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Verona Area School District, Wisconsin

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Verona Area School District
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Verona, Wisconsin
District details
Superintendent: Dr. Tremayne Clardy
# of school board members: 7
Website: Link

Verona Area School District is a school district in Wisconsin.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...

Superintendent

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 		This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

Dr. Tremayne Clardy is the superintendent of the Verona Area School District. He was appointed to the position on January 4, 2021. Clardy's previous career experience includes overseeing the operation of 32 elementary schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District.[1]

Past superintendents

  • Dean Gorrell was the superintendent of the Verona Area School District. Gorrell was appointed superintendent in 2005 and served until 2021. Gorrell's previous career experience included working as the superintendent of the Marshall School District.[2][3]

School board

The seven members of the Verona Area Board of Education are elected to three-year terms. Three of the members must reside in specific geographic portions within the district. The Portion 1 member must live in the part of the district outside of the cities of Verona and Fitchburg. The Portion 2 member must live in Fitchburg, and the Portion 3 member must live in Verona.[4]

While candidates for the Verona Area Board of Education must conform to the above residency requirements to run for the Portions 1, 2, or 3 seats, all elections for the board are held at large.


Governing majority

To read about the governing majority on the Verona Area Board of Education between 2015 and 2018, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

2017-2018

Verona Board of Education, 2017-2018
Amy Almond
Russell King
Thomas Duerst
Kristina Navarro-Haffner
Noah Roberts
Meredith Stier-Christensen
Renee Zook

The Verona Board of Education voted unanimously on 91.86 percent of its votes between May 1, 2017, and February 5, 2018. This percentage represented a 0.03 percentage point decrease from the previous time period measured. The board approved 83 of 86 motions (96.51 percent) during this time, excluding procedural, roll call, and adjournment votes. These votes were counted from executive, special and regularly scheduled sessions, and exclude committee meetings. The top three issues voted on were fiscal/budgetary matters (27.91 percent), personnel (23.26 percent), and board procedures (23.26 percent).

  • When the board did not vote unanimously:
    • The appointment of new members to the board accounted for six of the seven non-unanimous motions.
    • A motion to approve board policies and rules related to fundraising, including sales and solicitations involving schools and naming rights associated with sponsorships accounted for the other non-unanimous motion with Almond voting "no."

The voting data indicated that there was no clear governing majority or minority faction on the board. No individual board member's voting record differed significantly from that of the other board members. The table above shows the composition of the board during the time period measured. (Note: A bolded name indicates a board member was newly-elected or appointed.)[5]

2016-2017

Verona Board of Education, 2016-2017
Amy Almond
Dennis Beres
Russell King
Thomas Duerst
Joanne Gauthier
Noah Roberts
Meredith Stier-Christensen
Renee Zook

The Verona Board of Education voted unanimously on 91.89 percent of its votes between May 2, 2016, and January 23, 2017. This percentage represented a 6.91 percent decrease from the previous time period measured. The board approved 73 of 74 motions (98.65 percent) during this time, excluding procedural, roll call, and adjournment votes. These votes were counted from executive, special and regularly scheduled sessions, and exclude committee meetings. The top three issues voted on were board procedures (29.73 percent), personnel (24.32 percent), and fiscal/budgetary matters (20.27 percent).

  • When the board did not vote unanimously:
    • The only motion that did not pass was one to nominate a community member for appointment to an at-large seat on the board. On this matter, Almond, Beres, and Zook voted "no", while Duerst and Roberts voted "yes".
    • The appointment of new members to the board accounted for two other non-unanimous motions. The vote that brought Stier-Christensen to the board saw Duerst vote "no," and the vote that resulted in King being appointed saw Roberts voting "no."

The voting data indicated that there was no clear governing majority or minority faction on the board. No individual board member's voting record differed significantly from that of the other board members. The table above shows the composition of the board during the time period measured. (Note: A bolded name indicates a board member was newly-elected or appointed.)[5]

2015-2016

Verona Board of Education, 2015-2016
Amy Almond
Kenneth L. Behnke
Dennis Beres
Derrell Connor
Thomas Duerst
Joanne Gauthier
Renee Zook

The Verona Board of Education voted unanimously on 98.80 percent of its votes between April 1, 2015, and April 18, 2016. The board approved 83 of 83 motions (100 percent) during this time, excluding procedural, roll call, and adjournment votes. These votes were counted from executive, special and regularly scheduled sessions, and exclude committee meetings.

The voting data indicated that there was no clear governing majority or minority faction on the board. No individual board member's voting record differed significantly from that of the other board members. The table to the right shows the composition of the board during the time period measured.[5]

Elections

See also: Verona Area School District, Wisconsin, elections

Elections for the Verona Area Board of Education are held on the first Tuesday in April each year. Newly won terms begin on the fourth Monday in April. Elections are staggered so that two or three seats are up for regular election each year.

Two seats on the board were up for general election on April 1, 2025. A primary was scheduled for February 18, 2025, but it was canceled due to opposition. The filing deadline for this election was January 7, 2025.

Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.


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Public participation in board meetings

The Verona Area Board of Education maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[6]

“ Public Comment

The public is welcome to attend any VASD Board of Education meeting. The board welcomes public input. Parents, staff, students, and community members may comment at board meetings or submit written comments about issues that come before the board. Comments that threaten, intimidate, or make disparaging comments about board members, district staff, and other members of the public are unacceptable. The Executive Assistant to the Superintendent accepts all written comments for the Board.

How to Comment at a Board of Education Meeting

  • Each agenda allows for up to 15 minutes of time devoted to public comment.
  • Each speaker has a maximum time limit of 3 minutes.
  • Board members may ask a speaker questions following the speaker's presentation.

Deadline to Submit Written Comments

The deadline to recieve written comments is 11 a.m. on the Friday prior to each meeting unless otherwise noted. The specific deadline for each meeting is listed on the meeting agenda.

How to Submit a Written Comment

When submitting a written comment please provide the following information on our Google Form.

  • Your name
  • Your relationship to the District
  • Schools with which you are associated
  • Your phone number
  • Email address, so the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and Board of Education can confirm receipt of your comment
  • Please keep comments to 250 words or less

If you are unable to use the Google Form, you may email your comments here.

Please be aware that all information you provide to the VASD in your comments, including your name, address, email address, and telephone number, is considered a public record and would be subject to disclosure under Wisconsin’s Open Records Law.

The VASD Board of Education is committed to serving people with disabilities. If you need Board information in an alternative format, please email or call the Executive Assistant to the Superintendent.[7]

”


District map

School district map

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[8]

Revenue, 2021-2022
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $7,945,000 $1,386 7%
Local: $69,111,000 $12,057 64%
State: $31,309,000 $5,462 29%
Total: $108,365,000 $18,905
Expenditures, 2021-2022
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $88,931,000 $15,514
Total Current Expenditures: $79,847,000 $13,930
Instructional Expenditures: $46,888,000 $8,180 53%
Student and Staff Support: $10,022,000 $1,748 11%
Administration: $10,070,000 $1,756 11%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $12,867,000 $2,244 14%
Total Capital Outlay: $382,000 $66
Construction: $23,000 $4
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $830,000 $144
Interest on Debt: $6,129,000 $1,069


Teacher salaries

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year Minimum Maximum
2024-2025[9] $55,073 $105,310
2023-2024[10] $52,894 $101,142
2020-2021[11] $39,486 $96,397

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[12]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 39 50-54 6-9 11 PS 30-34 51
2018-2019 41 45-49 10-14 14 PS 35-39 54
2017-2018 41 45-49 15-19 13 PS 35-39 54
2016-2017 44 40-44 15-19 15 PS 30-34 58
2015-2016 46 45-49 15-19 16 PS 40-44 58
2014-2015 49 45-49 15-19 22 >=50 45-49 61
2013-2014 56 60-64 24 24 <50 68
2012-2013 57 65-69 20-24 21 <50 70
2011-2012 57 60-64 20-24 21 >=50 69
2010-2011 80 80-84 50-54 52 60-79 90

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 42 55-59 10-14 15 PS 35-39 53
2018-2019 44 50-54 10-14 15 PS 40-44 58
2017-2018 44 45-49 10-14 15 PS 40-44 59
2016-2017 48 45-49 15-19 20 PS 40-44 62
2015-2016 48 45-49 20-24 17 PS 45-49 61
2014-2015 57 50-54 20-24 29 >=50 65-69 68
2013-2014 44 45-49 17 13 <50 55
2012-2013 46 45-49 20-24 13 <50 58
2011-2012 46 50-54 15-19 14 <50 56
2010-2011 85 80-84 65-69 55 >=80 93

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2019-2020 94 >=50 >=80 90-94 PS >=80 >=95
2018-2019 94 >=80 60-79 >=95 PS >=80 >=95
2017-2018 95 >=80 80-89 >=95 PS >=80 >=95
2016-2017 95 >=80 >=90 >=90 PS >=80 >=95
2015-2016 94 >=50 80-89 80-89 PS >=80 >=95
2014-2015 95 >=50 80-89 >=90 PS >=50 >=95
2013-2014 94 >=80 >=80 80-89 PS >=95
2012-2013 93 >=50 70-79 80-89 PS >=95
2011-2012 93 >=80 70-79 >=90 >=95
2010-2011 90 >=80 70-79 60-79 PS >=95


Students

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2023-2024 5,794 -0.6
2022-2023 5,827 1.6
2021-2022 5,732 1.7
2020-2021 5,636 -1.9
2019-2020 5,741 1.5
2018-2019 5,656 2.0
2017-2018 5,543 2.0
2016-2017 5,430 0.2
2015-2016 5,418 0.1
2014-2015 5,411 -0.4
2013-2014 5,433 2.2
2012-2013 5,316 8.0
2011-2012 4,892 0.1
2010-2011 4,889 4.4
2009-2010 4,675 0.1
2008-2009 4,671 2.5
2007-2008 4,556 0.4
2006-2007 4,540 2.8
2005-2006 4,415 5.5
2004-2005 4,170 -7.9
2003-2004 4,498 1.1
2002-2003 4,448 2.4
2001-2002 4,342 2.8
2000-2001 4,222 2.4
1999-2000 4,122 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2023-2024
RACE Verona Area School District (%) Wisconsin K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.1 1.0
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 4.3 4.3
Black 6.4 8.8
Hispanic 21.8 14.0
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.1 0.1
Two or More Races 6.7 5.4
White 60.2 66.5

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


Staff

As of the 2023-2024 school year, Verona Area School District had 412.68 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 14.04.

Teachers, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 11.50
Kindergarten: 19.00
Elementary: 165.13
Secondary: 217.05
Total: 412.68

Verona Area School District employed 12.00 district administrators and 17.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.

Administrators, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 12.00
District Administrative Support: 18.76
School Administrators: 17.00
School Administrative Support: 30.63
Other staff, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 96.14
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 28.72
Total Guidance Counselors: 17.00
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 7.00
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 10.00
Librarians/Media Specialists: 12.00
Library/Media Support: 10.53
Student Support Services: 58.26
Other Support Services: 117.06


Schools

The Verona Area School District operates 12 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Badger Ridge Middle7526-8
Core Knowledge Charter School419KG-8
Country View Elementary374KG-5
Early Childhood19PK-PK
Glacier Edge Elementary462KG-5
New Century School124KG-5
Savanna Oaks Middle3806-8
Stoner Prairie Elementary385KG-5
Sugar Creek Elementary683KG-5
Verona Area High1,7899-12
Verona Area International School118KG-5
Verona Area K4289PK-PK

Contact information

Verona Area School District seal.jpg
Verona Area School District
700 North Main St.
Verona, WI 53593
Phone: 608-845-4300


About school boards

Education legislation in Wisconsin

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

Wisconsin School Board Elections News and Analysis
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Verona Area School District, "Superintendent's Corner," accessed July 27, 2021
  2. ↑ The Fitchburg Star, "VASD: Verona superintendent celebrates 10 years," accessed July 9, 2015
  3. ↑ Unified News Group, "A good long tenure: Gorrell to retire from district in June 2021," January 17, 2020
  4. ↑ Verona Area School District, "Board Policies," accessed February 10, 2016
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Verona Area School District, "Board Meetings," accessed February 15, 2017
  6. ↑ Verona Area School District, "Public Participation," accessed January 30, 2024
  7. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  8. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
  9. ↑ Verona Area School District, "2024-25 Teacher Salary Schedule," accessed July 27, 2021
  10. ↑ Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, "2023-24 Teacher Salary Schedule," accessed July 27, 2021
  11. ↑ Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, "Public Teacher Salary Report: 2020-2021, Verona Area School District," accessed July 27, 2021
  12. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
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