Category: Contracts

Originally posted: 2/12/2025
Updated: 2/14/2025

Open Records reveals serious contract issues. The contract of former school district superintendent Andy Space has raised several questions that the community deserves answers to.

The Contract Details 
Initially, Andy Space’s contract appeared straightforward: a first-year salary of $145,000 and a second-year salary of $150,000. However, an unexpected $6,180 increase in the second year sparked curiosity and concern.

If the original Space contract for the 2024/2025 school year was set at $150,000, why does his new contract compensate him for $156,180 for 2024/2025?

Space earned $145,000 during the 2023/24 school year. Does his original contract call for a $5,000 raise in year two and a cost-of-living adjustment?

Ignoring Expert Advice 
It has been alleged that the Wisconsin Association of School Boards routinely recommends that school districts do not give automatic one-year extensions during their first year of service. This protects school districts in case their new district administrator isn’t compatible with the district’s mission and vision. It appears that Space was given just that: an automatic extension.  Alligations exist but have not been verified; the previous Board President negotiated the contract without involving the full board. However, evidence does exist the full board did, in fact, vote to approve the contract itself.

January Approvals 
In January of 2024, the board approved one-year extensions for administrative staff, but there was no mention of pay increases. Then, in March, the board voted for a 4.12% cost-of-living increase for the administrative team, less Andy Space, who was already set to earn $150,000. The rest of the Administrators received a 4.12% cost-of-living increase raise. This raises the question: How did Andy Space end up with both a $5,000 raise and the 4.12% increase?

Demanding Answers:   
Andy Space asserts his contract was approved in January 2024. Andy, along with the Administrators, were given a one-year extension to their contracts, but no pay raises were given. It would have been impossible to approve a contract without knowing the cost-of-living adjustment. In addition, he was already set to earn $150,000 per year.

Double Raises 
Andy Space received both the predetermined $5,000 raise and the cost-of-living adjustment, unlike other administrators who only received the board-approved raises. This discrepancy suggests that his contract allowed for more flexibility than others.

The Final Twist 
The most concerning aspect is that the board did not see or vote on the document that allowed for this double raise. Board president Nicole Gerend and board clerk Maggie Boland signed the contract on May 1, 2024, indicating they were aware of its contents. However, Andy Space claims the contract was approved in January, a meeting where no financial discussions took place.

Community Concerns 
This situation raises several important questions for the community:

1. How did Andy Space manage to secure a double raise?
2. Why did the board not review or vote on the contract details? Did the full board even know a second contract existed?
3. Why would board members sign the Space contract that gives him an additional non-approved pay raise from the board?
4. Why would ex-board members feel they have the authority to approve and sign contracts without board approval
5. What actions will be taken to address this oversight?
6. Were actions taken to cover up this misconduct?
7. Were attempts made to silence board members and prevent them from revealing these issues?
8. Was the 2024/25 Space contract legitimate? Space signed the agreement on 5/1/2024. The contract was counter-signed by the previous Board President, Gerend, and the previous Board Clerk, Boland, not the President (Hansen-Winker) or  Board Clerk (Decker) the proper elected officials on that date?

Consideration of forgiveness  
The community deserves transparency and accountability. It is crucial to investigate this situation thoroughly and ensure that such discrepancies do not occur in the future. The actions of a few should not undermine the trust and integrity of the entire school district. What are the board members hiding, and why are they not being held accountable for the actions of Andy Space?

Stay informed and engaged as we seek answers and accountability in this ongoing investigation.