(ANTIGO, Wis) (WJFW) -Â The Antigo School Board has three new faces after the spring elections earlier this week. The district has faced a lot of challenges including more than 175 staff members leaving since July 2023. Because of this people in the community are looking for change.
Mike Parizek received the most votes in the Antigo School Board primary and general election with over twenty eight hundred votes. He said his biggest priority is being able to retain their staff and changing the culture around the district.
“There seems to be a lot of turnover in the district and they're wondering why that's happening and what can be done about that,» Parizek said. «A lot of it has to do with the way staff were treated, and just the staff culture in general.â€
Parizek added that he wants the Antigo board to be more transparent with the community, as he feels they don't have much of a voice.
“I think a lot of things can be avoided, a lot of questions can be answered right off the bat if we're just open and honest with everything and have that open dialogue. We can probably come together and reach a collective agreement on a lot of things with just being open and honest.†said Parizek.
Some other challenges facing the district are funding for the aquatic center, losing school programs like Career and Tech education, and the dropping enrollment around the district.
Parizek says that change will take time but believes he has a big responsibility on the Antigo board to give back since he has worked and lived in Antigo his entire life.
Parizek said “That's kind of what I want to do is listen and see what I can do to make a positive impact for students, staff and community. That's really what it's all about.â€
