Oconto Falls School Board to move its meetings back to district office

The Oconto Falls School Board is moving back into district offices come September.

The board has been meeting in the high school auditorium since spring 2020, when pandemic concerns required social distancing. Meeting on the stage allowed for board members to be seated at least 6 feet apart, and the audience was able to spread throughout the auditorium or watch via an online video stream.

Board President Ron Leja said he’d prefer to move back to the conference room in the district office.

“I think it’s a little more room, a little more comfortable, better lighting,” Leja said. “I think it’s just easier there.”

“Another reason is we don’t need this size facility anymore for the board meetings,” said Jan Stranz, board vice president. “And this facility probably has higher and better use if we have not claimed it for a board meeting.”

Board member Ken Harter said one issue could be accommodating a crowd if large numbers of people want to attend, but he added that the meeting site could be moved if a large turnout is anticipated.

Superintendent Dean Hess said the district would plan to move back to the conference room at the September board meeting, to allow time to modify the facility for video streaming, a popular feature that the board decided to maintain even after pandemic protocols were relaxed.