Southern Door Expedites Search for Interim Leader

Southern Door School District. Photo by Brett Kosmider.

Acknowledging that district business manager Jason Melotte would like to get back to his main duties instead of doubling as a general administrator for the district as he has this spring, the Southern Door school board is expediting a search for an interim superintendent.

Board members on Monday agreed to connect with interested parties and post an interim-superintendent position this week, with application packages due July 7. They’ll hold a special board meeting July 10, 6 pm, to consider candidates.

Board member Janel Veeser said the board could form a search committee if it needs to have multiple discussions with or about candidates after the July 10 meeting. Or, board president Penny Price noted, the board could take action July 10.

Melotte urged the board to get an interim superintendent in place before teachers return to set up their classrooms for the next school year. Price noted that some retired administrators have shown interest already.

Earlier this month, the board accepted the resignation of Chris Peterson, who was hired in 2021. 

Veeser said the board could begin preparing as soon as September for a superintendent search that would begin in January.

Records Request Continues

Prior to his resignation, Peterson went on leave in March for undisclosed reasons. Repeated attempts to obtain reasons why Peterson was on leave and why he resigned resulted in no comments from the school district. 

Consequently, the Peninsula Pulse made a public-records request on June 5 for documents between school board members and Peterson between September 2022 and June 5, 2023. The district responded by asking the Pulse to clarify the scope of its request, and it further indicated it would require upfront payment to comply, at an estimated cost of between $946 and $2,523, depending on the final scope of the request.

Wisconsin statutes allow the district to charge for the “actual, necessary and direct cost of location” of the requested documents, and to request prepayment of those fees. 

The Pulse responded by clarifying its request for records, disputing the district’s estimated costs to obtain those records, and asking the district to waive the fees, given that the disclosure of the requested information is in the public interest and would contribute significantly to the public’s understanding of the events that led up to Peterson’s leave and resignation.