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Sevastopol School District recall, Wisconsin (2016)
| Sevastopol School District Board recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Bill Behme Jay Zahn Jane Luebker |
| Recall status |
Recall defeated Recall approved |
| Recall election date |
| August 23, 2016 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2016 Recalls in Wisconsin Wisconsin recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
A recall election seeking to remove Sue Todey and Bill Behme from their positions on the Sevastopol School Board in Wisconsin was held on August 23, 2016.[1] Todey retained her seat, but Behme was ousted from his position.[2] Members Jay Zahn and Jane Luebker were also included in a recall effort in 2016, but it failed to gather enough signatures.[3]
Recall supporters said they wanted the board to reinstate Mary Donaldson, an elementary principal and the district's director of special education. Donaldson had been on paid administrative leave since February 24, 2016, and the board had not divulged the reasons behind that decision. Recall supporters demanded Donaldson be reinstated by March 7, 2016, and when she was not reinstated, they filed paperwork to begin the recall process against Zahn and Luebker.[4][5]
In January 2016, the Sevastopol School Board voted to not renew Donaldson's contract, which was supposed to go through June 30, 2017. A month later, an independent investigation began looking into Donaldson and Superintendent Linda Underwood after concerns were raised by parents. The administration did not comment on the investigation or on Donaldson's paid administrative leave.[6] Donaldson resigned from her positions as principal and director of special education on April 28, 2016. The resignation was effective June 30, 2016.[5] Underwood resigned from her position as superintendent on July 14, 2016, after an attorney for the district suggested the board investigate her treatment of Donaldson. After her resignation, supporters of the recall said they had started the recall process in order to draw the board's attention to Underwood's deficiencies.[7]
Though recall supporters initially targeted only Zahn and Luebker in March 2016, they said the other five members of the board could also face recall petitions.[4] They followed by targeting Todey and Behme in May 2016.[5] Tim Bley and Keith Volkman announced they would run against the two recalled board members in the election.[1] Volkman won a seat on the board, but Bley was defeated.[2]
Todey, Behme, Bley, and Volkman participated in a candidate survey conducted by the Door County Advocate. Click here to see their responses about improving communication and dealing with district issues.
Recall vote
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Keith Volkmann |
26.3% | 663 | |
| Nonpartisan | Sue Todey Incumbent |
25.3% | 638 | |
| Nonpartisan | Tim Bley | 24.5% | 619 | |
| Nonpartisan | Bill Behme Incumbent | 23.9% | 603 | |
| Total Votes | 2,523 | |||
| Source: Door County Pulse, "Todey, Volkmann Elected to Sevastopol School Board," August 26, 2016 | ||||
Recall supporters
The recall effort against Zahn and Luebker was launched by Trent Olsen, a district parent. After Donaldson was not reinstated, he said he had no other recourse. Olsen also said recall supporters did not "feel like the board is operating in the best interest of the community or school." He said parents tried to get answers to questions about Donaldson's administrative leave, but the board did not answer them.[4]
Kristina Blackley, a district parent, started the recall effort against Todey and Behme on May 1, 2016.[5] She said a big reason for the recall effort was transparency.[3] She also said the two members were targeted due to "inappropriate use of taxpayer money" and "broken lines of communication."[8]
Ben Rikkola, a supporter of the recall effort against Todey and Behme, said, "The recent recall campaign came about because the board went for months flat out ignoring stakeholders, constituents and the vast majority." He said the recall effort had gained traction because of the board members' "unwillingness to listen." Rikkola also said, “Early in all of this, the board did not so much as give the stakeholders the time of day. Body language alone said ‘Go away. You’re a nuisance. Go away. Leave us alone so we can do our job.’”[8]
In August 2016, after Superintendent Linda Underwood resigned, Rikkola said the reason for the recall "was really an attempt to get an otherwise unwilling board to focus attention on the shortcomings of the superintendent," according to the Door County Pulse.[7]
| “ | Teachers were labeled as the ‘mean girls,’ only more explicit. They wanted to make complaints about the superintendent with Sue Todey and she said that’s illegal. What you have to do is follow the chain of command and turn those complaints about the superintendent into the superintendent. For whatever reason, the board aligned themselves with Underwood, who was treating some of the teachers, not all of them, very poorly.[9] | ” |
| —Ben Rikkola (August 19, 2016)[7] | ||
Arguments for recall
A group calling themselves “Concerned Parents and Community Members” published the following letter to the editor in the Green Bay Press Gazette on June 18, 2016.
| “ | Recall rationale explained
On Thursday, June 16, the required number of signatures to initiate a recall election for Sevastopol School Board President Sue Todey, and Vice President Bill Behme was submitted to Sevastopol School Board Clerk Lisa Bieri. The required number of signatures needed was 743 per Wisconsin recall laws which state that the number be equal to or above 25 percent of district residents who voted in the last gubernatorial election. Final numbers submitted were 829 signatures for Sue Todey and 824 for Bill Behme. A verification process is now underway where the board clerk must validate that each signer is a legitimate elector, that they in fact reside within the district and are of proper voting age. The recall is the result of a larger and larger parent and community group that has grown exponentially in the last couple months over continued frustration with board decisions and indecision, as well as, Mrs. Todey’s and Mr. Behme’s failure in making any attempt to listen to the voice of the majority. On the recall petition paperwork with the State of Wisconsin, the reasons listed for the recall are stated as lack of transparency, inappropriate use of taxpayer money, and broken lines of communication. The Sevastopol parent and community group behind this movement maintains that this recall would not have been necessary if Todey and Behme would have simply listened along the way. They have to know when things aren’t going well, people are going to ask questions and have concerns. But after months of writing letters, giving speeches, and attempting communication in all possible ways, it became blatantly obvious that they had no interest in acknowledging the will of the majority or even the problems at hand. As a result the recall was initiated as a last resort to get their attention. The success of the this recall campaign illustrates that Todey and Behme have lost the public’s trust. It also shows that public opinion in Sevastopol, not surprisingly, is for fair, open, and honest governance where the goal is to benefit the common good not a small few. Once the verification process is complete and the recall election date set, we will release the names of our candidates.[9] |
” |
| —“Concerned Parents and Community Members” – Ben Rikkola, Kristina Blackley, Rachel Schartner, Tim Bley, Karen Brauer, Mike Asher, Al Kiessel, Paul Kasriel, Katie Kasriel, Tony Hayes, Kathy Nichols, Candace Worrick, Kay Haen, Tasha Rass, Cheryl Burka, James Burka, Kevin Schultz, Alycia Schultz, Marci Faustini, Tracy Jorns, Greg Jorns, Eril Peil, Angie Peil (June 18, 2016)[10] | ||
Recall opponents
Zahn said the news of the recall was "disappointing" and "unfortunate." He said that because it was related to a personnel issue, the board was unable to discuss the matters with Donaldson. Zahn said that the recall supporters were "certainly entitled to their actions and we’ll see where it goes from there."[11]
Behme said, “I think everyone on the board would just love to lay all the information out on the table for everyone to see. It would certainly make our jobs substantially easier but we can’t.” He said he tried to keep “honesty and integrity” in the center of his work as a board member. “I realize that these folks are advocating for their children and for the teachers and I would probably do the same, but the board has an obligation to all the kids, all the staff and the district as a whole, and that’s the basis for our decisions,” Behme said.[3]
Behme and Todey filed challenges to the recall petitions that were submitted in June 2016. Their challenge listed the following problems with the petitions: duplicate signatures, non-residency issues, and misinformation.[12]
Response by Todey
Todey spoke with the Door County Pulse about the recall effort in August 2016.[13]
| “ | Bill and I have gone back and forth. Do we just resign, because this has taken a toll on us individually and with our families? One day we’d talk and say, let’s just call it quits. But there are so many people who voted for us originally and they’re counting on us. And we would get input from people who would say, ‘Stay with it. Help us get through this.’ The whole time it’s been back and forth. Finally we said, nope. When this recall was certified, we said we’re going to give it our all. Hopefully the folks who come to vote will understand what has happened. We couldn’t talk. Because this is a personnel issue, legally and ethically, we could not talk about this. Everybody else could. But we couldn’t. Our hands were tied on this.[9] | ” |
| —Sue Todey (August 5, 2016)[13] | ||
Response by Behme
Behme spoke with the Door County Pulse about the recall effort in August 2016.[13]
| “ | (T)hey have the ability to say anything they want – disparaging, inaccurate and there’s really nothing you can do to defend yourself in that process because you hold what is the truth of it...They talked about how nobody was listening to them. They sent in these letters and nobody was listening to them. The reality is that we were listening to them, but we were also listening to a lot of other people who have a completely different perspective on this…. When it comes right down to it, we were listening intently to what these people, what these teachers, were having to say, but we had to balance that with all the other things we knew about it in the employment process or in the community, by students, by parents, by teachers. That’s ultimately where that decision came in.[9] | ” |
| —Bill Behme (2016)[13] | ||
Arguments against recall
Former Sevastopol School Board member Mark Herrell published the following letter to the editor in the Green Bay Press Gazette on June 18, 2016:
| “ | Recall effort expensive, vindictive
The Sevastopol School Board recall petition is misleading on two main points. First is the purpose of a recall. The recall petition is clearly a response to the non-extension of an administrative contract. Unfortunately, the recall petition is being used as an expensive tool to punish school board members for making this difficult decision. An election recall process is not to be used by residents who are simply upset about a school board decision; its purpose is for clearly defined breaches of “official responsibilities of the officeholder.” The reasons listed on the petition are vaguely defined offenses that do not rise to the merit of a recall even if they were accurate. Legislative process and legal counsel guide the process of handling administrative contracts. It is a highly prescribed process. Lawyers for either party would quickly act to correct any action outside of the legislative or legally appropriate process. These board members have not acted in a manner violating the official responsibilities of the office. Secondly, the recall is misleading about the ethical standing of two long-standing board members, Sue Todey and Bill Behme. The use of the recall petition does not reflect their history of, or current, quality service for the school district; it serves as a vindictive tool for a difficult decision. These board members have a long history of valuable service resulting with facility improvements, curriculum development, technology infrastructure upgrades, legislative advocacy, financial accountability, nutritional programs, and support of student extra-curricular activities. As the banners have been raised for school district recognition, let it be known that the school board, especially these two board members, have been developing the infrastructure to accomplish these accolades for many years. If you want a change in the school board membership, vote at the regular election, not at a supplemental self-serving recall election. Please do not support this recall by signing a petition, or if already signed, ask for your name to be removed from the petition. If a recall election does occur, please vote for the duly elected officials.[9] |
” |
| —Mark Herrell (June 18, 2016)[10] | ||
Background
Candidate survey
The two incumbents up for recall election and the two candidates who filed to take their place participated in a candidate survey conducted by the Door County Advocate. The Door County Advocate's questions are presented in bold below, and the candidates' responses follow.[14]
If elected, how would you improve communication between the school board and the community?
| “ | We should maintain our practice of active listening sessions prior to the bimonthly school board meetings. At the same time, the district needs to set up a school board website and general email to allow an open channel for information to and from the Board.
However, the most effective way to improve communication with the community is for staff, parents and other community members to regularly attend School Board meetings. Doing so will allow everyone to receive accurate information and allow the public an opportunity to provide information and ask questions directly of the Board.[9] |
” |
| —Bill Behme (August 2016)[14] | ||
| “ | To improve the communication between the school board and the community, I would start talking to the community members about the needs of the school and not just focus on the wants. I think it is important to invite community members in to work on committees and tour the facilities in order to give them a perspective on the issues the school is facing and to get fresh ideas from people as well.[9] | ” |
| —Tim Bley (August 2016)[14] | ||
| “ | We have already taken steps as a school board to increase communication opportunities with the community by adding half-hour listening sessions before our two regularly scheduled school board meetings each month and purchasing an updated camera for better quality videos of each open meeting. The use of social media is also being addressed. I would encourage community members to attend school board meetings regularly, including our annual meeting, to learn about the operation of the district on an ongoing basis. I would encourage community members to volunteer for school committees; to attend upcoming sessions to discuss our building renovation; to attend free adult community classes, student concerts, plays, athletic events, the senior citizens holiday concert and luncheon; check out our website; listen to our monthly programs on a local radio station. These are some of the many ways that the community, the school staff, and the school board can engage in civil discourse on an ongoing basis.[9] | ” |
| —Sue Todey (August 2016)[14] | ||
| “ | First and foremost the board needs to improve communication among its own members. My goal will be to help reunite the board to work for the common good of the district. Improving communication with the community and all its stakeholders begins with active listening. I value the importance of gathering all information. The board needs to re-establish a culture where individuals feel valued and appreciated. It needs to engage the staff, community and taxpayers and be transparent with any information it can. If a concern is raised, the individual will be much more likely to be accepting of the outcome, even if they disagree, when they feel they were listened to and received some type of response or acknowledgement. As a board member elected by the people, it is the board’s responsibility to ensure the staff, parents, community and taxpayers are kept aware of the happenings of the district.[9] | ” |
| —Keith Volkmann (August 2016)[14] | ||
How do you think the school district and the community can begin to work together?
| “ | I believe there have been missteps on the part of all parties involved. We need to focus on what is best for the district as a whole and begin to look forward, not back. The key is always communication. We need to clearly set goals for the district with input from administration, staff and community for:
Unity can only come with a common vision and the willingness of everyone to participate.[9] |
” |
| —Bill Behme (August 2016)[14] | ||
| “ | We can begin to work together by making sure the community has the opportunity to volunteer on committees. I am more than willing to listen to suggestions and listen to input others may have on topics.[9] | ” |
| —Tim Bley (August 2016)[14] | ||
| “ | The way that all of the stakeholders of the Sevastopol community can begin to work together after this recall situation is for all of us to keep in mind the school district mission statement: To provide students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be lifelong learners and responsible citizens. If we all have the same goal of preparing our young people to be ready to undertake higher education and challenging careers as they graduate, that is where we need to focus our energy and resources and not on distractions. Our youth can’t wait; we only have them for 13 years, so every minute of their education must count. We have limited resources, so every dollar must be used wisely in providing the best education possible for every student. Our students are counting on us, and if they are our focus, we can and must move forward.[9] | ” |
| —Sue Todey (August 2016)[14] | ||
| “ | Good working relationships begin with trust. Trust is earned and fostered by good communication. The board needs to re-establish trust with all stakeholders by improving those lines of communication. While the board is made up of seven members and these are the individuals who cast the votes, the board would benefit greatly by reopening the lines of communication with the staff, parents, community and taxpayers. By allowing community members to be active participants, the board will foster a positive working environment with all parties moving forward to do what is best for our students. There are many members in the community who are vested in the district who would be willing to share their time, talents, and expertise for the betterment of the school district.[9] | ” |
| —Keith Volkmann (August 2016)[14] | ||
What is the biggest issue the school district is facing?
| “ | Divisiveness. This district cannot maintain a high degree of performance or move forward without an improved sense of unity. Ultimately there must be balance and cooperation for all interests to be represented. The focus of this school board has to be about the essentials of education, enrichment, respect and security for our children. It should not be about politics or individual agendas.[9] | ” |
| —Bill Behme (August 2016)[14] | ||
| “ | The biggest issue the school district is facing is the bad publicity it has gotten in recent months. The biggest issue that the school board is facing is a lack of strong leadership, leadership that has allowed this bad publicity to happen.[9] | ” |
| —Tim Bley (August 2016)[14] | ||
| “ | I think our biggest immediate issue is getting our entire Sevastopol School community on board in moving forward and preparing for a positive and productive year ahead. We have a new elementary principal, an experienced interim superintendent who had a successful track record in the district previously, plans for a new dean of students, outstanding veteran staff in all phases of the school operation, supportive parents, and a veteran school board that has led our district to recognition at the local, state, and national levels in student achievement. We have all of the ingredients to continue being an outstanding school district. All we need to do is to ensure that we capitalize on these ingredients and pull together for the benefit of Sevastopol students![9] | ” |
| —Sue Todey (August 2016)[14] | ||
| “ | There are many issues facing the district but of greatest concern is the current state of the district. The district is polarized. We need to reunite so that we may move forward to face the challenges we have ahead, including, but not limited to, decreased state funding and aging facilities.[9] | ” |
| —Keith Volkmann (August 2016)[14] | ||
Name additional issues you would like to address over the next three years.
| “ | Above all, continue the academic excellence that’s been achieved over the last decade, while enhancing and broadening the academic offerings within our district. Our number one goal must be preparing students for careers or advanced education.
A comprehensive plan for the building is imperative. Parts of this school are falling apart and there’s been a consistent lack of space. Technical upgrades are absolutely needed for today’s distance learning trends. We’ve been very efficient with our budget and good stewards of the taxpayers' money, but at some point we have to develop a facility plan to be fiscally responsible and financially prepared. We’ve worked to make Sevastopol School the heart of our community. We should continue partnering with local businesses, arts and volunteer organizations to enrich the school’s educational environment. I’d continue expanding Community Education Courses and volunteer opportunities in the classrooms so the entire community views Sevastopol as their school.[9] |
” |
| —Bill Behme (August 2016)[14] | ||
| “ | Issues I hope to address include building up the trust within the school board, and between the school board and the community, and bringing back the confidence of the school employees.[9] | ” |
| —Tim Bley (August 2016)[14] | ||
| “ |
|
” |
| —Sue Todey (August 2016)[14] | ||
| “ | In addition to reuniting the board and regaining the trust of the staff and community by developing a culture where people feel valued, this board will be responsible for selecting the next superintendent. Our district has lost three administrators in the last year. While we are very fortunate to have a great interim superintendent in Steve Cromell, the board must complete its due diligence in selecting the district's next leader. I will take the time to do the research. I will ensure we select a candidate who is strong in culture development, employee and public relations, and school finance, and has experience in facility use, maintenance and updating. This person will need to lead the staff to continue our students’ high academic achievement and keep Sevastopol on the cutting edge of new educational opportunities and practices. Sevastopol would benefit greatly from a superintendent who would embrace being an active, visible, and recognizable member of our small community. Please vote to move Sevastopol forward.[9] | ” |
| —Keith Volkmann (August 2016)[14] | ||
Superintendent resigns
Superintendent Linda Underwood resigned from her position on July 14, 2016.[15] Her resignation came "after an investigation by the district’s attorney determined that while Underwood’s behavior might not constitute a legal hostile work environment, it was enough of a concern that the board should immediately investigate," according to the Door County Pulse.[7]
Donaldson said there was "no smoking gun" related to her fallout with Underwood, but she did say they had not seen eye to eye on teacher compensation. “My teachers were making less than four years earlier,” Donaldson said.[7]
| “ | Salaries stayed the same, benefit costs went up. I believed they needed raises, but I didn’t have that power. But did I voice it? Yes I did. I could see it if we were financially strapped, but we had the money, and we had the performance and the feedback and the increased enrollment.[9] | ” |
| —Mary Donaldson (August 19, 2016)[7] | ||
When asked about the toxic environment Donaldson said she created and the fact that the recall effort blamed her for the district's turmoil, Underwood said, "I really never felt that. I certainly never wanted that. I’m really proud of everything they did with kids.” Underwood also said she was unable to comment directly due to confidentiality.[7]
| “ | It’s tricky. I will tell you, I have a very high sense of ethics. Part of that is that I don’t talk about, to anyone, personnel actions, what goes on that is confidential. That simply isn’t done. Of course the awkward part is that other people aren’t held to that same standard. There are a lot of claims made that I simply will not respond to because they have to do with other people’s personnel actions. Other people can say whatever they want to, but I’m held to a higher standard and I’m not going to let that go.[9] | ” |
| —Linda Underwood (August 19, 2016)[7] | ||
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Wisconsin
The paperwork to start the recall against Todey and Behme was filed on May 1, 2016.[5] Recall supporters for that effort submitted their petitions on June 17, 2016. Recall supporters said they had collected 824 signatures to recall Behme and 829 signatures to recall Todey. To get the recall on the ballot, at least 743 signatures needed to be verified for each board member. The two members had 10 days to review the signatures on the petitions.[8] Together, they filed a challenge to a number of signatures included on the petitions. Sevastopol School Board Clerk Lisa Bieri had until July 18, 2016, to verify the signatures.[12] She verified more than 775 signatures for each petition, which was above the threshold and allowed the recall to be put on the ballot on August 23, 2016.[1]
The initial paperwork to start the recall against Zahn and Luebker was filed with the school board clerk on March 7, 2016. The recall supporters had to gather signatures equal to 25 percent of voters in the school district who cast ballots in the last gubernatorial election, which was equivalent to 743 signatures for each petition, and submit them by May 11, 2016.[4][11] They were unable to meet that deadline.[3]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Sevastopol School District' recall. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Sevastopol School District, Wisconsin
- Recall campaigns in Wisconsin
- Political recall efforts, 2016
- School board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Green Bay Press-Gazette, "Sevastopol recall scheduled for Aug. 23," July 19, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Door County Pulse, "Unofficial Results: Todey, Volkmann Elected to Sevastopol School Board," August 24, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Green Bay Press Gazette, "evastopol board recall on track," May 28, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Green Bay Press Gazette, "Sevastopol School Board recall started," March 8, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Green Bay Press-Gazette, "More Sevastopol board members face recall," May 5, 2016
- ↑ Green Bay Press Gazette, "Sevastopol's Donaldson on administrative leave," February 25, 2016
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Door County Pulse, "Sevastopol Principal Donaldson Speaks Before Recall," August 19, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Green Bay Press Gazette, "Sevastopol School Board recall moves forward," June 17, 2016
- ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 9.17 9.18 9.19 9.20 9.21 9.22 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Green Bay Press Gazette, "Your Letters: June 18," June 17, 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Green Bay Press Gazette, "Signature collection begins in Sevastopol recall," March 14, 2016
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Door County Daily News, "Sevastopol Recall Signatures Being Challenged By Todey And Behme," June 29, 2016
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Door County Pulse, "Behme, Todey Speak Before Sevastopol School Recall Election," August 5, 2016
- ↑ 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12 14.13 14.14 14.15 14.16 Green Bay Press Gazette, "Sevastopol recall election candidates survey," August 16, 2016
- ↑ WeAreGreenBay.com, "Recall election for Sevastopol President and Vice President," July 19, 2016
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