School using flex farm from SWTC, board approves calendar
By Steve Van Kooten
The Prairie du Chien Board of Education reviewed the proposed 2026-27 district calendar and a project proposal during their regular board meeting on Sept. 8.
Cole Chapman, the district's FFA advisor, spoke to the staff about a flex farm they received from Southwest Technical College this past summer.
Chapman called the flex farm a "vertical hydroponic growth tower" capable of growing approximately 25 pounds of produce using 274 holes built into the apparatus.
"We were lucky to get one of these grow towers. Usually, one of these runs around $5,000," he told the board.
Flex farms are a way to reduce the number of miles food travels between where it is grown and where it is consumed. It also curbs resources used to cultivate food.
"Right now, we're trying out lettuce to see how it is to get started. There are schools — Green Bay for one — that have enough towers to fill their entire school's lettuce supply," said Chapman.
He added that the Agriculture Department hopes to eventually supply the school's salad bar with fresh-grown lettuce one day out of the month.
Southwest Tech donated flex farms to more than 20 school districts, including Boscobel, Weston, Black Hawk, Cassville, Richland Center, Pecatonica, Benton, Southwestern, Wauzeka-Steuben, Darlington, Argyle, Fennimore, Highland, River Ridge, Platteville, Riverdale, Cuba City, Dodgeville, Seneca, North Crawford, Ithaca and Iowa-Grant.
The flex farm towers are constructed by Fork Farms, a Wisconsin-based company focused on food-access technology, and funded with a grant from Cummins, Inc., an Indiana power solutions company.
In a press release, Southwest Tech touted its innovative technology.
“This is about reimagining agriculture education. We’re bridging K–12 education, higher education, and industry to create meaningful, innovative learning experiences. These aren’t just farms — they’re classrooms,” said Dr. Kim Maier, executive dean at Southwest Tech.
Calendar
The board also approved the 2026-27 calendar during their meeting.
District Administrator Andy Banasik said the proposed calendar was brought to staff the previous week.
The first day of school is Sept. 1, the final day for students is May 31 and the last day for faculty is June 1. Graduation will still fall on a Friday, and Scholarship Night falls on the Wednesday before graduation. A spring break and five flex days are also included.
According to Banasik, the flex days are there in case the board votes to close B.A. Kennedy. The board will vote on the school's closure before December.
The district is planning for the closure due to "funding reasons."
The days would facilitate relocating classrooms, supplies, equipment and any other transitions that need to take place.
Staff also have a few flex days they can use for training.
"It could be Wit and Wisdom, it could be Carnegie Math or it could be CTE — there are a lot of different things teachers have, and it gives them the ability to use those days for professional development," said Banasik.
In attendance were Nick Gilberts, Michael Higgins, Jr., Noah White, Lonnie Achenbach, Lacie Anthony and Dustin Brewer. Kyle Maahs was absent. Banasik and the district's three principals were also present.
The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Oct. 13.
Hires
Zak Hafke, middle school technical education teacher; Mike Liddell, Title IX compliance officer; Starr Meter, B.A. Kennedy administrative assistant; Corrina Lenzendorf, early childhood long-term substitute teacher; Emilee Snyder, B.A. Kennedy teacher's aide; Donna Black, Bluff View full-time teacher's aide; Meg Schroeder, full-time high school custodian; Bert Hale, substitute custodian; Tiffany Tesar, full-time teacher's aide; Marian Tiltbach, full-time nurse's assistant; Heather Roesch, teacher's aide; Stephanie Buffington, full-time teacher's aide; Brianna Kinley, teacher's aide; and Naomi Huffman, 7th and 8th grade volleyball coach.
Resignations
David Petrowitz, summer driver's education teacher; Phillip Giesen, JV2 volleyball coach; and Todd Yager, high school and Bluff View custodian.
Other business
• The school district's annual financial meeting is scheduled for Oct. 28 at 5:30 p.m.
• The high school's fall musical, Into the Woods, will debut on Nov. 6 and run through Nov. 9.
• The new air conditioning unit has been ordered and is expected to be on-site in the next six to eight weeks, according to Banasik.
• The board did not approve opting in for a bike trail on Fremont Street. The project will be brought back in 2026 for consideration. Board members cited recent budget cuts as the reason they did not want to initiate the project.
