March 24, 2026
By ANASTASIA PENCHI
DE SOTO, Wis. – Carissa Brudos spends her days teaching De Soto High School students art, but she recently spent one night in March working with their moms, grandma’s and other community members.
Brudos taught the group to make three different types of handmade books out of scrap paper, book board, glue and ribbons as part of the De Soto Area School District’s Community Engagement Plan.
Community engagement/marketing is one of four priorities being monitored monthly by the De Soto Area School Board. Its three other priorities are academic excellence, employee retention and long-range planning.
The board set those priorities after voters refused three operational referendums in two years. The district also faced protest when an elementary principal was put on leave at the beginning of 2025 (he’s since been rehired), which resulted in a superintendent resignation and school board turnover.
Further challenges for the district are declining enrollment, aging facilities and three superintendents over three years. Middle & High School Principal Tim Fergot, who is serving as assistant superintendent and is training under Interim Superintendent Craig Gerlach this year, will be the fourth superintendent and will serve in the 2026-27 school year.
Board President Holly Nickelatti told the school board that progress is being made in all four of the district’s priority areas.
Fergot, who has been assigned responsibility for board updates on community engagement/marketing, said a Community Engagement Committee was formed last fall to brainstorm ways to connect with community members who might not have kids in sports or school. The district wants them to see the value in having a school nearby, he said.
Committee members (mostly teachers) began proposing events that could bring people into the schools, whether it was to show off student wood projects, teach community members to make a charcuterie board or book, or to provide Spanish lessons and information about Peru (the Spanish teacher is Peruvian).
Fergot told the board the purpose of the plan is to build trust and transparency, create a communication framework, strengthen relationships and ensure every voice in the district is heard and valued.
Fergot said the district hired a Web master last year, which increased social media engagement “dramatically.” He told the board during its March meeting that staff members will learn more about the value of community engagement during an April in-service training.
And next year? The plan includes an effort to “re-brand” elementary schools to De Soto Elementary Schools at Stoddard and at Prairie View, which Fergot said could help the district “get to unity” as it considers a recommendation to move all students to a 4-12 campus in De Soto.
“We have to do a lot more, but I think it’s a good start,” Fergot added.
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