Rep. Mary Czaja (R-Irma) issued the following statement after being appointed as a member of the Speaker’s Task Force on Rural Schools:
“I am honored to serve as a member of the task force. Our rural schools face unique challenges, including declining enrollments and high costs for both transportation and technology. Forty-four precent of Wisconsin students attend school in a rural classroom. A quality education is essential for these future workers and small-business leaders of our state.
“There is no one-size fits all solution. My colleagues and I will be working on the task force to identify new ideas, and study current best practices on ways for rural schools to make the best use of resources and extend every opportunity possible to students.”
Fellow representatives also serving on the task force include: Rep. Warren Petryk (R-Eleva), Rep. Ed Brooks (R-Reedsburg), Rep. Mary Williams (R-Medford), Rep. Jeff Mursau (R-Crivitz), Rep. Michael Schraa (R-Oshkosh), Rep. Stephen Nass (R-Whitewater), Rep. Chris Danou (D-Trempealeau), Rep. Sondy Pope (D-Cross Plains) and Rep. Mandy Wright (D-Wausau). Rep. Rob Swearingen (R-Rhinelander) will serve as Chair, and Rep. Fred Clark (D-Baraboo) as the vice-Chair.
Topics to be examined by the task force include partnerships among school districts, future transportation needs, long-term financial stability and tactics for handling declining enrollment. The first meeting will be held in Rhinelander, with a subsequent meeting to be held in Merrill. Meeting dates and additional location will be forthcoming. A task force report on the findings and recommendations will be expected early next year.