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During our budget hearing and annual meeting on September 26, 2022, community members received a detailed review of the school district’s 2022-2023 budget and voted to adopt it as presented. During the meeting on October 24, 2022, the Board of Education approved a budget of $105,726,920 in revenues and $199,653,933 in expenditures. On the expenditures side, $93,337,003 are due to the capital projects funded by the April 2021 facilities referendum. Facilities updates can be found at: http://hssdschools.org/community/facilities-update. Roughly 67% of the general expenditures are invested in employee salaries and benefits.

On the revenue side, the primary building blocks of school funding are property taxes and state aid. Revenue limits cap the amount of funding a district can generate and in 2022-23 there was no increase in the revenue limits, meaning if state aid goes up, levies tend to be reduced, and vice
versa.

For the 2022-23 school year, state aid for the Howard-Suamico School District has been certified at $40,747,004. This is a 4.64% increase over 2021-22. The tax levy rate has been reduced by 30 cents to $8.69 resulting in revenues of $34,702,982. Core drivers in the reduction of the levy rate were the increase in property valuations and the increase in state aid, considering the unchanged Revenue Limit.

The Board of Education will continue to consider investment avenues for scholastic achievement and excellence. For more information about the Howard-Suamico School District budget please visit our website at www.hssdschools.org.

Earlier this month, State Superintendent Jill Underly submitted a request from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) for $2.5 billion during the 2023-2025 biennium budget. This is the official beginning of the state budget process for school funding, as this request sets the baseline the elected Governor will work from when proposing the full state budget early next year.

The budget priorities that have been proposed include the following:

• Creating predictable and sustainable funding for schools
• Increasing, diversifying, and strengthening the educator pipeline
• Addressing student mental health and expanding support to students
• Establishing strong foundations of learning
• Ensuring Wisconsin students have access to healthy meals
• Strengthening Wisconsin public libraries and lifelong learning

The first budget priority is centered around adequate per-pupil revenue limits. As one of the districts in the state of Wisconsin with the lowest per pupil revenue limit amounts, Howard-Suamico has a projected revenue cap of $9,946.50, below the current minimum of $10,000 per pupil. What that means is that the district is only allowed to spend this much money on each student, according to state law. State Superintendent Underly is requesting that the low revenue ceiling limit be raised to $10,350 in the 2023-2024 fiscal year and to $11,000 in the 2024-2025 fiscal year in the recent budget proposal. This would have a significant impact on the HSSD budget and is something that we, as a Board, have been advocating for for years.

No matter who is elected in November, the Governor will work closely with State Superintendent Jill Underly on increasing funding for public schools in the next state budget, as both candidates are making education a strong priority. We encourage you to learn about both these individuals and make an informed decision based on factual information; not merely ads. The HSSD School Board will also work with the newly elected Governor and our local elected officials to hopefully make some of these budget priorities a reality.

For additional information about the Howard-Suamico School District or how you can support these efforts, please visit www.hssdschools.org.

This year the Howard-Suamico Board of Education will hold its public Budget Hearing and Annual Meeting on September 26, 6:00 p.m. in the Student Union, Bay Port High School, 2710 Lineville Road, Suamico. In addition, the Superintendent will present a State of the District address.

We have been asked on occasion about the purpose of these meetings which are also referred to as Meetings of the Electors. State Law requires school districts across Wisconsin to hold a Budget Hearing and Annual Meeting each year. There are legal requirements surrounding these events, but school officials have long recognized this event as an opportunity for the community and the school district to connect, to communicate, and to reach greater understanding. School administrators and board members provide focus on achievements, needs and the future of the district. Community members are presented with information about the operations of the school district, are able to ask questions, and will then vote on various motions.

On behalf of the Howard-Suamico School District, the Board of Education invites attendance and participation from district residents. Please consider joining us on Monday,
September 26. Copies of the budget book will be available on the District website and in the School District Office, 2706 Lineville Road, Green Bay, beginning September 16, 2022, and will be available at the meeting on September 26.

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

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln

Summer School: This popular annual program for enrichment, acceleration and remediation of learning was a huge success again this summer offering 118 courses. In fact, the enrollment grew to 3,429 students and 260 staff members to support.  Increasingly, summer for the kids is an active time for learning and exploring. Moreover, our students and families are showing that they are interested in enhancing new learning opportunities - and the district is equally committed to supporting this interest.  The Board of Education appreciates the staff that supported this program and prepared the facilities for the upcoming school year. 

Construction updates: Multi-year facility upgrades began in earnest this spring and will continue well into 2024. The Board of Education has been able to view the construction progress throughout the summer. Special thanks to all of our construction partners and HSSD employees for their commitment to flexibility in adapting to weather, supply chain and schedule-based adjustments. For ongoing construction updates please see updates located on the website at: https://www.hssdschools.org/community/facilities-update.

School Board Visit to St Vrain: When the Board asked the community in March 2022 how HSSD should focus our resources and planning efforts, the top response was “Better prepare students for life after high school.” In June, several school board and leadership team members visited a state of the art career pathway program in St Vrain Valley School District, Colorado. This is an educational program that is nationally recognized as visionary in meeting the 21st century needs of students and families.  Exploring other high performing school systems helps HSSD benchmark in support of our vision: “An authentic, innovative, connected and inspired experience for an ever-changing future.”

Student apprenticeships: This spring over 150 students at Bay Port showed interest in internship or apprentice opportunities.  In conjunction with community leaders, business partners, and the Howard Suamico Business Professional Association, HSSD hosted a job fair.  This upcoming year we will be able to provide opportunities for our students to experience real life work experience and receive credit for education.  This will allow our students to learn more about manufacturing, professional practices, health care, technology and skill trades, etc. Our students are more career focused earlier and younger so this provides relevant experience and helps our local business partners.  

Leadership HSSD: Leadership HSSD is a program designed for those who want to obtain a foundational understanding in district operations, leadership principles, governance, and become more active participants in our schools.  Our first group of 35 community members graduated in spring. The second cohort will start this fall and continue through spring of 2023.  This program is sponsored by the  Howard-Suamico Education Foundation (HSEF) in partnership with HSEF President Bill Hawker and HSSD Superintendent of Schools, Damian LaCroix.

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

Our communities are at a crossroads at a vital and challenging time. We are wrought with constrained budgets and increased costs. Our collective lists of needs continue to burgeon. What can we do? According to President Theodore Roosevelt, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

Under advisement from Suamico Village Administrator Alex Kaker, The Howard-Suamico School District entered into an agreement with Suamico and the Village of Howard to hire a shared grant writer giving us communal expertise to follow Roosevelt’s advice.

Howard, Suamico and the School District aren’t so different. Statistically the demographics of the two villages are close to similar in terms of population characteristics, income, average home value, and more.

Howard Administrator Paul Evert agrees. “Although the services the District and Villages provide may seem very different, we are all working to build a vibrant and active community. Communicating and working together lead to the shared grant writer position that will continue to help us explore more opportunities that benefit our residents.”

In fact, the mission and vision statements of our three municipalities share one word in common: “innovative.” Our grant writer is tasked to have an innovative mindset.

When either Howard, Suamico or the School District benefits, the other groups benefit as well. For example, a grant to improve mental health services in our schools, makes our district more equitable to students in need of support. This in turn improves our students’ lives and the lives of their parents. Word spreads, our reputation gets stronger, and ultimately this plays a small part to encourage more people to move here. There are countless examples, but the logic remains the same in each scenario.

That is why collaboration is the key to this position. Hopefully the villages and School District can eventually share resources for major grant projects to benefit the 33,000 people who call Howard-Suamico home. These opportunities are discussed at monthly meetings with the grant writer and administrators from each municipality. Kaker said “Effective consolidation of public services starts with strong communication and trust. Linkage meetings facilitated by HSSD have opened the door to innovative ideas. With continued hard work and a bit of luck, this position will save the taxpayers of three taxing entities real dollars and reaffirm what we already know - that the Howard-Suamico area is a premier place to live, learn, work, and play.”

Our grant writer is guided by the policy of the Howard-Suamico Board of Education, as well as our district’s Strategic Framework and our Graduate Profile. He is in routine contact with Evert and Kaker and is hard at work to make a difference by creating actionable results to support a plethora of projects and programs.

Ben Rodgers started in the shared grant writer role in January. We are confident in his abilities and excited to learn about the ways we can improve, not just as one entity, but as three municipalities with common goals.

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

Class Motto: “I Don’t Know About You, But I’m Proud of the Class of ‘22.”

Sunday, June 12, 2022, at 2:00pm, the 58th class to graduate from Bay Port High School walked across the outdoor stage gathering their diplomas, a sunflower, photos and best wishes at the annual commencement ceremony.

The audience included family, friends, faculty, and staff members.

The class of 2022 includes:
● 95 students on the Honors list for 7 semesters (3.20-3.749)
● 85 students who earned Advanced Placement Scholar Awards
● 81 National Honor Society members
● 78 students who earned a place on the High Honors list for 7 semesters (3.75-4.0)
● 73 students graduating with a grade point average of 4.0 or higher
● 69 students were recipients of 108 scholarships totaling $872,500
● 15 student received Community Service Medals
● 3 students received Global Scholars Program Certificates
● 1 student graduating with the International Baccalaureate Diploma
● 7 students who enlisted in the United States Military
● Numerous musicians, artists, athletes, technology-minded and academically gifted students who competed at the state level.

Future plans for some of the 2022 Bay Port graduates include entering fields such as international relations, music, medicine, education, theater, the trades, psychology, law, biomedical science, environmental sciences, political science, physics, engineering, fire-fighting, cosmetology, and the armed forces, to name only a few. These graduates
started kindergarten in the fall of 2009 and have seen numerous changes in their neighborhoods, their schools, the community, and in the world. Adapting, learning and growing through these changes will serve them well in the future as one can only imagine the changes they will see and the history they will make in the next 13 years.

The achievements of this class combined with their plans for the future have opened up endless possibilities. As these young adults leave Bay Port High School to begin the next stage of their lives, they take with them the hopes of past generations of graduates. They will draw upon their experiences of the past 13 years, inside and outside of the classroom, to help navigate whatever path they choose. May our Bay Port graduates view the successes and challenges they have realized thus far as foundational to the successes of their future. The Board of Education congratulates the Class of 2022 and wishes each and every one of them the best in their future endeavors.

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

A student representative’s role includes voicing students’ viewpoints, concerns, and experiences to the Board of Education. The student representative not only allows board members to gain perspective into a student’s time at school by connecting authored policy to the impact on students, but also furthers student engagement in district issues by strengthening the link between school administration and the student body. This position is critical for board members to maintain a successful understanding of students’ needs and even more so during times of uncertainty. From tackling issues associated with district funding to finding solutions that allowed students to continue school during the Covid-19 pandemic, I, Rohan Gala, feel honored to have served as a student representative on the Howard-Suamico School District’s Board of Education for two years.

Being appointed in 2020 and serving my first term during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic was the first of many learning experiences. During this time, the Board of Education pivoted from the traditional school day to a hybrid model that allowed students to attend in-person classes while also limiting the potential spread of the Covid-19 virus. This experience taught me the importance of accurate statistical figures that quantify problems but also provide support for solutions. The use of credible sources provided the underlying foundation for discussions regarding the effects of Covid-19 while also considering the social and emotional health of students through parent testimonials. This intersection between statistical data and anecdotal information allowed us to balance an in-person learning environment while also reducing Covid-19 cases. By listening to board members discuss possible ways to contain the spread of Covid-19 while simultaneously enacting policy that served the best interest of students and teachers, I was able to observe the dedication and diligence the Howard-Suamico School District has when dealing with complex issues.

Another prominent issue the Howard-Suamico School District manages is funding school improvements. The HSSD Board of Education assembled a referendum task force which I was lucky to be a part of to address issues associated with aging school buildings. By collectively tackling concerns, members of this task force were able to create a successful proposal that funded capital improvements within the district while limiting the financial burden on community members. This referendum process not only reinforced my belief that community members and community involvement is an essential pillar in creating a quality education system but also showed me the importance of understanding the impact of my actions.

Overall, my position as the student representative has given me a tremendous opportunity to expand my qualities as a leader and learn more about the educational system that has given me so much. Seeing the positive changes occurring within the district due to the actions of board members and district administration empowers me to look at my future and realize the potential impact I can have on my community.

Lastly, I want to express my deepest gratitude for this incredible opportunity to serve as the student representative to the Howard-Suamico Board of Education. My two year term has helped shape my future plans and has taught me invaluable lessons. I would like to thank all board members for their guidance as I transitioned into the role of student representative and for always having answers to any of my questions. I would also like to thank Mr. Brian Nicol, the HSSD Director of Communications, for his tips on how to communicate effectively in an interview setting. Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Damian LaCroix, Superintendent, for offering me incredible opportunities to expand my communication skills and always helping operationalize my community impact ideas.

For more information about the Howard-Suamico School District, please visit our website at www.hssdschools.org or for additional information regarding this article, contact school board student representative Rohan Gala, galaroha@hssdschools.org.