| TOMAHAWK, Wis. — Yesterday, State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski visited the City of Tomahawk to highlight the multiple ways in which the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL) impacts the community. Treasurer Godlewski has served as Chair of the BCPL, the oldest state agency, since 2019 and ensures that the BCPL’s $1.4 billion in trust funds is managed wisely. Stops throughout the day showcased how various programs of the BCPL funded books and technology for Tomahawk schools and supported economic development in the community. “I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to visit Tomahawk to see how the BCPL has supported the community,” said State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski. “As Chair, I am proud of our agency’s commitment to working with the Northwoods. Whether that’s ensuring our almost 80,000 acres of public lands are effectively managed or wisely investing our funds to provide strong returns for public schools, which keeps these costs off property taxes. It’s clear – our work is making a difference.”The Treasurer’s first stop was at the BCPL’s Lake Tomahawk office. The BCPL is a strategic player in Wisconsin’s forestry industry, and the agency will continue to prioritize the almost 80,000 acres of public lands through sustainable forestry practices and other important initiatives that support economic development. |
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| Next, the Treasurer visited Tomahawk Middle School, where she met with School District of Tomahawk District Administrator Wendell Quesinberry, School Board Member Deb Velleux, Middle School Principal Stacy Bolder, LMC Director Paula Norman, and several eighth-grade students. The visit highlighted how Tomahawk Middle School and the School District of Tomahawk will use the $48,380 the district will receive from the Common School Fund’s record-breaking $40.6 million distribution this year. The Common School Fund, one of four funds managed by the BCPL, provides the sole source of funding for over 90% of Wisconsin’s public school libraries to help purchase books and technology. Further, the distributions from these funds help Wisconsin families by keeping these costs off of property tax bills.“Tomahawk School District is grateful for the $48,000 we received this year from the Common School Fund and its chair, Treasurer Sarah Godlewski. Our district is extremely proud of our schools and libraries, and the funds provided by the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands will allow us to further improve our selection of books and technology to help our students grow. Our role as educators is to put students in the best position to succeed and this money will go a long way in allowing us to continue providing these valuable resources for all of our students,” said District Administrator Wendell Quesinberry. |
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| “I’m grateful to Treasurer Godlewski for visiting our Lake Tomahawk office, and for spending the day in the community seeing the significant work that the BCPL does here,” said BCPL Executive Secretary Tom German. “From financing important local public works projects that benefit the public to providing aid to public school libraries without putting such costs on the local property tax rolls, the BCPL has a large footprint in Tomahawk.” |
