Governing Board

January 2014, Revised 2019, Revised 2024

ATECH Mission Statement

The Appleton Technical Academy will graduate students who possess the knowledge and skills necessary for successful entry into the career pathways of manufacturing.

ATECH Governance Board Mission Statement

The mission of the Appleton Technical Academy Governance Board is to support, guide and promote ATECH in the fulfillment of its stated mission.

Board Composition, Term, Term Limits, and Elections

The Governance Board will consist of 9 voting members. The Governance Board will include representation by 1-2 parent(s) or guardian(s) of students, 6-7 community members that are industry experts, 1-2 community members employed by Fox Valley Technical College. From this Governance Board a President, Vice President, and Treasurer shall be elected. The Lead Teacher of Appleton Technical Academy and up to 4 additional staff members will serve as advisors to the board.

The Governance Board shall serve as a nominating committee to solicit candidates for open positions and present the candidates at the meeting prior to the voting meeting. Preceding the voting meeting an interview of the interested candidates shall be conducted by a party of not less than two members of the existing board. Voting will be conducted at the last meeting of the school year. If the number of candidates exceeds open positions, the vote will be a paper ballot. Eligible voters shall be existing Governance Board members. Those obtaining a majority vote will be awarded the position with their term to start at the Governance Board meeting following their election.

Midterm vacancies will be filled by appointment of the Governance Board based on a majority vote.

Each member of the Governance Board will serve a 2-year term and will serve no more than three (3) consecutive terms. Governance Board members may resign at any time by giving written notice to the President. Such resignation shall take effect at the time specified in the written resignation. A member may be removed with just cause by a majority vote of the entire Governance Board. Cause could be for failing to adhere to the list of responsibilities and commitments expected from council members, as well as unprofessional/disrespectful conduct.

In the initial year of the Appleton Technical Academy, board members will be designated as being in their first year or second year of service. By random drawing, 5 board members will be placed in their first year, and 4 members in their second year.

Officers

President:

Presides at all Governance Board meetings and is ex-officio on all of its Committees.

• Works with ATECH Advisors in planning and directing the activities of the Governance Board.
• Oversees the formation and execution of committees.

Vice President:

Carries out special assignments requested by the President and will perform the duties of the President in their absence.

Treasurer:

Chair of the Finance Committee for the Governance Board.

• Manages the review of and action related to the Governance Board’s financial responsibilities.
• Works with the ATECH advisors to ensure accurate financial reports are available to the Governance Board quarterly at meetings, including a year-end summary.
• Prepares, with assistance from staff advisors, and presents the annual budget for approval at the first meeting held after May 1st of each year.

Secretary:

Position is a floating responsibility that is assigned alphabetically from the Governance Board membership by its President at the first Governance Board meeting each year. All Governance Board Members, except the President are eligible.

• The minutes are distributed electronically to all Governance Board members within one week of the previous board meeting.
• Governance Board members are to submit any changes to these minutes to the secretary author by one week prior to the next meeting.

Committees

The board shall utilize committees and task forces to conduct its business. Business brought before the Board in need of action shall be sent by the Board President to the relevant committee for consideration.

• A committee shall vote to approve or to deny said action. The action will then come before the Board at its next meeting as a “recommendation to approve” or a “recommendation to deny” from said committee.
• A committee shall elect a committee chair at its first meeting. The committee responsible for managing board and school finances shall be chaired by the Board Treasurer unless otherwise voted upon by said committee.
• In the event that board business is such that a standing committee will not suffice, an ad hoc committee or task force may be established.

The committees of the Appleton Technical Academy Governance Board are:

• Community Partnerships
• Budget/Facilities
• Marketing/Student recruitment
• Curriculum
• The board may vote to add or remove additional committees as needed

The Chair of each committee is a Governance Board Officer or Governance Board member appointed by the President.

Community Partnerships Committee will work with local businesses to gain ongoing support for ATECH. This support could take the form of curriculum direction, internship opportunities, equipment support, and financial support.

Budget/Finance Committee will gain an understanding of the budget process that exists between ATECH and the Appleton Area School District, develop a proposed budget for each school year based on the identified needs of the Governance Board Committees, and create structures to supplement and support the needs of the school. The committee will also work with FVTC and AASD to ensure adequate facilities are available for ATECH students and staff.

Marketing/Student Recruitment Committee markets ATECH students, brands ATECH, and partners with local organizations for the sustainment of the school. Committee is responsible for relations with all partners and recruits and administers student enrollment.

Curriculum Committee will gather input from FVTC and local industry when developing curriculum. The committee will also work closely with ATECH staff members when developing, updating, and implementing curriculum.

Meetings

Place of Meeting

Board meetings and standing committee meetings shall be conducted in a setting accessible to all board members and standing committee members, and shall be listed on the meeting agenda.

Annual Meeting

An annual meeting shall be conducted on the first weekend of August of each year for the purpose of electing voting members, at-large members, and Officers.

Regular Meetings

Regular board meetings shall be conducted monthly (no meeting will be held in July) at a fixed time and date as determined by the board at the annual meeting.

Standing Committee Meetings

Standing committees shall meet at the call of the committee chair, provided that said meetings comply with board noticing requirements as established in ATECH Bylaws.

Special Meetings

Special meetings shall be conducted at any time as seen fit by the Board President or per the request of a majority of the voting members, provided that said special meetings comply with board noticing requirements as established in ATECH Bylaws.

Notices

Notices shall consist of the time, date, location and agenda of the board meeting or standing committee meeting.

• Notices of board meetings and standing committee meetings shall be disseminated no less than 48 hours prior to the start time of said meetings. Email notification to the email address of record for board members is acceptable
• All board and standing committee meetings shall be announced to all board members, voting and at-large, and the ATECH Administrator.

Attendance

• Board members shall be required to attend the annual board meeting, all regular board meetings, all special board meetings, and all standing committee meetings for those standing committees of which they are voting members.
• Board members who will be absent at a scheduled board meeting shall notify a board officer by telephone, e-mail, or in person of said absence, in advance of the scheduled board meeting.
• Standing committee members who will be absent at a scheduled standing committee meeting shall notify the committee chair by telephone, e-mail, or in person of said absence, in advance of the scheduled standing committee meeting.

Format of Board Meetings

Board meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order, except when ATECH Bylaws provide otherwise.

• The Board President shall serve as parliamentarian during board meetings, unless specifically designated to another individual for a specific meeting.
• Board President shall call the board meeting to order at or after the meeting’s designated start time, and if quorum is reached.
• At the discretion of the Board President, the start time of the board meeting may be delayed even if quorum is reached.

Format of Committee Meetings

Committee meetings shall be conducted in a manner at the discretion of the committee chair, provided that a quorum is reached and that the call to order, the motion to adjourn, and voting be conducted in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order.

Closed Session

The Board may meet in Closed Session (closed to the public) only for purposes consistent with Wisconsin State Statute Chapter 19, Subchapter V, and after proper noticing as defined in the Statutes. Notice shall be included on the board meeting agenda.

Public Participation

At the beginning of each regular meeting of the Board, there shall be a period of time set aside for public participation.

• Members of the public may address the Board on items of school business.
• Members of the public wishing to address the Board shall sign in on a public participation sheet provided by the Board, indicating their name, address, relation to ATECH, and purpose for speaking.
• A member of the public may have up to three minutes to address the Board.
• The Board may comment or answer questions posed to them by members of the public during public participation but is not required to do so.

Minutes

Minutes shall be recorded for all board meetings and committee meetings.

• Minutes shall be recorded at board meetings by the Board Secretary. In the absence of the Board Secretary, the Board President shall appoint a board member of his or her choosing to record minutes.
• Minutes shall be recorded at committee meetings by the Committee Secretary. In the absence of the Committee Secretary, the Committee Chair shall appoint a standing committee member of his or her choosing to record minutes.
• Draft minutes of all board meetings and committee meetings shall be distributed by email to all board members within seven days of adjournment of said meetings.
• At each board meeting and committee meeting, the first order of business shall be a motion made to approve the minutes of the Board’s or the committee’s previous meeting, A move to amend said minutes may be made by any voting member at that time.
• At a minimum, minutes shall note the time of the call of the meeting to order, the public participation (or absence thereof) held at the meeting, the motion and action to approve the minutes of the previous meeting, any action taken by the standing committee or Board which requires a vote, and the time of the motion made to adjourn the meeting.

Voting

Method of Voting

Except as otherwise provided by ATECH Bylaws, a simple majority vote of those present shall be required for approval of action on any item, at board meetings and at standing committee meetings.

• A tie vote constitutes a denial of the motion.

Email voting

When action is deemed time-sensitive and the vote/decision cannot be delayed until the next scheduled board meeting, a vote may be conducted by email at the discretion of the Board President.

• Only the Board President can initiate an email vote.
• Any request for an email vote by a voting member must be forwarded, in writing or by email, to all four board officers with a detailed description of the item to be voted on, and the reason for its time sensitivity.
• At the discretion of the Board President, the action in question shall be forwarded by the Board President to the board members via email.
• A motion and a second must be made before discussion can occur on the action in question.
• All board members must be copied on all discussions.
• All board members are permitted to participate in email discussion of the action in question.
• A minimum of 48 hours are required for discussion.
• After discussion, a motion to approve or deny and a second must be made before voting can occur on the action in question. Voting will then be called by the Board President.
• Votes on the motion shall be submitted to the Board President and the Board Secretary within 48 hours.
• Email voting shall not occur when the action in question requires a 4/7 majority vote for approval, as per ATECH Bylaws.

Conflict of interest

A board member who has a conflict of interest regarding business before the board, shall refrain from speaking or voting on the business in question.

• A voting member wishing not to vote shall indicate to the Board President prior to the vote that he or she will abstain, or shall indicate to the Board President or Board Secretary after the vote that he or she has abstained.

Quorum

A quorum must be reached in order for the board or a committee to be called to order.

• For the purposes of a board meeting, a quorum shall consist of the presence of a simple majority of those persons comprising the total voting membership of the board.
• For the purposes of a committee meeting, a quorum shall consist of the presence of a simple majority of those persons comprising the total voting membership of the committee.
• Any action, vote, or business transacted by the board or a committee that lacks quorum shall be declared invalid.

Amendments

To take effect, this document must be ratified by a majority vote of the ATECH Governance Board. These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Governance Board by a majority vote of those present provided that the specific amendments have been introduced at a prior meeting, included in the minutes of that meeting, and are listed on the agenda for the current meeting.

These bylaws and any amendments thereto, shall become effective immediately upon their adoption.

These bylaws are approved by the Appleton Technical Academy Governance Board on this 22nd day of January, 2024.

Charter School Contract

Meetings for the 2025-26 School Year

• September 26 – 7:30a – 9:00a – Miller Electric
• December 5 – 7:30a – 9:00a – IVI
• February 27 – 7:30a – 9:00a – Azco
• April 24 – 7:30a – 9:00a –  Location TBD

Board Composition and Members

The governing board of the Appleton Technical Academy is comprised of local industry professionals, a representative of Fox Valley Technical College, and parents.

The composition of the board helps to keep the overall direction of school aligned with the workforce needs of industries in northeast Wisconsin.

President	Ryan Scherer, Miller Electric	email
Vice President	OPEN
Secretary	OPEN
Treasurer	OPEN

 

Member At-Large	Mike Cattelino	email
Member At-Large	Matthew Prickette	email
Member At-Large	Yates Vandenheuvel	email
Member At-Large	Matt Benner	email
Parent Representative	Kari Stueber	email

 

ATECH Staff	Paul Endter	Lead Teacher	email
ATECH Staff	Loren Daane	Technical Education Teacher	email
ATECH Staff	Chris Stickney	Mathematics Teacher	email
ATECH Staff	Bob Lemke	Welding and Machining Teacher	email
ATECH Staff	Carrie Giauque	Welding and Machining Teacher	email
ATECH Staff	Josh Chudacoff	Principal	email