Special Interest for Special People

Breaking News: Wrightstown School Board Recall… …Looks More Like a Coverup

Wrightstown, Wisconsin – Misconduct and conflicts of interest involving past and present key members of the Wrightstown Community School District (WCSD) Board and the Wrightstown Area Baseball Association (WABA).

• Controversy: WABA’s request to sell beer on school property was denied, revealing deeper issues.
• Referendum Plans: Andy Space and Nicole Gerend secretly planned an $18.5 million referendum without full board approval.
• $1,000,000 Concession Stand: Plan sought inclusion of  concession stand for WABA to be paid for by tax dollars. 
• Lack of Transparency: WABA members were allegedly informed of referendum before the school board.
• Conflict of Interest: Nicole Gerend was the School Board President and the WABA Treasurer while seeking tax payer dollars for concession stand raises serious conflict of interest concerns. 
• Red herring: Throw others under the bus to deflect from the real issues at hand before getting caught. 
• Call for Accountability: Using ones governmental position shouldn’t be an avenue to enrich the clubs public officials are  are affiliated with. 
• Special Interest for Special People: Other student groups are unfairly sidelined, raising concerns about favoritism and fairness.

Concession Stand Controversy

The community is aware the School Board denied the sale of alcohol on school property for WABA tournaments. However, previous attempts to secure a concession stand via referendum attempt was unknown to the full board. Prior to the April 2024 election Andy Space and Nicole Gerend embarked on a covert mission to push through a new $18M+ referendum. Open records request confirms this referendum included a $3 million shed and a $1 million concession stand for WABA, all without knowledge or approval from the entire school board. Space’s response to allegations posted on Facebook with his permission by Tiffany Van Vreede confirms their intention. Space states in his response, “I was authorized by the previous Board to explore options for athletic facilities expansion.”  Unfortunately, for Space and Gerend there are no meeting agenda or board meeting minutes to corroborate his story. So who gave him this permission exactly?

Lack of Transparency

Andy Space, in the July board workshop meeting, claimed that WABA members were fully behind the referendum that would grant them a $1M concession stand behind the elementary school, and would vote in its favor of the referendum if it were to get approved by the board. This revelation surprised community members, questioning the transparency and integrity of the process. How does one organization get their project included in a referendum while others are left out?

SERIOUS Conflict of Interest

The situation becomes even murkier with the involvement of Nicole Gerend, then school board president, who also serves as WABA’s treasurer. This dual role raises serious concerns about conflicts of interest. Wisconsin state law is clear on this matter: public officials are prohibited from using their position to obtain financial gain for themselves or organizations they are associated with. Violations can result in severe penalties, including fines and imprisonment. To make matters worse this summer board member Tiffany Van Vreede recused herself from voting on alcohol sales on school property because her husband is also a WABA board member. One would think Van Vreede understands the conflict of interest of being a board member and seeking financial gain from an organization you are involved with. She did the right thing. 

Red Herring, Gaslighting, Preemptive Fabrication, Damage Control  

When the truth is going to come out and you’re terrified what do you do? Some people ask for forgiveness, others try to weasel their way out of it, and yet there are others who are so prideful they will divide an entire community, tear it apart to cover up their abhorrent behavior because they believe they just might believe they are better than most people and possibly above the law. 

The community has been told to look at the Board President Angela Hanson Winker over the past three months demanding her recall. This is the same person who ended the defeasance double tax because she believed the community was was lied to regarding the referendum payback. Allegations were added changed moved on their website made less important more important as the petition drive forged forward in local taverns, wrestling events, and other events. 

Eerily similar to Strasser’s, “The Wave” the recall committee has marketed an idea so powerful that it has split our community in half.  Personal interest over holding people accountable? Covering up serious malfeasance by creating a sideshow that is tearing the community apart is something this community needs to serious look into and then ask. Is this type of school board you want?

Call for Accountability: The actions of Space and Gerend, along with the three board members who supported them, have cast a dark shadow over the WCSD. The recall petition against Angela Hansen Winker, who stood against this unethical behavior, is seen by many as a desperate attempt to cover up the truth.

Special Interest for Special People:  Only if You Get Away with It. 

The actions of Board members in prioritizing the Wrightstown Area Baseball Association (WABA) over other student groups are deeply unfair to the parents and children involved in a myriad of other activities. What about basketball, wrestling, dance, cheer, track, FFA, FBLA, drama, robotics, football, cross country, soccer, music, band, and the forensics programs? These groups also deserve equal support and funding. Does it sound fair to the parents and kids in these activities that their needs are being sidelined for the benefit of a select few?

Is it also fair the families who are actively involved in WABA? When board members use there power in seeking a $1M concession stand using tax payer dollars to benefit the group they are also a board member of? It isn’t fair and it isn’t right to put these families in this situation. 

The blatant favoritism shown by Board members is not only unjust but also detrimental to the spirit of community and equality that our school district should uphold. This kind of drama is the last thing our community needs but it is exactly what the community received in an attempt to cover up this issue.  It’s time for transparency and fairness for all students and their families.

The people of Wrightstown deserve better.  The members of WABA deserve better.  The community deserves a school board that operates with integrity and transparency. The actions of a few should not tarnish the reputation of the entire community or one organization. It is time for those involved to step down and for the community to come together to rebuild trust and ensure that such misconduct is never repeated. 

Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops.