Evers tours new technical school in Osseo-Fairchild district

Chris Vetter, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

Feb. 17—OSSEO — Osseo-Fairchild sophomore Myrisa Pettis was finishing work on a wood cabinet Friday in a new technical center that opened last fall in the Osseo-Fairchild School District, when she was pleasantly interrupted by Gov. Tony Evers. They talked about the course and the opportunities it offered her.

"My dad does woodworking as a side job, and I thought it was cool," Pettis said of why she signed up. "It is a very good opportunity; it's very nice in here. I feel it is an honor to have this at our school."

Evers stopped at the Osseo-Fairchild Technical Education Center, which cost about $4 million to construct. The district also won a $1.1 million grant through the state's Department of Workforce Development in 2021, which paid for all the manufacturing equipment. Classes range from woodworking to welding to robotics. The center is run in conjunction with the Chippewa Valley Technical College, and students earn credits toward CVTC degrees.

Evers unveiled his proposed 2023-25 state $104 billion state budget this week, which includes funding increases for schools across the state.

"This is a good example of why we put that money into our budget," Evers said after touring the school. "I'm hopeful we are going to some places as examples of why we do want to increase funding. This shines a light on some extraordinary successes."

Lori Whelan, Osseo-Fairchild school superintendent, said that area voters approved a referendum that paid for nearly all of the school construction.

"It starts with the local people who believed in what we were doing, and passed a referendum to build this," she said.

Students as young as ninth grade can enroll in programs. Whelan noted that they have students coming to the technical center from Elk Mound, Neillsville, Mondovi, Alma Center and Neillsville.

"We don't charge other districts," she said.

Any additional dollars from the state would be appreciated, Whelan added.

"Any additional funds will help keep programs like this running," she said.

Republicans control both the state Assemby and Senate. Gov. Evers, a Democrat, was hesitant to comment on the initial feedback he's heard to his budget proposals, saying he believes there is a lot of common ground that both parties share.

"We haven't met yet," he added.