News

On Election Day, April 6, 2021, the Howard-Suamico School District will have two referenda questions on the ballot. The first question reads:

“Shall the Howard-Suamico School District, Brown County, Wisconsin be authorized to exceed the revenue limit specified in Section 121.91, Wisconsin Statutes, for a duration of five years beginning with the 2023-2024 school year and ending with the 2027-2028 school year by an amount of $5,000,000 per year for non-recurring purposes consisting of reducing class sizes, employee compensation, and facility maintenance?”

This question asks our community to continue the support it approved in 2018 but expires at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. Approving this question on April 6th this year will allow the district to continue the strides we have made in reducing class sizes, maintaining employee compensation, and facility maintenance needs through the end of the 2027-28 school year.

The second question is the result of over 18 months of analysis that includes facilities studies and community input from both a community led task force and community surveys. This question reads:

“Shall the Howard-Suamico School District, Brown County, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $98,000,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school building improvement project consisting of: renovations including improvements to learning environments, safety and security improvements and construction of additions for new gymnasiums at Bay View Middle School and Forest Glen Elementary School; district-wide capital maintenance and building infrastructure improvements; site improvements; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment?”

With the successful passage of this question, the Board of Education will be able to reduce the tax levy rate from the $9.19 amount that has been in place for the past seven years to a new $8.99 rate. This is possible due to strategic and sound fiscal planning over the past several years. One example of this would be the significant savings of interest costs throughout the years by aggressively paying down our debt. Certainly not a new concept, homeowners and business owners have long been employing this strategy as a way to plan for the future.

The district will be providing information regarding these questions in multiple ways. On the district website there is a section dedicated to the referendum. Once on our website, select the Community tab, then select Referendum from the drop-down menu. There is information regarding the proposed projects at each of our schools, information about the Community Task Force, a Q&A section, and a way to contact us with questions. More information will be updated in the coming days and weeks, including informational videos about each question and the tax levy rate. The Board of Education will be holding three community information sessions in March to answer questions in person.

There will also be a virtual community information session created and posted on the website in the coming weeks. And referendum reminders will be arriving in your mailboxes.

Please make the choice to vote in the April 6th election. For additional information regarding this article, contact Teresa Ford, tereford@hssdschools.org.

This past year our country, our state, and our community have faced some of the greatest challenges of our time. These challenges have affected us each differently, but perhaps the most universal emotion we have collectively experienced is a lack of control. This lack of control is something we have each grappled with, but in many ways it has highlighted the importance of unity in our community. 

We use the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” in recognition of the profound impact a strong community can have on a child’s education, development and future success. In the Howard-Suamico School District, we have the benefit of not one, but two villages to aid in raising up the next generation, and that effort starts with each and every member of the community, working together toward common goals.

The work of the local school district is delegated to a handful of elected officials, along with district administrators, but a school district cannot hope for long-term success without the support and input of the broader community. In HSSD, that input can take many forms, such as:

• Attending school board meetings, either in person or virtually.
  Meetings typically take place on Monday evenings, once or twice per month, at 6pm in the District Office Training Center. The district website includes details on how to attend virtually or in person, as well as agendas for upcoming meetings and minutes of those in the past (https://www.hssdschools.org/district/board-of-education).

• Participating in community surveys.
  Our two villages have demonstrated an ongoing and significant level of participation in surveys, and these data provide valuable insight to the administration and the board in setting the vision and direction of the district.

• Voting.
  School board elections provide the opportunity to help choose the individuals who will represent you on the HSSD school board. And referendum questions afford the chance to voice support (or not) for future funding needs. In 2021, HSSD residents will choose from 5 candidates running for 2 seats on the board, necessitating a primary election on February 16, followed by the general election April 6. Also on the ballot in April are two HSSD referendum questions. 

• Attending a Community Information Session.
  Those interested in learning more about the two referendum questions on the April 6, 2021 ballot can attend one of three in person sessions in March, or an online session coming soon. Check out https://www.hssdschools.org/community/referendum/ for more details.

• Being informed. 

Viewing the District website for the latest updates on the District, schools and community news (https://www.hssdschools.org).

The people of our two communities represent a broad diversity of backgrounds, heritage, political views, religions and opinions, and in many ways the HSSD school board presents a smaller picture of that diversity. Your seven board members often disagree, and can hold spirited debates on some of the decisions facing us, but one of our most important policies is our Board Member Covenants (GP-9), which states, in part, that board members will “focus on issues, not people or personalities,” and “respect decisions of the full Board.” In practice, this means that we can disagree on a matter, but once a vote has been cast, we agree to move forward together in support of our goals. 

Your school board cannot do its job effectively without the support and input of the community. As we move forward together through this unprecedented time, let us bear in mind the powerful words shared by President Biden on his inauguration as he challenged our nation to “see each other not as adversaries but as neighbors,” “treat each other with dignity and respect” and pursue unity as the path forward.

For more information about the Howard-Suamico School District, please visit our website at www.hssdschools.org.