Dear WASD Families,
I was notified officially that Officer Jamal Wagner will be leaving the Westby Police Department (and, therefore, the SRO position) in two weeks. He has accepted a position with the West Salem Police Department and we wish him all the best with this change.
Officer Jamal has been very transparent with me about this potential move over the past many weeks. In the end, like everyone, he made the best decision he could for his family.
He
will be deeply missed. Since he has come to the district, multiple improvements have been made in school safety in and around campus both in Westby and Coon Valley. He brought a fresh perspective to many of our classes and helped so many families in our district. Most importantly, he established meaningful relationships with so many students and staff.
This position, six years in the making, finally came to fruition with great cooperation from the City of Westby. We learned a lot (as we do with ANY new position) and are hopeful that at some point we can bring the position SRO back to our schools and communities. We know that rushing to fill this position is not going to work...we need to find the right person for this important job. Also, with the referendum on April 2, it makes sense to hold off on filling this position (and, obviously, all payments for this position).
I'll be in touch with more updates this spring.
Thank you,
Steve Michaels
District Administrator
Westby Area School District
