Departing Oconto Falls School Board members honored

A six-term member of the Oconto Falls School Board and a one-term member were honored April 17 during their last regular monthly board meeting.

Jan Stranz, who has served on the board since 2005, and Adam Adler, who became a board member the month after schools and businesses were closed because of COVID-19, each expressed their thanks to their fellow board members, staff and community.

”Eighteen years went by in a hurry,” said Stranz, who has served stints as board vice-president and secretary through the years.

President Clint Gardbrecht presented the departing members with plaques from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards expressing appreciation for their service.

“I must say that every year it’s a new board,” Stranz said, reflecting on the various board members she has worked with, “even if the board members don’t change, because everybody is a year wiser, a year more thoughtful, a year more knowing what board work is about, and each of those years has been an absolute pleasure.”

Adler said he just wanted to be involved in the process with three children in the school district when he began to run in January 2020, but the world had changed dramatically when he took office in April.

“There’s a lot of decisions you can make easily because you had a lot of people in favor of something; with COVID there was a lot of split down the middle, so, ‘Welcome to the board,’” Adler said.

Adler said he has learned a lot that he will take with him moving forward, and he thanked the incoming board members for making a commitment to serve.

Emilie Trudell and Carrie Hill were elected April 6 and are scheduled to join the board May 8.