Crivitz school board member calls for more training

CRIVITZ – Following many people providing public input to the Crivitz School Board on problems related to coaching at the high school, a board member said the school district should provide more training on what’s considered appropriate language and behavior.

“I have shown my support as a board member for implementing further programs for students and coaches to learn appropriate interactions and when actions may be inappropriate,” board member Kimberly Hanson said.

The school board also has discussed ways to handle future allegations and issues, she said. One recommendation is to survey student-athletes anonymously after the season.

Over a dozen people have spoken publicly about coaching issues affecting students on the courts and off, and several said they have made more than one complaint to the school. Despite this, Superintendent Kelly Robinson told the Peshtigo Times just one person made a formal complaint about girls’ basketball.

A fourth-level complaint about girls’ basketball was on the agenda for a special meeting scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, along with a closed session to discuss employment, promotion and employee performance evaluation data. The board’s reorganization also was scheduled for this meeting. This issue of the Peshtigo Times was published prior to Wednesday’s meeting.

On April 12, the board met in closed sessions to discuss teacher conduct issues, potential contract non-renewal and personnel issues.

Hanson expressed concern about the issues many people have brought to the school board’s attention. “There is nothing more important to me than the children’s wellbeing at school and their experiences at school being positive ones,” she said in an email to a reporter.

Several female athletes spoke at the board meetings about favoritism and retaliation being an issue on teams where the coach had a student on the team.

Dorschner has been a teacher in Crivitz since 2008 and was named athletic director in 2013. He also had served as a Crivitz Village Board trustee since 2017, but was defeated in the April election.

During the Feb. 26 village board meeting Dorschner motioned for the board to approve a resolution repealing a Village Board policy regarding remote meeting procedure for internet meetings. The motion carried 5 to 1. Former Village Board President Amy Grandaw, who is the school board president, presided over the meeting where the remote access policy was changed, potentially reducing the number of people invited to attend.

Grandaw was defeated in the April election for village trustees, but re-elected to the school board as the third-place vote-getter on a ballot where voters could vote for three candidates. The results were: Kaitlin Deschane with 1,603 votes, Cory Siebert with 1,563, and Amy Grandaw with 1,550. The candidate in fourth place, Sonny Graese with 1,502, was elected to a one-year term to fill the open seat board member Sara Roman was appointed to fill in fall 2024, according to the school district.

Crivitz High School Principal Jeff Baumann is a village board trustee. He was elected in 2024 for a two-year term on the Village Board. Governance experts often say overlapping trustees can pose conflicts of interest.

According to the agenda for the May 14 school board meeting, the board was scheduled to discuss the board’s policies for public input and remote videotaping at board meetings.

Grandaw told a reporter April 12 the next regular board meeting is set for 6 p.m. May 21 and will be open to the public, including members of the media. She also asked parents to notify the school administration of their concerns.

“We understand that there are a number of rumors circulating in the community regarding complaints that were reportedly directed to district leadership, but not addressed. We ask that anyone in our community who feels their complaints have not been addressed to provide district administration with the exact nature of those complaints. This is a preferred way to address complaints and seek a resolution,” Grandaw said.

Grandaw also thanked the administration for keeping board members informed.“The Board of Education appreciates the efforts of district administration in maintaining an open line of communication with the board regarding recent personnel matters.

Throughout, district leadership has maintained an adherence to district policy and due process,” she said.

At the April 16 school board meeting, following Dorschner’s and Grandaw’s village board defeats, over a dozen people spoke to the board during public input about the school’s athletics program and coaching issues not being addressed.

Speakers said some coaches with children on the team were favoring their own children by giving them more playing time and choosing them to start. Coaches also were accused of retaliating against players who complained and of intimidating parents. A couple of people said the issues on the field carried over to retaliation in the classroom, affecting students who witnessed the unfair treatment.

Others expressed their disappointment over the way female student-athletes were treated and a high-school culture that demeaned women that hasn’t been addressed. A parent of daughters enrolled in the school district said inappropriate language some teachers use seeps into the classrooms, where all students may hear it. The issue wasn’t limited to one teacher, the parent added.

While several people who spoke supported the coaching, most who voiced their support said they were involved with the boys athletic program.

Another person asked the school board to become more involved in holding coaches to the same high standards the district holds student athletes.

Math teacher Jeff Ott said the school district failed because it didn’t act swiftly to resolve coaching issues related to girls’ high school sports. Several female student athletes said the coaching took the fun out of playing sports and said it wasn’t a good year.

Hanson, who was new to the board this year, acknowledged the year has been an experience for her as well. “I can tell you that we have spent many hours in passionately fueled closed sessions in the last couple of months discussing these issues in depth and discussing ideas on how Crivitz can be improved for parents, students and staff…Not to mention the many emails and hours I have spent talking to concerned citizens,” Hanson said.

The board announced months ago Athletic Director Jeff Dorschner had requested an increase in compensation. This request was discussed in several closed sessions, according to the school board.

“As a board, we have an obligation to maintain employee confidentiality when it comes to personnel issues. We have also been in close contact with legal counsel related to this matter,” she said.
Hanson said she is willing to speak to concerned families. “I always encourage parents and students that I am a safe place for them to voice their opinions and/or frustrations if needed. I would never want a student to feel they have no one to reach out to… so for them I’m always there if they need me,” Hanson told a reporter. “Any way we can receive information on how to make Crivitz better should always be welcomed.”

Given the number of people who showed up at recent school board meetings to register complaints, some people may not be relying on the chain of command to resolve the issues. “I am not aware of other complaints of these allegations that have been brought up [through] the chain of command while I have been serving on the board,” Hanson said. Several parents a reporter spoke with said people were afraid to speak openly for fear of retaliation.

As information comes to light, Hanson said the board is seeing an influx in comments and concerns. “Not hearing from the public and knowing their concerns would be detrimental to our district in my opinion,” she stated.

Hanson said she didn’t have any data on how many complaints come across administrators desks on an annual basis to compare complaint levels this year with other years.

“My hope going forward is that we can create a welcoming environment where people feel they express their concerns and feel heard and valued,” Hanson said.