Nicolet Principal Greg DePue is Finalist for Fort Atkinson Job

On the heels of two other administrative departures, Nicolet High School Principal Greg DePue is also looking in the direction of other districts.

Nicolet High School Principal Greg DePue is one of two finalists for a principal position at Fort Atkinson High School.  The Daily Union reports that DePue spent the whole day Wednesday in Fort Atkinson at a meet-and-greet with students and staff. He talked a lot about wanting to return to that "hometown feel" and the Daily Union reports he's "picking and choosing" when asked why he was looking at Fort Atkinson. But Nicolet School Board President Marilyn Franklin said even though DePue's possible departure falls on the heels of Superintendent Rick Monroe retiring and Lisa Elliott taking over as superintendent for Greenfield, parents and students shouldn't lose faith in Nicolet.  "We are committed to continuing doing all the best things we …

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Nicolet Hires New Superintendent

The Nicolet School Board selected current Menasha Joint School District school chief Robert Kobylski to take the helm as district administrator.

Robert Kobylski — current Menasha Joint School District school chief — will take the helm at Nicolet School District next school year, succeeding District Administrator Rick Monroe. The Nicolet School Board unanimously approved hiring Kobylski Monday night. Following Monroe's announcement in December that he would retire at the end of the school year, the board hired search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, which aided in selecting a new superintendent. The board interviewed three candidates before settling on Kobylski.  Kobylski has been superintendent of the Menasha Joint School District since 2010. Prior to that, he was superintendent and high school principal for Kohler Public Schools (2008-10), and high school principal for the …

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Nicolet's Next Superintendent Should Be...

The search firm hired to find the district's next superintendent will be looking for someone who exemplifies 10 characteristic identified by community members. It expects to begin screening candidates soon.

The firm tasked with hunting for new candidates to fill the shoes of retiring Nicolet Superintendent Rick Monroe said Tuesday it will begin the process of screening candidates. Illinois-based consulting firm, Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, met with community members and district staff earlier this morning to explore what they would like to see in the person who replaces Monroe.  Part of that screening, said consultant David Smith, will be matching candidates against the list of 10 characteristics which emerged from the focus groups, interviews with 103 employees and community members, and 206 responses to an online survey.  "There is somewhat of a level of anxiety in the community of who's going to take over, what kind of person is …

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Search Is On for New Nicolet School Chief

The School Board on Monday officially approved Superintendent Rick Monroe's retirement request Monday night and hired the consulting firm it hopes will find his successor.

With the School Board accepting head of Nicolet High School Rick Monroe's retirement request Monday night, the search is officially on for a new superintendent.  The board unanimously approved Monroe's retirement request as well as hiring consulting firm Hazard, Young & Attea to conduct a search for candidates to serve as Nicolet’s next superintendent.  "We have certainly enjoyed and valued Dr. Monroe's being here these past six years," School Board President Marilyn Franklin said, adding her yes vote comes with regret. "We will miss him." Board Vice President Morton Grodsky said he voted in favor of approving the retirement request with "great angst." The board didn't have the cost of the contract with the consulting firm immediately …

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Nicolet Superintendent Retiring End of 2012-13 School Year

Although Rick Monroe acknowledged challenges – a school board that didn’t always work together, he said, and the “financial challenges” of Act 10 – he said those things were not a driving force in his retirement.

UPDATED: Nicolet Superintendent Surprises Board With Retirement Announcement

Dr. Rick Monroe served as head of the Nicolet School District since 2007.

Nicolet High School District Superintendent Rick Monroe, who surprised the community Tuesday by announcing his retirement, told Patch in an afternoon interview that the decision was based on an “accumulation” of factors and largely was a lifestyle choice because he wants more time for other pursuits. Those pursuits include his volunteer work for St. Vincent De Paul – he said that he and his wife visited three people who needed assistance last weekend alone – and his desire to spend more time in New York visiting his adult children, playing piano, and being involved in church. “To me, this hasn’t been a job or career. It’s been a lifestyle,” he said – a lifestyle that means he is stopped by people while “buying paint at Home Depot” and that…

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How Much Do School Administrators Make?

Use our interactive database to see which school administrators are the highest and lowest paid throughout the state of Wisconsin.

Editor's Note: This story has been modified to clarify information about Maple Dale-Indian Hills district administrator salaries. School adminstrator salaries in the Nicolet High School District are largely in line with nearby communities, according to data compiled by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Superintendent Rick Monroe was paid $154,899, while Fox Point-Bayside Superintendent Rachel Boechler earned $135,000 and Maple Dale-Indian Hill Superintendent Mary Jordan Dean received $73,987 for her work as the district administrator. But because Jordan Dean also acts as principal at Maple Dale Middle School, her total salary includes an additional $73,987 for that position, bringing the total to $147,974. The numbers are …

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Are Fox Point and Bayside Schools Making the Grade?

A new state report card detailing how schools across Wisconsin are doing educating children is set to be released the week of Oct. 22.

Parents are used to receiving the quarterly report card, informing them how their child is performing in school. But, how about a report card on how the school is educating your child? The state Department of Public Instruction will roll out its new School Report Cards beginning next week. It’s a new accountability system that allowed Wisconsin to earn a waiver from meeting certain 2014 requirements of No Child Left Behind.  All three district administrators in our area support the new initiative, but with cautious optimism. Rachel Boechler, district administrator for Fox Point-Bayside School District said she has no doubt her district will do well, but does not anticipate a perfect score necessarily.  "I’m pretty confident were going to …

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'Us Vs. Them' Perception Rankles Nicolet Administrator

Rick Monroe challenged the impression that administration was "heavy handed" in dealing with issues during Homecoming Week. He added that the school might hold a different pep rally to bring back school spirit.

A stormy week at Nicolet High School left District Administrator Rick Monroe frustrated with what he said is an “us against them” perspective of students and some community members toward school officials. "People had the attitude that it's us against them, and that's what really hurt me, kept me up at night," Monroe said Friday in addressing that and other issues from the last week. "How can people believe that sentiment that the administration is anything but supportive of our kids? This shows that they have no clue the quality of people we have on staff." Homecoming Week was first jostled by a group of seniors who decided to circumvent the planned dress-up day with their own theme of "LAX (Lacrosse) Bros and Preppy Hoes.” That was …

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Ex-Nicolet Coach Who Confronted Student Doubts He'll Ever Work in State Again [VIDEO]

After 15 years in education and coaching, Brad Kozaczuk said he has never been physically threatened like he was at Nicolet High School. However, administration says the evidence shows the situation never should have escalated as much as it did.

When Brad Kozaczuk was hired as head football coach last fall at Nicolet High School, he thought he had finally found a place to make a name for himself. He brought with him a winning record from numerous other schools - not only in Wisconsin, but across the country. However, after an altercation with a student and his subsequent resignation, Kozaczuk wonders if he'll ever be able to teach in Wisconsin again. "It was an ugly situation," Kozaczuk told Patch. "There was yelling; she was swearing at me. It was a really ugly situation." On March 30, Kozaczuk was supervising a study hall when a senior girl loudly and aggressively drew attention to a new student who was using a cell phone, which is not allowed at Nicolet. Kozaczuk asked the new …

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