A fourth Oconomowoc School Board member has stepped down, saying he and his family felt unsafe in their home
Saying he and his family do not feel safe in their own home, Scott Roehl has announced he is leaving the Oconomowoc Area School District and vacating his seat on the Oconomowoc School Board.
He is the fourth board member to leave in just a few months. In August, three board members resigned.
Roehl announced his decision in a Nov. 7 post on his candidate Facebook page, saying his family was moving out of the district and that he and his family have not felt safe at their home over the last 18 months. Roehl said that as of Nov. 16, he will no longer be an Oconomowoc resident, and his eligibility to serve on the board will expire.
"I had already personally made the decision that I was not going to run for re-election in April 2022 when my term expired. However, I would have preferred to retain my seat until the next elector could fill my position. With my move, this can no longer happen," Roehl wrote in the post.
Roehl also said in his Facebook post he and his family decided in May "that it was clear that we are not a fit for this community." He also said that "we've had people who we thought were friends turn their back on us due to the decisions I made while serving on the board."
"I am fully aware that these actions were made by people who feel they represent Oconomowoc citizens," he added in his Facebook post. "I am thankful, for the sake of the district and the schools, that the greater Oconomowoc community is more kind, more understanding, and more empathetic."
Roehl also said in the post that, after talking with school board President Jim Wood, he expects a discussion on filling his seat will be an agenda item for the board's November meeting.
Roehl declined to speak on the record about the specifics related to why he and his family didn't feel safe.
Wood said in an email he had no comment on Roehl's leaving the board but confirmed that the board's November meeting will have an agenda item to discuss the vacancy.
Roehl's move comes almost three months after Rick Grothaus, Kim Herro and Dan Raasch resigned from the board in August. In a joint statement at the time, the three denounced the other board members for their "unwillingness to collaborate in good faith." They were replaced by Neal Ninmann, Sandy Schick and Chad Schraufnagel, who were appointed by the board in September.
"As for the six remaining members of the board, regardless of whether I agreed or disagreed with the past or future decisions, I know each board member is making decisions based on what he or she feels is right for kids and the Oconomowoc schools. I have not regretted working with any of you, and I wish each of you the best of luck moving forward," Roehl said in his Facebook post.
"I know with absolute certainty that, as an academic entity, the district is heading in the right direction. While I have had disagreements with some decisions that were made, I can only hope that the value that I added to the district as a board member matches the value and knowledge I gained in my own craft as an educator," he added in his Facebook post.
Roehl said in a Nov. 9 phone interview that he will miss being able to make a difference in the lives of the students and families of the Oconomowoc Area School District.
"I have absolutely no doubt that the Oconomowoc School District is heading in the right direction. There is no question. The district administrators are working tirelessly to make sure that they are well prepared to both create the operational outcomes of our current stage and also plan for the future. I have the utmost faith in what they're doing and in how they are progressing moving forward," Roehl said in the interview.
Other board member reactions
Ninmann said the board would miss Roehl, who was good at detailed policy work. He also said he agreed with Roehl that sometimes they had to agree to disagree on certain things.
"Scott was one of those people that once we got to a consensus — whether he voted the right way or the wrong way or whatever you want to look at it — he knew the best interest of students, staff and the district was at the heart of what his decision was, and there was a lot of respect for that," Ninmann said in a Nov. 9 phone interview.
"Scott has been a valued member on the board, so I was surprised," Schick said.
Board member Matt Carrico also weighed in on Roehl's decision. "I think it's horrible if you feel that you're not safe in your own area or you don't belong where you're at, but it's not really anything I can comment on because it's not something that he and I talked about," he said.
"Reading that, and learning what he had been dealing with and the stress that he'd been dealing with, I have a great deal of respect that he would fulfill his obligation. It speaks highly of him."
Schraufnagel praised Roehl's character and integrity. "Honestly, I wish I would have had an opportunity to work with him longer on the board. I believe he was always very ethical. ... He acted with a great deal of integrity, and he voted his conscience, and I respect him for that," Schraufnagel said.
"It's unfortunate if he and his family felt (endangered) because that's just not right. They should not have to feel that way," Schraufnagel added.
Board member Jessica Karnowski did not respond to requests for an interview.
Roehl had been on the board since June 2018, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy left by Steven Zimmer. Roehl served the remainder of Zimmer's term and was elected to the position in April 2019.
Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Oconomowoc School Board member steps down, says family felt unsafe
