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photo of Jerry Nicholson, Named Top Student Services Leader in Wisconsin by WCASS

Nicholson's leadership, commitment and empathy cited in award nominations

Jerry Nicholson, Director of Student Services for the Unified School District of De Pere, has been named Wisconsin’s 2024 Outstanding Special Services Administrator by the Wisconsin Council of Special Services Administrators (WCASS).

“It is an incredible honor to be recognized with this award. I want to share my gratitude with the staff, educational leaders, parents, and students that I have worked with over the last 26 years. Thank you for believing in my genuine care for each of you and working with me to meet the needs of all our learners,” says Nicholson. The award was presented to Nicholson at WCASS’s annual spring conference held in Appleton yesterday (Thursday, May 2).

USDD Supt. Chris Thompson (left) and Director of Student Services Jerry Nicholson

De Pere Superintendent Christopher Thompson says Nicholson brings strong leadership skills and deep empathy to his role.

“Jerry is a giver. He has a heart devoted to those he can help. Families deeply appreciate that he does what he says he will do.  Our school board and staff respect that he “walks the talk.”  Such leadership is commendable because he does so selflessly without regard for himself or the work required to do what needs to be done,” says Thompson.

Nicholson joined USDD in 2018. Previously he held a similar role in the Middleton-Cross Plains School District, as well as in other school districts in south central Wisconsin.

Nicholson’s contributions to USDD were cited by several individuals who nominated him for the award. They include:

 

  • Guiding the district’s creation of an equitable Multi-Level System of Supports (MLSS) that successfully addresses student academic and behavioral intervention needs based on strong, research-based intervention practices. As a result, the district’s referral and identification rates for special education programming have been reduced.
  • By meeting student learning and social-behavioral needs within the regular education realm, De Pere closed the pandemic-related learning gap as demonstrated on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s 2022-23 State Report Card.
  • Researching and advocating with the Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction, and communicating statewide, the ability of school districts to use designated funds to provide a mental health navigator service not only for students but also for the staff and community members.  His foresight made mental health services, delivered by CareSolace, truly accessible for all individuals within the De Pere community.
  • Leveraging existing funds to hire additional school psychologists in the district,  and increasing English Language Learner classroom support.
  • Being a visible proponent of equity-related discussions within the community through  professional, steady interactions in challenging conversations, with the goal of providing all students a top-notch education regardless of socioeconomic status, racial background, gender preference, or family experiences.

The Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services, Inc. (WCASS) is a professional organization comprised of over 300 members who administer and support special education programs throughout the state of Wisconsin. 
 

DPHS senior shakes hands with a rep from Miron Construction

DPHS senior Ray Fitzl graduated in late January and has signed on as a masonry apprentice at Miron Construction, Neenah. Ray is currently working at Miron's Preble High School project and has previously worked on the company's Denmark Elementary School addition and renovations project.

Ray is now building his own legacies within the trades as a young masonry apprentice. Students like Ray continue to choose the trades for the importance of the work they provide for all of society, for the rewarding profession it offers, and for the opportunity to learn and build a career.

Career Signing Day is a time for high school and college graduates to officially begin employment with a construction contractor who will sponsor them throughout their carpenter apprenticeship and provide on-the-job training. This celebration honors both graduate and contractor, providing a pivotal moment in the life of a student.

DPHS graduate and apprentice Ray Fitzl shakes hand while parents and Miron Construction reps look on

DPHS Principal Roger Allen says, "We're thrilled to be part of Ray's success. The support of the Northeast Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program (NEWYA), our in-house career coach Corey Wollin and a host of others look forward to more signing events in the months and years ahead."

The construction industry had 276,000 job openings throughout the U.S. in Nov. 2024, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Youth and union apprentices not only gain meaningful work experience that sets them up for success in the future, but they also add to the talent pipeline of skilled, diverse employees that innovate the workforce.

Miron Construction Co., Inc., one of the nation’s premier construction firms and industry leaders, provides innovative preconstruction, construction management, design-build, industrial, and general construction services nationwide. The forward-thinking, century-old private company is headquartered in Neenah, Wis., with Yard Operations located in Menasha, Wis., and regional offices in Eau Claire, Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, and Wausau, Wis., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Marquette, Mich. Ranked 71st among the “Top 400 Contractors in the United States”, in the “Top 100 Green Building Contractors in the United States”, and 190th among the “Top 250 Global Contractors” by Engineering News Record (ENR) (based on annual revenue).

Fall 2024 Community Survey Results

The survey, conducted by School Perceptions, Inc., was open to all district residents, families, staff and students through Friday, Dec. 6. It revisited questions from past surveys and included some new topics. View results here.

Supt. Chris Thompson presented the results during the Monday, Jan. 6, Board of Education meeting.

"Feedback from previous surveys was very positive, and the newest data shows continued improvement in almost every area," said Thompson. "That doesn't mean we won't dig deeper into some topics to determine root causes and possible solutions." 

New this year was a set of questions regarding student cell phone use. Thompson and the Board will discuss the District's cell phone policy at future Board meetings when the public will have the opportunity to comment.

students select books from a school library

The Unified School District of De Pere achieved a rating of "Signifcantly Exceeds Expectations," and now ranks 9th in the state for academic achievement.

What are the School and District Report Cards?

As part of the state accountability system, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) produces report cards for every publicly funded school and district in Wisconsin. These report cards include data on multiple indicators for multiple years across four priority areas (Achievement, Growth, Target Group Outcomes, and On-track to Graduation). In addition, the report cards provide course and program participation information for grades 9-12 for public schools and districts. 

How Did De Pere Perform?

Report cards released in November 2024 showed USDD achieved the rating of Significantly Exceeds Expectations in the 2023-24 school year with a composite score of 83.2. No other school district in northeast Wisconsin ranked as highly as USDD, and the composite score puts the District as the 9th highest scoring among Wisconsin's other 4K-12 districts.

De Pere’s overall score increased by about a point and a half this year, which was enough to rise from the four-star “exceeds expectations” ranking to the five-star “significantly exceeds expectations.” USDD is one of only 29 Wisconsin districts whose rating increased. Since 2020-21, the district’s score has grown by five points. 

View Districtwide and school-by-school information.