Recent Webinar Resources
In this edition of WASBO's "Beyond the Pail" webinar, hosts Jeremiah Johnson and Joe Ledvina sit down with Pete Bemis, a former Landscape Architect from UW-La Crosse, to take a holistic look at facility landscaping. Discover practical strategies for managing seasonal demands, maximizing tight budgets, and keeping your school grounds looking top-notch year-round.
Webinar Highlights:
- The Power of Curb Appeal: The appearance of buildings and grounds is the number one factor in a student's decision to attend a school, making first impressions critical for recruitment. Repeating specific design elements—like signage or signature planters—across facilities provides visual continuity and strengthens the district's brand.
- Creative Staffing & Maintenance: With grounds crews often stretched thin—sometimes just three or four people managing up to 127 acres—hiring students, teachers, or teaching assistants for summer help is a proven strategy to catch up on seasonal work. Additionally, retaining a skilled mechanic is vital to prolonging equipment life amid tightening replacement budgets.
- Smart Plant Design: Embracing the "right plant in the right place" philosophy ensures plants fit their designated spaces, drastically reducing the need for constant pruning. Furthermore, mass plantings of just one or two varieties create a stronger visual impact and are much easier to maintain than complex native prairie setups.
- Mulch and Winter Planning: For playgrounds, using blown-in certified playground chips and coordinating delivery with nearby districts can save both time and money. Heading into winter, it is crucial to map out snow pile locations with plow contractors in advance to minimize landscape damage and avoid killing grass with high-salt de-icers.
Tree Care and Weed Control: Avoid purchasing structurally inferior "park grade" trees, and never prune more than 25% of a tree's canopy. When managing weeds, focusing herbicide applications on high-priority zones, such as athletic fields and front entrances, helps maximize limited resources. Reframing "pesticides" as "plant health products" can also help manage negative public perception.
Past Webinar Resources
- Navigating Facility Use | March 12, 2026
- Specialty Spaces | February 12, 2026
- Disaster Restoration | January 8, 2026
- AI for Facilities | December 4, 2025
- Staffing your facility teams | November 13, 2025
- Construction Management | October 16, 2025
- Guest Speaker: Michael Hacker
- Resources:
- Description:
- The October 2025 edition of WASBO's Facilities and Operations webinar, Beyond the Pail, explored major project delivery methods and strategies for effectively managing large-scale school facility projects. Presenters Mike Barry, Joe Ledvina, and Jeremiah Johnson shared firsthand experiences from projects ranging from a $42 million new elementary school to an $11 million addition, highlighting the challenges and lessons learned throughout the process. Industry guest Mike Hacker of Cadence Consulting provided insight into the roles of owner’s representatives and construction managers, emphasizing their importance in mitigating risk and maintaining budgets. The discussion covered the value of maintaining a district-wide master plan, incorporating bid alternates to control costs, and allocating 5–7% contingency funds for unexpected expenses. Presenters also underscored the need for clear, well-written contracts, proactive risk management, and strong relationships between districts and contractors. Additional topics included long-range facility planning, declining enrollment impacts, facility studies, and the importance of engaging facility managers early and consistently in projects. The webinar concluded with a reminder that next month’s session will address cleaning staffing, hours, and checklists, continuing the focus on practical, operations-centered facility management.
- Office of School Safety | September 25, 2025
- Guest Speaker: Trish Kilpin, Director of Wisconsin Office of School Safety
- Resources:
- Description:
- WASBO featured Trish Kilpin, Director of the Wisconsin Office of School Safety, who outlined the state’s comprehensive efforts to strengthen school safety during the Beyond the Pail Webinar on Thursday. Watch the webinar recording now. Central to her remarks was the Speak Up, Speak Out Wisconsin (SUSO) reporting tool, which recently logged its 18,000th tip, including more than 500 reports of planned school attacks. Kilpin stressed the importance of making reporting tools visible and accepted within school communities. She also underscored the legal requirement for schools to update and resubmit safety plans, maps, and blueprints annually through the Department of Justice portal. The discussion emphasized that effective school safety requires more than compliance. Kilpin distinguished between drills and training, noting both are vital, and urged districts to prepare flexible reunification plans and regularly engage community partners in planning and response efforts. The panel explored the limitations of tools such as metal detectors, stressing that the human element (awareness, communication, and engagement) is the most effective safeguard. In addition, the Office of School Safety introduced the second edition of its Comprehensive School Safety Framework and will soon be rolling out an updated SUSO website, which now includes an online behavioral threat assessment tool. The session closed with clear next steps for districts: leverage the SUSO tools, review the updated safety framework, involve facility staff in safety planning, and seek ongoing guidance from the Office of School Safety to strengthen prevention, preparedness, and response strategies.
- Maintenance of Athletic Fields, Turf & Tennis Courts | May 8, 2025
- Get Off Your Asphalt • March 13, 2025
- Sustainability • January 9, 2025
- Preparing Schools for Winter • November 14, 2024
- Planning for Capital Improvements • September 12, 2024