Feb. 22, 2026
By ANASTASIA PENCHI
DE SOTO, Wis. – A Stoddard woman was appointed to the De Soto Area School Board to fill an opening during its regular February meeting.
Jeanna Larson told board members she wants what is best for kids, and was active in the Booster Club and parent-teacher organizations when her children were growing up in the district. Both Larson and Scott Chiples were interviewed by the board to fill the vacancy left by Nick Sonnenfeld, who moved out of Stoddard last November.
“Having lived in Stoddard for 30 years, I know my neighbors and feel I can be a voice for everyone in the area,” Larson wrote in her application letter. “Most importantly, however, is that I believe in this school district and what it offers.”
The Feb. 16 discussion between the board and two applicants focused on financial challenges, declining enrollment and the ways small, rural school districts can survive. Interim Superintendent Craig Gerlach informed candidates that the district will need to discuss an operational referendum within the next six months.
“De Soto is a great, little school district,” Gerlach said. “It does not have a lot of resources.”
Board president Holly Nickelatti said she is “personally really hopeful” voters will approve a future operational referendum even as the last three have failed because the margin between the “yes” and “no” voters shrunk each time.
“Public schools need to compete,” she said.
Three members of the De Soto Area School District Board members are also up for re-election on April 7: Nickelatti, Nicole Johnson and Teresa Christianson. They will run unopposed as no other candidates filed to run by the declaration of candidacy deadline.
Add comment