Hundreds 'Run the Bay' for Whitefish Bay Schools

The annual 5k run/walk attracted 650 runners and raised over $12,000 for the Whitefish Bay Education Foundation.

Hundreds 'Run the Bay' for Whitefish Bay Schools

The annual 5k run/walk attracted 650 runners and raised over $12,000 for the Whitefish Bay Education Foundation.

Families flocked to Whitefish Bay High School Saturday morning for the seventh annual Run the Bay event. The annual 5k run/walk attracted 650 runners and raised over $12,000 for the Whitefish Bay Education Foundation, which donates funds to the Whitefish Bay School District. In addition to the 5k run/walk and a kids fun run, there was also cupcakes by Classy Girl Cupcakes, coffee by Dryhootch, and children's games hosted by Whitefish Bay Patch. Were you at Run the Bay? Upload your photos on Patch!

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Superintendent Gavigan to Resign From Whitefish Bay Schools

Dr. Mary Gavigan intends to accept a new position as the executive director of CESA #1.

Whitefish Bay Superintendent Mary Gavigan will leave the school district to pursue a new position with a statewide education agency. Whitefish Bay School District staff and families were notified Friday that Gavigan, who is in her third year with the district, intends to accept the position of executive director of CESA #1.  Gavigan notified board members last week. In a letter to staff and families, Whitefish Bay School Board President Pam Woodard wished Gavigan well in her new role. "The School Board would like to thank Dr. Gavigan for her leadership and steady guidance in challenging and dynamic times in education over the past three years," Woodard said. "During her tenure she worked with all stakeholders to develop a new Whitefish Bay…

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Amy

6:26 am on Tuesday, May 14, 2013

And if WFB School District is smart this time around, they'll think twice before offering their next superintendent the exorbitant salary received by Gavigan for running a four school district.   more ›

Start Warming Up for Run The Bay

The annual 5k run/walk benefiting the Whitefish Bay Public Education Foundation will kick off at 9 a.m. on May 18.

The seventh annual Run the Bay event is just a week away on May 18. The 5k run/walk will kick off at 9 a.m. at Whitefish Bay High School, and the kids run will follow at 10:15 a.m. All proceeds go to support the Whitefish Bay Public Education Foundation, which donates funds to the Whitefish Bay School District. Online registration closes at 10 p.m. Tuesday. You can also register the day of the race from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at Whitefish Bay High School.  This year, each of the four Whitefish Bay schools will compete against each other to see who can recruit the highest number of Run the Bay participants. The school that has the greatest number of team members in proportion to its school enrollment will win a traveling trophy and special …

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Forensics Team Shatters Records With National Qualifiers

Six forensics students will compete in the National Forensics League competition, and 12 will compete in the National Catholic Forensic League competition.

The Whitefish Bay High School Forensic and Debate team has had one of its best years yet, qualifying a record number of students for the most prestigious tournament in the country. Whitefish Bay has previously only qualified two students for the National Forensic League tournament: Katie Plaster last year, and Devin Munger in 2010. This year, the school will be sending six students to the competition, which will be held June 16-21 in Birmingham, AL.  "This is by far the best we have ever done at this tournament...this was an effort on behalf of everyone on our team," said Whitefish Bay forensic and debate coach Shawn Matson. "I couldn't be more proud." The news of six NFL qualifiers comes on the heels of a record 12 students qualifying to …

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Whitefish Bay Teachers Get Small Salary Increase

Lower-paid teachers will get $1,000, but most teachers will get $480 as a pike hike that's retroactive to the current school year.

Since Act 10 was passed into law, Whitefish Bay teachers' salaries have remained frozen while their benefits have been cut. So it was good news for the teachers union when the School Board approved a small salary increase that would retroactively apply to the current school year. The salary increase results in a $480 pay bump for most teachers, and a $1,000 increase for teachers at the very bottom of the pay scale. The modest salary increases were made possible through attrition: experienced teachers leaving or retiring from the district and being replaced by new teachers at a lower salary. Through attrition and retirements, the district was left with a $130,000 pot of money to redistribute to teachers. In agreement with the teachers union…

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thinkin' out loud

10:19 pm on Thursday, May 2, 2013

It's just amateur newswriting that doesn't say what it means to say, clearly and accurately. And what the hell is a "pike hike," and an "artificially lowered salary"?! The lead of the story indicates the pro-teacher/union bias from the get-go. Instead of just objectively laying out the facts—that the district decided to use unused funds to pay for a small increase in teachers' salaries—the story …   more ›

Student-Staff Ratios at Whitefish Bay Schools and How They Compare

See how the number of students per staff member in the Whitefish Bay School District stacks up against nearby districts and the state.

One thing that always comes up when districts talk about laying off staff, is the student-staff ratio. In general, according to the non-profit group Class Size Matters, a lower ratio is considered good, providing for smaller class sizes and giving students more opportunity for attention from teachers.  There were 870,470 students enrolled in Wisconsin public and charter schools in the 2011-12 school year. Those schools employed 3,497 administrators, 31,532 aides and support staff, and 65,446 licensed staff members. (All employment numbers are full-time equivalents, meaning two half-time staff members would count as one.) Average staff-student ratios are as follows: 249 students per administrator, 28 students per aide/support staff, and 13 …

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A Taste of Italy at This Year's Bay Ball

"La Vita Bay Ball - A Night in Little Italy" will take place from 6:30 p.m. to midnight on April 20 in the Whitefish Bay High School Field House.

This year's Bay Ball will bring a taste of Italy to the Whitefish Bay High School Field House. This year's Bay Ball – titled "La Vita Bay Ball - A Night in Little Italy" – will be held in the Palazzo Della Whitefish Bay High School Field House from 6:30 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, April 20. The night will feature Italian food in a family-style setting, a piazza marketplace featuring auction items, a fishing village, a chef’s table, live music and dancing. A gallery featuring students’ original art work will complement this year’s theme and Mediterranean atmosphere. The Bay Ball is a fundraiser organized by the Whitefish Bay Public Education, which has given more than $1 million to Whitefish Bay public schools over the past 18 years. …

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Junior Kindergarten Will Start Earlier Next Year in Whitefish Bay

The start time for four-year-old kindergarten students will soon align with the start times of the rest of the school population.

Four-year-old kindergarten sessions will start earlier next year to align with the schedule of the rest of the school population. That means parents will no longer have to make one trip to drop off their elementary school student and another trip to drop off their junior kindergarten student. At Richards School, the morning session will begin at 8:05 a.m. and end at 10:40 a.m. At Cumberland, the morning session will begin at 8:15 a.m. and end at 10:50 a.m. Afternoon start times will remain the same: 12:30 p.m. at Richards and 12:40 p.m. at Cumberland. Four-year-old kindergarten and five-year-old kindergarten registration is now in progress. For more information, visit the school district website and select Richards or Cumberland from the …

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No New Open Enrollment Availability in Whitefish Bay Schools

The Whitefish Bay School Board has allocated 18 open enrollment seats next year, all of which will be offered to students who are currently attending on tuition waivers.

The Whitefish Bay School Board will not accept new non-resident students through the open enrollment program next year. The Whitefish Bay School Board on Wednesday night allocated 18 seats for the open enrollment program in the 2013-2014 school year. Based on class size projections, the district expects all 18 seats will be needed to accomodate students currently attending Whitefish Bay schools on tuition waivers.  Tuition waivers are issued to students who move out of the district in the middle of a school year but want to continue their Whitefish Bay education. By offering these students an open enrollment seat, the School Board is allowing these students to continue attending Whitefish Bay schools the following year. The district …

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NObama 2012

8:56 am on Thursday, January 10, 2013

Let's try to keep the 'White' in Whitefish Bay.   more ›