Adam Manka for Better La Crosse Schools

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!

02/04/2026

https://www.weau.com/2026/02/02/community-invited-help-name-new-renovated-la-crosse-elementary-schools/

We're looking for community feedback!

In case you missed it, the La Crosse School District is looking for feedback on what to name our two elementary schools. Anyone in the district can submit a name that represents the community!

Check out this news article, and the two forms for both elementary schools are below the site.

The surveys are open through Feb. 12, 2026.

01/24/2026

For the second year in a row, I had the honor of serving as our delegate for the State Education Convention, and this year I had the privilege of presenting a statewide resolution I co-authored with the La Crosse School District to help address early childcare in the state.

The resolution passed yesterday with bipartisan support, and if sent to the State Assembly, would reorganize Get Kids Ready into the Department of Public Instruction, to grant a consistent and uniform funding source for the new early childcare programs, and also ensure that childcare providers are certified through DPI to prepare 4k students for further education.

By bringing this to the state, this resolution would help school districts continue partnering with existing early childcare centers, while also ensuring consistent accountability and professional standards in 4k. These certifications would also protect against fraud, such as what we have seen in the infamous 2009 Childcare Fraud in Wisconsin, and recently, from the Minneapolis fraud in Minnesota.

At our closing session, Governor Evers stated that he has already seen the resolutions passed this year and will work to ensure they're heard in the state assembly in the next few months.

01/06/2026

This school year I've been challenging myself to visit a school every month, and today had the pleasure of touring Longfellow Middle School to review facilities, technology development, mental health support, and my favorite part was helping serve food to students on their first day back from winter break.

We're very fortunate in La Crosse to have great staff that care for their students in the classroom, and a part of touring the schools is being able to see the true work we provide while asking what's needed from our most important and on the ground staff in the district. It's easy to miss the big picture if you only stay on the board table.

Special thanks to Longfellow and may you continue to thrive returning from winter break!

05/11/2025

Want to give a huge round of applause for our students at Northside Elementary for setting up their plant sale for the district!

Was a great privilege spending the day at the elementary school, and love any chance to see what our teachers are seeing everyday. Thank you!

02/15/2025

Sickness hits hard in the winter, make sure to take precautions.

Missed last two board meetings while sick, and this week heading out east for my own education. Can't wait to return in person again in March! In the meantime make a plan to vote this upcoming primary election February 18th. Your voice means most at the ballot box!

11/01/2024

https://www.wizmnews.com/2024/10/25/la-crosse-police-respond-to-loaded-gun-found-in-central-high-school-16-year-olds-jacket/

Every parent should know that their child is in a SAFE place to LEARN.

La Crosse needs to do a lot more to ensure that situations like this don't happen again, and I am going to push the board to make sure we're held accountable to keep our schools safe for everyone!

I want to give a great big shoutout to our SROs for once again keeping us safe.

If anyone has any questions or wants to share their concerns, please do so at the board website, or contact us individually. You all are what keeps us accountable, and there is no bigger voice that matters than the parents of La Crosse

A loaded gun was discovered in a jacket left behind by a 16-year-old Central High School student on Friday morning, according to La Crosse Police. A Central staff member discovered the gun and contacted the School Resource Officer, who secured the weapon. The student was contacted and then taken int...