STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAU) — An effort has begun to recall two of the Stevens Point school board members. Documents were filed with the district office Friday morning by the Save Our Schools Committee led by Barb Portzen of Plover. The group is now collecting signatures to remove Lisa Totten and Kim Shirek from the board.
Portzen’s committee listed several reasons in their statement of intent papers, including failing to work cooperatively with other board members and administration, communicating with disrespect and rudeness in public televised meetings, and micromanaging the district. The committee also claims Totten and Shirek are focused on getting rid of the Superintendent and, “representing only that union that helped get her elected.”
Now, the committee has 60 days to collect 6,549 signatures from voting aged residents of the school district. That number is based on 25% of the votes cast within the school district during the last gubernatorial election three months ago.
Business Office Administration Secretary Karlyn Krautkramer says the committee legally has 60 days to collect the signatures, and then the school district has up to 31 days to verify the signatures. She says if they receive the petition signatures, there will be several people working to verify the signatures as rapidly as possible. Part of the reason for the fast work is to avoid a special election, which could cost the district over $37,000 dollars. The maximum 91 days takes the process to April 11th, which is four days after the April election. She would like to see everything on the April 7th ballot if possible.
Should the Save Our Schools Committee gather the required signatures, Both Shirek and Totten will be on the ballot along with candidates that register and file before a deadline which hasn’t been set.
Superintendent Attila Wedinger was out of town and unavailable for comment Friday morning.
