Record of Results — Leadership & Impact
Below are key areas where Nicki Vander Meulen shaped Madison Metropolitan School District Board action, highlighting sustained leadership over time.
Early Board Service: Establishing Accountability & Student Protections
Focus: Disability rights, student safety, transparent governance
Elevated special education compliance, IDEA protections, and Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) as core governance priorities
Consistently questioned discipline practices impacting students with disabilities, including the use of seclusion and restraint
Set a clear tone of independent oversight, declining to rubber-stamp consent agenda items without sufficient documentation
Ongoing Board Leadership: Disability Rights & Student Safety
Focus: Dignity, legality, and harm reduction
Played a visible role in board actions and discussions that tightened oversight of seclusion and restraint practices
Helped shift board expectations toward trauma-informed approaches and stronger accountability when students are harmed
Used her legal background to flag risk exposure and civil rights implications before votes were taken
Publicly questioned and pushed back on district practices when student safety or disability rights were inadequately addressed, helping drive board-level course correction rather than silent approval
Mid-Term Leadership: Fiscal Oversight & Honest Governance
Focus: Transparency, stewardship, public trust
Raised concerns about large contracts, studies, and expenditures presented without clear outcomes or accountability
Challenged the placement of significant items on the consent agenda, advocating for full public discussion
Requested clearer data, timelines, and deliverables before approving spending
Nicki voted against or withheld support from proposals when information was incomplete — prioritizing students and taxpayers over convenience
Recent Service: Community Voice & Systems Accountability
Focus: Families, educators, long-term impact
Elevated parent testimony, particularly from families navigating special education and discipline systems
Advocated for plain-language communication so families could understand decisions affecting their children
Continued pressing the district to align actions with stated equity, safety, and inclusion goals
When district actions conflicted with student protections or community trust, Nicki consistently chose accountability over optics
Selected Board Action Examples
The following examples reflect documented board actions and public records where Nicki Vander Meulen played a leadership role through questioning, voting, or advocacy:
Student Safety & Seclusion/Restraint: Raised concerns and supported measures that strengthened oversight and reduced reliance on harmful disciplinary practices
Consent Agenda Accountability: Challenged the use of the consent agenda for significant items, advocating for transparency and public discussion
Fiscal Oversight Votes: Questioned and opposed expenditures when outcomes, data, or accountability measures were unclear
Disability Rights Protections: Centered IDEA, IEP implementation, and LRE requirements in board decision-making, shaping how proposals were evaluated before passage
