Candidate for Kenosha Unified School District Board of Education, Valerie Kretchmer, joined RPKC member Frederick Butzen to discuss her reasons for running & vision for KUSD
Valerie Kretchmer was born in Texas in 1979, and grew up in Illinois. She earned a degree in marketing at Northern Illinois University. After graduation, she worked as a marketing coordinator, and in sales and business development. With OfficeMax, she served as a director of business development, then as a business-development manager with Office Depot/OfficeMax, specializing in operating efficiency and cost-savings strategies.
Now mostly a full-time mother, Valerie lives in Pleasant Prairie, where she serves on the parks commission. She has two children, one of whom is in the KUSD, and the other is in the St Joseph’s Academy pre-kindergarten.
I had the pleasure of talking with Valerie on March 10.
Question: Why are you running for the KUSD board?
I’m running to ensure that KUSD operates with a balanced budget, and to improve communications with the community.
I want to help KUSD meet the legal requirements for students with disabilities. Having a daughter with disabilities, this is a passion with me.
As a parent of a KUSD student, I strongly support efforts to enhance school safety and security.
My experience is improving efficiencies in school districts. I’m already collaborating with staff, parents, and students to address resource shortages. My focus is on eliminating inefficiencies, so we can return to what matters most, which is educating our students.
What skills and experience do you bring to the board?
I’ve worked with Chicago public schools and Milwaukee public schools to improve procurement efficiencies, to consolidate their contracts, and to reduce costs. My expertise in school-district procurement gives me a strong understanding of how to maximize resources.
Is your business experience helpful?
Absolutely. I’m familiar with how public schools work. They tend to be very decentralized. I think we may be able to identify cost savings with contracts. We may be able to consolidate some of those contracts. A lot of vendors are either part of a group-purchasing organization, or sell multiple things. By consolidating contracts, usually we can see a good amount of savings.
Is management an issue with the current board?
Yes! I think a lot of politics being played on the current school board. They almost work against each other in a way. It is supposed to be a non-partisan board, but I think politics get involved too often, and we lose sight of what is most important, which is the education of the students.
Is transparency an issue with the board?
Absolutely. Parents and taxpayers deserve confidence that their money is being spent efficiently and responsibly. Greater transparency in KUSD’s budgeting and spending would help rebuild trust, and ensure funds are allocated where they’re needed most, directly benefiting the students.
Can you give an example of where the budget is not transparent?
Yes. KUSD initially stated that closing the seven schools would save the district $9 million annually. But at the January board meeting, it was revealed that the city is demolishing the buildings and splitting the proceeds with property sales with KUSD. The district has not provided an updated estimate of actual savings, which raises concerns about the transparency of their financial planning.
Can you give an example of wasteful spending?
Sure. KUSD received $72 million in federal COVID funding, which ended in the fall of 2024. Instead of planning for the expiration of the funds, the district increased administrative staff by 25% and support staff by 34%, despite a 17% decline in student enrollment over the past decade. So, instead of adjusting spending, KUSD relied on the referendum – which didn’t pass – to cover ongoing expenses. I don’t think this was responsible financial planning.
In light of the KUSD budget shortfall, what should KUSD do to make ends meet?
KUSD needs to align staffing levels with enrollment trends. Reducing administrative and support staff in proportion to the 17% decline in student population would save approximately $11 million annually–and that does not include benefits, so savings could be even more.
Additionally, the district should review and consolidate contracts, through pre-negotiated agreements such as group-purchasing organizations, to reduce costs.
A comprehensive audit of spending needs to happen, including eliminating waste. That is essential to ensure financial sustainability.
Does KUSD properly support children with disabilities?
Absolutely not! My daughter has been in this district for 11 years, and her individualized education plan (IEP) has never been met. It is federal law that schools are supposed to meet those requirements, and those are never met.
Facilities are not accessible. For example, the STEP program, which is for students with disabilities aged 18-21, is the Boys and Girls Club. It has an elevator that goes to the second floor, but they have nothing to get those kids down if the elevator shuts down in case of an emergency. Any time we are planning a building, we need to also plan with those students in mind, so they are kept safe and are able to participate fully.
I worked with the Pleasant Prairie parks commission a couple of years ago. They were looking at putting in some new parks, and I pointed out that it’s been federal law since 2010 that all parks must be inclusive. They were not aware of that. From there, I joined the parks commission. We’ve just redone our five-year parks plan. We just put in a new park that I helped design, and I made sure that there were three pieces on that playground that could be used by somebody in a wheelchair.
I worked with KUSD roughly five years ago, when my daughter was in elementary school, and I brought the federal laws to their attention as well, and I helped them rewrite their playground guidelines.
Everybody has a right to an equal opportunity for education, and that includes students with disabilities. Over 20% of the population has a disability, so we should be taking more of an interest in providing that for people with disabilities.
Is school choice important?
Parents should have the right to choose the school that best serves their children’s educational and safety needs.
Final words: Why should we elect you to the Board?
I’m committed to balancing the budget and ensuring clear communication with the community. I’ve had parents and staff reach out to me: they see me as somebody who will actually listen and get something done.
I’m all for meeting our legal requirements for our students with disabilities, and prioritizing the safety of students and staff.
By working together with staff, students, and parents, we can address challenges and refocus on what truly matters, which is providing the best possible education for our students.
—RPKC Member, Frederick Butzen
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