SUN PRAIRIE — Antoine Reed began his tenure as superintendent of the Sun Prairie Area School District in July with a message centered on listening, transparency and a renewed focus on students’ classroom experience. At the district’s back-to-school convocation in August, hundreds of employees gathered at Sun Prairie East High School for music, games and speeches. Reed urged staff to help make the coming year “the best school year ever,” framing the event as a reset after a period of upheaval. “Although we had some negative stories, that did not tell the story that was going on in everybody’s school throughout the school year,” Reed said. “And that is the kind of space I wanted to be at.” Reed took over after the district faced intense criticism over its response to allegations involving former dean of students Robert Gilkey-Meisegeier. Gilkey-Meisegeier was convicted in April of producing child pornography and sentenced to 18 years in federal prison. Jennifer Ploeger, the principal who supervised Gilkey-Meisegeier, pleaded no contest in June to one misdemeanor count of failing to report child abuse or neglect. The plea was entered under a deferred prosecution agreement, and two other charges were dismissed, according to court records. Reviews by outside experts and a Milwaukee law firm found shortcomings in how school officials handled allegations and investigated potential misconduct. The law firm recommended changes to training and investigative procedures, including steps related to Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education. District officials said employees received training in August from outside legal counsel on investigation procedures and their responsibilities when concerns are reported. Students receive lessons on recognizing and reporting grooming through the district’s social-emotional learning curriculum. The district has also added the Speak Up, Speak Out electronic reporting tool supported by the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Office of School Safety. The district said the changes are intended to ensure employees understand their obligations and respond appropriately when concerns arise. It has not publicly confirmed whether every recommendation from the law firm’s review has been completed. The review called for examining the leadership positions of administrators involved in earlier investigations. Human resources director Chris Sadler remains in that role, while former assistant principal Nehemirah Barrett has become principal of Phoenix Academy, the district’s alternative learning school. The district has said personnel matters are confidential and that it cannot publicly discuss reviews or actions involving individual employees. Reed also declined to comment on staff members or any reviews conducted before he arrived. “Things happened in the district prior to me” and were handled under a different administration, Reed said. “We have an entire new administration.” Brad Saron, who had served as superintendent since 2015, left the district at the end of the previous school year. His departure followed reports of conflict between Saron and the School Board president. External investigations into the board’s conduct recommended additional training after identifying concerns about investigations, evaluations, adherence to board policies and possible open-meetings-law violations. Reed said he believes his relationship with the School Board is strong, pointing to what he described as orderly public meetings. He said the board and administration need to model constructive disagreement and peaceful conflict resolution for students. The new superintendent also wants to address issues beyond the scandal, including inadequate state funding, declining enrollment as students leave for charter and private schools, and achievement gaps among students. Reed’s career began as a football and track coach at the Chicago high school he attended. After encouragement from a mentor, he became a teacher and later an assistant principal. He subsequently led schools in the Midwest, including West Milwaukee Central High School, and most recently served as an assistant superintendent in Rockford, Illinois. He was selected from three finalists after a search that included more than 60 focus groups with over 130 participants and survey responses from more than 1,300 people. Reed’s first-100-days plan, titled “Building Trust Through Listening and Action,” calls for sustained engagement with students, staff, families and community members. He has pledged to hold monthly public forums and make himself available for individual conversations. “The first 100 days aren’t about having all the answers,” the plan says. “They’re about deeply understanding what matters to scholars, staff, families and the community.” Reed hosted one community meet-and-greet in late August at the McKenzie Family Boys & Girls Club. He said regular contact with families and students is essential to rebuilding trust. “We’re not going to shy away from listening to our families and scholars,” Reed said. “They want that trust and transparency.”