Top Sussex Stories of the Year: Education

Every day between now and the end of the year, Sussex Patch will feature the most popular stories of the year — broken down by topic. We start by taking a look at our biggest school-related stories of 2012. Stories are ranked by popularity, which means the ones that were the most well-read are at the top of our list.

 1. Hamilton School Board Member Who Misspelled Her Name on Recall Petition Ousted From Office

Hamilton School Board member Lynn Kristensen caught a lot of heat after it was learned that she incorrectly spelling her name on a petition to recall Gov. Scott Walker from office.

And when the April election rolled around, voters expressed their displeasure at the ballot box — Brian Schneider defeated Kristensen by a more than 2-to-1 margin.

2. Woodside School Parents Concerned About Sexual Assault Suspect Living Nearby

Hamilton School District officials in November notified parents at Woodside Elementary School that a Hamilton High School student accused of sexual assaulting a 6-year-old girl this summer, lives near their school. 

Alluding to a case against 17-year-old Daniel Koepke, Woodside Principal James Edmond, told parents that extra police patrols have been planned near the school. Just days afterward, district officials worked out an arrangement so that Koepke would no longer attend Hamilton or any district school.

3. Hamilton Fan Goes a Bit Too Far on Football Field

A Hamilton High School football fan got a bit too fired up between a big rivalry game between the Chargers and Menomonee Falls in September. Just seconds after the National Anthem at Menomonee Falls, a 17-year-old student rushed onto the field and planted a Chargers flag squarely in the middle of the field. He then ran off the field and “flipped the bird” to the Falls faithful. Falls Cable Access caught the incident on camera during its pregame coverage.

The teen was cited for disorderly conduct by Menomonee Falls police and was fined $429.

4. School Bus Involved in 3-Vehicle Accident Near High School

It was a scary scene, but nobody was injured in early September when a school bus and two other vehicles collided in front of Hamilton High School. 

Police, fire and medical personnel responded to the scene of the accident on Town Line Road on the east side of the school in the Town of Lisbon. One of the drivers was a student, who was attempting to turn left into the school parking lot. As she made the turn, a collision occurred with another vehicle, causing both vehicles to be pushed into a school bus.

5. Talented Student Who Died Too Young Leaves His Legacy in Hamilton Fine Arts Center

The Hamilton School District honored the memory of former student Gabe Leonard by hanging one of his works of art in the Hamilton Fine Arts Center.

As a young student at Templeton Middle School, Gabe created a self-portrait entirely with his own smudged fingerprints. Gabe graduated from Hamilton High School in 1995 as one of the most promising art students that teachers had seen, but died two years later of an died of an inoperable brain tumor following a three-year battle.