Adam Manka for Better La Crosse Schools

08/04/2026

I'd love for the public to be able to tour this facility as well!

08/04/2026

It was a great honor today to tour the Trane Building donated to the School District of La Crosse, and there are a few things I think the community should know.

First, this building will not be used for another high school. I was one of many who opposed the consolidation effort back in 2022, and there is no serious proposal to consolidate our high schools again.

That being said, it is important to know that the district will need to seek referendums in the not-so-distant future, and while my concern was that this building could easily turn into a referendum, it appears in the short term no referendum will be needed to use this facility. The district will have an operational referendum expiring by 2029, and upgrading our middle schools is in my opinion, the more important matter recently discussed.

So what will this building be used for? There are a lot of opportunities in the future, but for now the facility will be used for professional development, with the possibility to place administration here, and turn the greenside into space for sports, connecting the Shelby dugouts to Pammel Creek Elementary. There was even interest from our robotics program to host competitions inside.

There are a lot of possibilities with this donation, and I want the community to know that the district is taking care to be the best stewards possible with the property. Please keep in touch!

The Brief

07/28/2026

With the coming of August right around the corner, it also means its almost time to fundraise for this upcoming Scholarship of Opportunity!

This time, for the second annual scholarship, a committee has been formed with the hopes of expanding our fundraising for events. As the next few months slide by, keep on the lookout for more opportunities to give back to students in need!

06/28/2026

https://readlion.com/turning-pain-into-purpose-young-wisconsin-school-board-member-fought-school-drugs-family-trauma-and-found-faith-along-the-way/

It is an incredible honor for my testimony to be featured by the Lion yesterday, and if anything, it is incredibly humbling knowing that through hardships, strength and recognition is possible. Your faith is not something to shy away from in the public square; instead, we're called to exalt it publicly.

It's almost time to fundraise for the next scholarship of opportunity! I know there are more students out there who need that extra boost, but will you help them out this next cycle of scholarships?

Adam Manka is a man on a mission – overcoming family hardship to rise and serve others. At 18, he became one of the youngest elected officials in Wisconsin when he won a seat on the La Crosse school board as a senior in high school. “I ran not fully expecting to win at all,” […]

05/05/2026

I'm very excited to announce that, as part of this year's budget, v**e detectors will be fully implemented in both of our high schools, with an additional six added to Logan High School and four to Central High School!

This was a key promise when running for the board as a senior in high school two years ago, and it has now become a tested and vital tool for public educators to maintain safe environments for our students.

04/28/2026

Congratulations to our officers on the board of education, and thank you to La Crosse not only for the opportunity to serve in this role for the past two years, but also for giving me the chance to represent our school district at the state level for a third year at the State Education Convention!

04/11/2026

https://www.wxow.com/news/la-crosse/la-crosse-school-district-parents-school-board-president-raise-concerns-over-students-facing-lunch-shortages/article_9dabda06-5e52-43c6-a9ad-365e2e428efa.html

I got a tip from a parent last night and can confirm that the board first heard from students in March about the food shortage. Members did reach out previously to clarify the situation.

I visited both high schools today and confirmed that food order quantities have been increased to prevent further shortages, and that backup inventory is now being stockpiled. I will be returning next week to continue reviewing the situation and help where I can.

We have incredible staff at both schools. While these shortages have not been a daily occurrence, they have happened more often than we would expect, and there has also been a shortage of cafeteria staff. Please continue to support them.

This appears to be an administrative issue that has not yet been fully brought before the board. I will follow up to ensure further action is taken.

Parents in the La Crosse School District have raised concerns about a shortage of school lunches available for students.

04/07/2026

After two years of fighting to have everyday voices heard, I'm excited to say that the school district of La Crosse is finally listening to teachers, students, and parents, and is pulling back on standards-based grading and revising by incorporating more transparent grading models.

In theory, standards-based grading was supposed to change the traditional letter grade into a 1,2,3, or 4 grading scale that measured growth, but instead it left behind a culture of mistrust and frustration between school administrators and everyone else.

It was unacceptable that teachers used twice to thrice as much of their time grading their students, all without the support of administrators who left them behind. It was also unacceptable that students could not see their grades until the end of the semester.

While my report from my investigation helped get this together, this would not have been possible had it not been for the faculty and students who spoke loudly during our linkages for the past three years. It's so important we listen to our community as we continue to bring back excellence in grading.

Don't let La Crosse get an F on their report card!