Wausau School Board Will Interview Seven Candidates for an Open Seat

Monday, September 29th, 2025 -- 8:00 AM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) The Wausau School Board will interview seven candidates for one open seat.

According to Mike Leischner with WSAU, District Clerk Cassie Peck released the list of names Friday morning, which includes former Board member Cody Nikolai. He lost a bid for re-election in 2024, finishing outside the top three in a six-person race with 14% of the vote.

The remainder of the list is as follows:

• Mia Khang
• Charles Burger
• Michelle Gleason
• Liberty Heidmann
• John Huntington
• Kimberly Sevilla

All seven will give prepared statements to the board on Monday. The eight remaining members will vote to eliminate three candidates. The four remaining will have formal interviews with the board on October 13th, with one finalist voted into the seat and participating in that night’s meeting.

The seat will be up for re-election in 2026, with the top three vote getters sworn in for a full term (expiring April 2029), and the fourth-place finisher completing the remainder of the unexpired term (April 2027).

The vacancy was created with the resignation of Jane Rusch, who stepped down for personal reasons in late August. She spent 16 years on the board, saying, “I have absolutely loved every minute I have served on the board, even the tough moments.”

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