School board recognizes retiring HSF board members

Before delving into the agenda for its last meeting before the new school year begins, the members of the School District of Rhinelander board of education took a moment last Monday evening to recognize and thank several retiring board members of the Hodag Schools Foundation (HSF).
District superintendent Eric Burke noted the retiring members — Julie Bronson, Carol Zierden, Jonna Jewell, Sue Makris and Dave Heck — helped lead the nonprofit organization through a crucial period in its history and played an important role in its crowning achievement, the construction of the Hodag Dome.
“It all started with the need to make our schools better,” Burke said.
Bronson, who was in attendance with Zierden and Jewell, explained that HSF developed as a result of the “melding” of the Rhinelander Education Association and the Hodag Facilities Foundation.
“It is my honor to speak for (the retiring board members), and it was our honor to do the work we did for the 25 years that we did,” she said, noting that a drive by the 128,000 square foot air-supported dome never fails to elicit a feeling of pride. “Every time we drive by the dome we kind of smile, ‘yea, we did that.” And so we’re very proud, and we’d like to thank the district for all the help that we got during that time.”

“Your legacy will go on long past you, so thank you,” noted board member Judy Conlin.
In other business, the board heard a report on the 2025 summer school program. Forty-one Rhinelander High School students, 147 James Williams Middle School students and 377 elementary age students participated in summer school this year, according to the administrators who facilitated the program.
The board also signaled its support for the purchase of Chromebooks for school board members. The matter was tabled during the panel’s July meeting but several members spoke in favor of the idea during the August meeting. The concept is that the use of Chromebooks will reduce paper usage (for things like the board member’s meeting packets) to the point where the devices will “pay for themselves”. A final vote did not take place as it was decided that the actual cost of the purchase should be included with the motion. The cost was estimated at $2,700 to $3,000.