SALEM LAKES, Wis. — The Westosha Central High School District Board of Education has selected Paige Sefton to fill the Bristol-area seat left vacant by former board president Steve Richter, who resigned earlier this year after 13 years on the board.
Richter stepped down during one of the most controversial periods in recent district history. As board president, he led the district through the uproar surrounding Westosha Central’s locker room policy, which sparked months of community outrage, heated school board meetings, and eventually a federal Title IX complaint.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
The controversy began in late 2024 when parents alleged that a male student had been allowed to change in the girls’ locker room at Westosha Central High School. Female students said they felt uncomfortable and, in some cases, alleged they were penalized academically after avoiding the locker room.
The issue boiled over at a January 2025 board meeting, where residents sharply criticized district officials and board leadership for how the matter had been handled. The controversy later escalated further when the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed a Title IX complaint with federal authorities, alleging the district violated the rights of female students.
Richter remained president during much of that tumultuous period.
When he resigned in March, Richter described his time on the board as “a tremendous honor” and said he was proud of the district’s work “strengthening academic programs and expanding opportunities for students.” He also said he had confidence in the district’s future leadership and direction.
Following Richter’s resignation, the district sought applicants to fill the Bristol representative position. Candidates had to live within the Bristol School District portion of the Westosha Central district and be at least 18 years old.
District officials announced Wednesday that Sefton was chosen after the board interviewed two candidates for the vacancy.
Sefton previously ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Bristol School Board in the April 2025 election, finishing fourth in a four-person race for two seats. She received 758 votes, trailing Tina Elfering, Victor Nightingale, and Abigail Stanislawski.
Her appointment is already drawing criticism from some Bristol residents, who argue that someone rejected by voters in a recent election should not then be elevated to a school board position by appointment.
Some residents also fear that Sefton’s appointment could move the Westosha board further to the political left at a time when the district is still facing fallout from the locker room controversy. In a March 2025 opinion piece urging voters to support Tina Elfering and Victor Nightingale, Sefton was described as aligned with the Democratic Party and positions favoring more progressive education policies. The opinion piece argued that Elfering and Nightingale “best represent the values of Bristol.”
Sefton is the parent of a current Westosha Central sophomore who is a member of the school’s dance team. She has lived in the Bristol School District since 2015 and has been active in local education for more than a decade. According to the district, she previously served as PTO president for three years and has been involved with the Bristol PTA/PTO.
Sefton recently retired after more than 30 years in the corporate world, holding positions with Abbott, AbbVie, and Mondelez International. District officials said she hopes to devote more time to education and public service in retirement.
“I’m honored and very excited to be a part of such a successful school board,” Sefton said in a statement. “This is a great opportunity to use what I’ve learned in my corporate career of over 30 years, along with my numerous years of experience with the Bristol School PTA/PTO, to make valuable contributions to the WCHS Board.”
Sefton said she also hopes to hear from members of the Bristol community throughout her tenure on the board.
Her first board meeting is scheduled for May 5. She will serve through April 2027, when the seat will appear on the spring election ballot.
25 Responses
Paige is not a suitable candidate for this position. Her past actions indicate a troubling character. Westosha Central School should exercise caution, as Paige could potentially cause significant harm to the institution and its community. The current board should have conducted thorough research on candidates before making a selection. They will soon realize just how insincere Paige truly is.
She is very concerning, I believe she has some mental illness, in all seriousness.
It’s amusing that her only way onto the board is by appointment, as she could not win an election on her own. She attempted to run for the Bristol School Board in 2025 and failed. Paige is quite a malicious person.
She is as LEFT as they come, prepare for more boys in the girls’ bathrooms, she will approve of that all day long.
Bad news. She is a nut.
… the Title IX complaint ?
Is that still active or was that settled quietly ?
Inquiring minds want to know
Paige is a terrible person, an adulterer left liberal that will say anything about anyone to get what SHE wants. What a terrible choice, CHS did not do their research very well. Come on Gendron pull your head out of your !
The administrator doesn’t appoint school board members. That would be like him appointing his own boss. The other school board members appointed this person amongst themselves.
He collects the applicants and screens them. He/any District Administrator has more influence than you think in this process. Either way, then the school board should pull their heads out of their rear ends.
That is so incorrect! Know what your talking about before you speak.
Does everyone realize that while technically Paige “lives” in the school district she does NOT pay property taxes that go to our district? Her taxes goes to KENOSHA because she lives in the Strawberry creek subdivision, which is annexed into Kenosha. Therefore the decisions she makes on the board, whether it be Bristol OR Central do not impact HER property taxes.
That is not how that works. The school portion of her taxes goes to whatever school district she resides in. That’s how she gets to run for the school board for the district in which she resides in. My god…people really don’t understand how this works?!?
You are correct. When I lived in Heritage Heights (poor man’s strawberry creek), the portion of school taxes when to Bristol.
Concerned parents and community members should show up at her first meeting and ask what to expect from her; such as biological boys in girls bathrooms/locker rooms.
hahahaha Tina Elfring probably nominated her . She’s best buddies with far left Danielle whitaker now so why not Paige too? It’s all about control
Another stupid comment – nobody nominates a person for this position. The individual provides a letter of interest to the current board and they pick.
Btw it is Elfering not Elfring
Sounds like you’re admitting you are an idiot
Yawn. Sorry you’re so jealous of Tina. 🤣
Who could ever be jealous of that? She is Truly a sad pathetic person
How did the Executive Director of the Republican Party of Kenosha County let this one slip by? There are several good conservatives that could have been recruited for this open seat. I guess she was too busy campaigning for herself weeks ahead of nomination papers going out. Some leader…asleep at the wheel. Let’s pray she never makes it to Madison.
It’s an appointed spot.
They can only appoint from those that apply. It was posted publicly that they were seeking applicants. The article states that that there were only 2 applicants, so the board only had 2 options to appoint from.
Poor choice, CHS Board. Why didn’t Steve resign earlier so an election could be held? We all know the answer to that question. Paige would lose and lose BIG!
Again, know the procedure for open seats before you post and look like an idiot.
All CHS Board meetings are now being recorded. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjTT7sLXM8v690C9BcB-QZQ
Less than 20 views so far for the March meeting.
Hopefully the taxpayes in the district will watch them and get more engaged. Many of us work and have difficulty making it to a 5:00 board meeting each month.
Those of us critical of this newly APPOINTED board member only have ourselves to blame. If we didn’t organize to help put forth a candidate who better represents our values, we should look in the mirror and ask what we can do differently next time – especially those in the Bristol community. Rest assured, the more liberal of our district will always by vying for these board seats. By the way, this is the 3rd APPOINTED board member in less than a year.