Fennimore Community School Board member Sheila Ruchti was honored for her 20 years of board member service at the board’s monthly meeting held on Wednesday, April 15.
Fennimore District Administrator Jane Wonderling presented Ruchti with a plaque recognizing her time on the school board. The meeting was then briefly paused for a round of cupcakes in Ruchti’s honor.
With her recent reelection, Ruchti will actually be beginning her 21st year on the Fennimore School Board. Fellow board members Herman Maier and Matt Rutkowski were also reelected to their board seats during the April 7 election.
Fennimore Community School Board President Peter James, and board members Heather Horsfall and Margaret Sprague will be up for reelection in 2027.
Fennimore Community Scholarship Foundation President JoAnn Wiederholt gave an update to the board on the foundation.
The foundation, a non-profit group made of Wiederholt and nine other members, has been awarding scholarships to Fennimore High School graduates since 1987. The foundation’s goal is to have every Fennimore students who applies and qualifies receive at least one scholarship.
The scholarships awarded continues to grow every year. The 2024-2025 graduating class had 52 students receive 88 scholarships totaling around $78,000 averaging out to $750 per scholarship per student, according to Wiederholt.
Wiederholt stated that the foundation recently held a three hour meeting to decide this year’s scholarship recipients.
“It continues to grow because of all the work you and the foundation do to benefit our students,” Wonderling stated to Wiederholt before being joined in a round of “thank yous” by board members.
Washington D.C. trip
With the window closed for next school year’s annual 7th grade trip to Washington D.C., Fennimore Middle/High School Principal Boone Tollefson presented the final numbers/fees for the trip.
After foundation money, donations, and various fundraisers such as the drive through pork chop dinner, pizza sales, and UW Badgers football concession stand, the total owed for the trip was $7,910, therefore each student’s trip fee would be $172.
At the beginning of the process before fundraisers, etc., the projected amount per student had been $406.
Key dates
With the 2025-2026 school year moving closer to the finish line, the board confirmed some upcoming dates including:
- Senior Scholarship/Recognition Night—May 6
- School Board Organizational Meeting—May 20
- Graduation—May 23
- District Retirement Celebration—June 4
Other business
The board accepted the retirement of paraprofessional Julie Wetter-Briel, who had been with the district since 2000. The board also accepted the resignation of fourth grade teacher and eighth grade girls volleyball coach Bailey Hunt.
Two donations were also accepted by the board, the first being from Jordan Fritche who repainted the parking lines in the north high school parking lot as part of his new business venture.
The second sadly comes from the Friends of Fennimore Elementary School who had to recently make the difficult decision to disband the group and will be donating any remaining funds after their books are cleared.
The next meeting of the Fennimore Community School Board is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20 in the cafeteria of Fennimore Elementary School, and will include both the regular monthly board meeting and annual organizational meeting.
