Challenging minds, empowering potential: JWMS celebrates new era

Monday, April 20 was a red-letter day for the School District of Rhinelander as James Williams Middle School celebrated the completion of its referendum-funded renovations. To mark the occasion, the district hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and facility showcase, marking the end of a construction project that has transformed the school’s tech education, family and consumer sciences, music and special education spaces.
Principal Kyle Raleigh and Associate Principal Ingrid Bodensteiner welcomed a crowd of community members, school board members, staff, students and construction partners to the event, which began with a music prelude performed by the school’s band and choir. The band played a spirited rendition of “On Wisconsin” and the choir followed with “Belong Together” by Mark Ambor.
“As you walked into the entrance of the building today, you may have noticed the words above the doors — challenging minds, empowering potential and succeeding together,” Raleigh told the audience. “These words are more than just a phrase. Tonight is a reflection of that mission in action.”
Bodensteiner, who noted she attended middle school in the same building in the 1980s, said the renovation builds on a long history of community connection. The building has served the Rhinelander community over the decades as home to the School of the Arts, children’s arts programs, drama camps, the White Pine Jamborees and polling spaces, among other uses.
“There is no doubt that this new renovation will increase our capacity to succeed together as a community,” she said.

Superintendent Eric Burke praised the breadth of what the project represents. “Any school anywhere is much more than test scores,” he stressed. “It’s about the whole child.”
Tech ed teacher Paul Oppman, who has taught at the middle school for about 20 years, said the new shop facility is transformative. When he started, the school was working with a 1954-era surfacer and a MIG welder that went through tips at a remarkable pace. Over the years he gradually expanded the program, adding CNC machines and a design-oriented curriculum modeled after a Fab Lab approach. The new space, he said, takes that to another level.
“With a bigger room, we can safely use larger equipment and collaborate on complex projects,” Oppman said. “We can experience the whole design process from start to finish, all at the middle school level.”
Family and consumer sciences teacher Jaime Stepan said the updated kitchen labs and collaborative spaces allow students to practice life skills in a realistic environment. Students in her classes interpret step-by-step directions, practice problem solving, work in groups and build independence — skills she said they’ll carry long after leaving school.
“The referendum was an investment not just in the buildings, but in the students,” Stepan said. “Today we are already seeing the return — increased engagement, stronger programming and students who are more prepared for their futures.”
Approximately $26 million in funding for the renovations was approved by voters in April 2024.
Eighth grader Jack Congdon spoke on behalf of the student body, noting that it was exciting to return to school this fall and find the electives wing completely transformed. “It makes class feel more real,” he said of the updated spaces. “I know the high school is also making updates, and I’m excited to see and work in those new spaces next year.”
Dave Mertens, senior project manager with CD Smith Construction, said the first summer of work alone — which included removing existing precast panels, building a new addition, redoing the main entry and completing all site work, parking lot and bus pickup areas — had to be done in just two and a half months. Despite the tight timeline, the project finished ahead of schedule, with some remodeling work completed earlier than originally planned. “When crews work together, it’s amazing what they can get done,” Mertens said.
Nate Considine, a representative from Bray Architects, thanked the district for its engagement throughout the design process. “You make thousands of decisions through that entire process,” he said, noting that staff met with the design team multiple times to weigh in on everything from room layouts to cabinet hardware.
Joe Jaeger, plant manager for Trident Maritime Systems, represented the business community at the ceremony and underscored why updated school facilities matter to local employers. Trident currently employs one Rhinelander High School student, with a second set to join the staff this summer. The company has openings for five welders and fabricators, eight machinists and additional engineering positions at its local facility, which employs 110 people.
“Classrooms and careers need to be connected,” Jaeger said. “Strong schools build strong communities.”
District curriculum director Ryan Ourada and college and career counselor Lexi Allen both spoke to the long-term vision behind the project — building a cohesive curriculum that helps students explore careers and leave the district college and career ready for wherever they want to go, whether they are headed to a university, the military, the workforce or an apprenticeship program.
Following the ribbon cutting, guests took self-guided tours of the new spaces, with staff on hand in each room to answer questions. Work on the Rhinelander High School portion of the tech ed renovations is ongoing.