Jan. 15, 2026
WESTBY, Wis. – Kickapoo Conversations is pleased to announce its upcoming community forum, Empowering Education – Funding Our Future: Schools, Taxes and You, which will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Westby Area Performing Arts Center.
This nonpartisan educational forum aims to connect the dots between regional policy and school funding for residents living in the Driftless area. The event will feature a panel of key local voices, including:
Steve Michaels – Superintendent of Westby Schools
Jeremy Hill – Superintendent of Viroqua Area Schools
Ryan Alderson – Superintendent of Cashton Schools
Michele Engh – Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church
Paul Fischer – Director of CESA 4
Jeff Eide – Executive Director of the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance
Why This Forum Matters:
The Empowering Education forum is designed to provide residents with transparent information regarding how their taxes and broader policies impact the local school system. By bringing together superintendents and educational experts, Kickapoo Conversations seeks to move beyond technological or informational isolation and foster a shared understanding of how these complex systems function within our community.
Kickapoo Conversations is a group of residents from Vernon and Monroe Counties who come together across different sectors, perspectives, and communities to address root-cause, common-ground issues. Rooted in community rather than politics, the group utilizes a relational model to build leaders, identify local assets, and take meaningful action on issues that impact everyday life. The organization began in 2014 to initiate collaborative responses in rural Vernon, Monroe, and parts of Crawford counties.
Building on a Legacy of Community Action:
This event follows the success of the group’s previous work, most notably the From DC to the Driftless forum held in 2025. That well-received session helped residents understand the role of federal taxpayer dollars in the region and can be viewed on YouTube for those who missed it.
Kickapoo Conversations has a long history of addressing critical local needs. Past initiatives include: The River to Ridge Flood Recovery initiative, where the group played a leadership role following the 2018 floods. The Shared Services Network for childcare, which earned a Wisconsin Top Rural Development Initiative Award in 2020. The Re-envisioning Rural Housing summit, a 2020 regional effort to collectively address the housing crisis.
For more information or to RSVP click on this link.
Or contact Michelle Engh at wintermoet@gmail.com
Add comment