sent a note to me. I invited all of our staff to be aware that at 7:30 tonight, the public-school network was having a conversation about vouchers and decoupling how public education would be funded. There's pros and cons to that, but you better be aware, because vouchers are going to continue, private schools will be funded and any if is part of public-school funding, it drains it. If they get separated, then the question is, are they going to be fairly funded? And right now, 100% of special education services provided in charters and private schools are reimbursed 100% and public education, 30% that's not equitable, it's not fair, it's not right, and we got to make it proper.”

School board treasurer Vicki Rudolph encouraged the community to reach out to local representatives.

“We have an assembly member and a senator that represent us, and they are both on the Joint Finance Committee. We have Shannon Zimmerman from River Falls and Rob Stafsholt from New Richmond. They are our representatives at the state level. They represent the people of Prescott. They are not that far away. They are right next door. Now is the time to engage them in their offices, send emails, give them calls. Usually gets better if you make a phone call, write letters, do what you need to, but they are in our area. I think it's up to us now to use them to our advantage and get them the information, tell them where we're at with Prescott schools, the state of our funding, and what our community is concerned about. Our community has seen taxes continue to go up, and we're needing to ask so we can keep the schools open, and they think at the state level that that's okay. We need to express to our representatives what we're feeling in our communities.”

Prescott School Board, Dr. Rick Spicuzza, retirement, superintendent, Prescott, Wisconsin