News

This year the Howard-Suamico Board of Education will hold its public Budget Hearing and Annual Meeting on September 27, 6:00 p.m. in the District Office Community Training Center, 2706 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 27.  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 17, 2021, and will be available at the meeting on September 27. 

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

“Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope.  Hope breeds peace.” – Confucius

This summer our learning community was energized once again with opportunities for children of all ages and abilities as the District welcomed over 3,000 students enrolled in summer school classes. However, students were not the only ones engaged in learning this summer. Below are a few highlights of District educator and School Board activities during the last three months.

• Data Driven: Teams of teachers and principals analyzed assessment and survey data trends to inform curriculum, instruction and assessment practices for the upcoming school year;
• Facilities Planning: Thanks to our community support for the April referendum, planning began in earnest throughout the District.  Educators, architects, and construction managers met numerous times and will continue ongoing efforts in support of upgrading all eight of our community’s schools;
• Continuous Improvement: Routine maintenance, repair, landscaping, and cleaning of the community’s eight school facilities, totaling more than 1-million square feet, keeps our sites operating safely, efficiently and effectively throughout the school year;
• Compassion: The Howard-Suamico Education Foundation partnered with Green Bay Community Church, businesses, employees, and other civic organizations in providing over 400 economically disadvantaged students with backpacks and essential school supplies;
• Return to Learn: District leaders worked with the Board of Education, HSSD staff, Medical Health Advisory Team, and others to create a plan to return to five days a week in-person learning starting September 1 centered on health and safety, student wellbeing, and academics;
• Leadership: Board of Education members attended the Wisconsin Association of School Board (WASB) 2021 Summer Leadership Institute in July. The Board of Education also met regularly to discuss, refine and develop policy language.

The District and Board seek to use frequent and varied methods of communication with the community.  Please let us know how we are doing and if there are other ways you would like us to consider sharing and receiving information.

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

“Our goals can only be reached through the vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act.  There is no other route to success.”   Pablo Picasso

As the Howard-Suamico School Board prepares for the 2021-22 school year, we will continue to focus and develop our two primary goals; communication within our community and advocacy for our students locally and at the state level.  

Perhaps the most comprehensive method of communication is found on our District website (www.hssdschools.org). This website was vital in providing the community with COVID-19 information and data, as well as providing referendum information prior to our April 2021 elections.  With the passing of the two referenda, this website will remain a source for facility updates and operational expenditures.  We will continue to develop the social media resources of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to present information on Board meetings, classroom activities, and extracurricular events.  At our Board meetings, stakeholders may comment during our Community Input session, receive copies of our agenda, request copies of our Board packet and PowerPoint presentations, and watch our meetings being streamed.  This past year, community and staff input was also requested through various surveys on COVID-19 and the referenda with the results being posted on the website.  With the start of a new year, we will continue our linkage meetings with students, staff, civic organizations, local officials, state legislatures, senior citizens, local businesses, and institutions of higher education to develop our partnerships.

The Board continues to promote our goal of student advocacy with the topic of school funding recently discussed by the Governor and State Legislators.  Through our communications with Senators Rob Cowles and Eric Wimberger, Representatives David Steffen, Jim Steineke, and Elijah Behnke, we encouraged bills favorable to public schools and shared “our story” of student success and achievement despite being a low revenue school district.  On April 22, 2021 Board members Garry Sievert and Teresa Ford testified at the Joint Finance Committee at UW-Stout, along with other school boards, providing their thoughts on K-12 school funding.  Vanessa Moran, our Public Policy Correspondent, communicates with our Legislators and keeps the Board appraised of legislative actions. The Board had emphasized the following state budget priorities for our school system: 1- providing relief for low revenue districts ensuring equitable resources for all students, 2- increase the amount of aid for special education students, 3- allow for an inflationary increase in general revenues, and 4- a plan to mitigate the detrimental three-year fiscal effects of the COVID-19 declining enrollment this school year, which is linked to the amount of school funding.

The Board encourages your assistance in the continuous advocacy of our students by being informed of the key financial priorities for our District and knowledge of the legislative process.  We will continue to expand our methods of communication to enhance partnerships for all aspects of the educational process within our District as we continue to renew and invest for all of our students.

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

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin RtI Center have recognized Forest Glen Elementary School, Howard Elementary School, Meadowbrook Elementary School, and Lineville Intermediate School for successfully building a school-wide equitable, multi-level system of behavior supports aimed at closing achievement gaps. National research shows that full implementation of an equitable system leads to improved student outcomes.

By establishing equitable, multi-level systems of supports, Wisconsin schools are increasing the consistency of effective instruction for all students, building staff knowledge and skills to support all learners, using data to more quickly identify and provide support for students, and shifting to a proactive culture that supports stronger relationships with students, their families, and our communities.

This recognition program encourages schools and districts during the construction of their systems and helps them celebrate progress toward full implementation. As schools continue the work, they will map out how to sustain their systems and continue to build increasing levels of student supports in additional subject areas until the system is fully in place. 

To learn more about the Wisconsin RtI Center’s Recognized Schools Program, visit www.wisconsinrticenter.org.

Class Motto: “A Vision Becoming Reality"

Sunday, June 13, 2021, at 2 p.m., the 57th class to graduate from Bay Port High School walked across the outdoor stage gathering its diplomas, a sunflower, photos and best wishes at the annual commencement ceremony.  The audience included family, friends, faculty, and staff members. 

The class of 2021 includes:

• 142 National Honor Society members
• 115 students on the Honors list for 7 semesters (3.20-3.749)
• 91 students who earned Advanced Placement Scholar Awards
• 77 students who earned a place on the High Honors list for 7 semesters (3.75-4.0)
• 71 students graduating with a grade point average of 4.0 or higher
• 71 students were recipients of 108 scholarships totaling $849,600
• 3 students graduating with the International Baccalaureate Diploma
• 3 students who enlisted in the United States Military
• Numerous musicians, artists, athletes, technology-minded and academically gifted students who competed at the state level
• Many students who volunteered their time, energy and resources throughout our community

Future plans for some of the 2021 Bay Port graduates include entering fields such as international relations, music, medicine, education, theater, 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 2008 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 they have realized thus far as foundational to the successes of their future.  The Board of Education congratulates the Class of 2021 and wishes each and every one of them the best of luck in their future endeavors.

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

A student representative is the representation of students' opinions, concerns, and views to the Board of Education. It is a voice critical to the success of students' education and time spent in school. Any school district with a student representative knows the positive changes and decisions they make based on the feedback they receive and further student engagement in the district. The Howard Suamico School District effectively listens and gives value to a student representative. Feedback, appreciative or criticism, is used as a motivational tool to further what they serve to students and strengthen the link between students and staff. The Board of Education gives the student representative the ability to communicate concerns families are hesitant to share about their children and bring to meetings the views of the student body.

I, Sahra Ahmed, feel delighted with having the opportunity and honor to serve as a student representative on the school board for two terms during the school years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. The Board meetings are attended by board members, district members, and staff who attend to listen to each other, update on current developments, and share successes. While paying attention to the exchange of information, I was excited to share this with my friends and classmates, the renovations, how different education at HSSD would become in the future, and so much more. From my experience, I believe that the board meetings provide an excellent opportunity to share what matters to me the most, receive responses and gain progress. We own our experiences. However, I was able to attend meetings with joy and comfort because the board members spoke to me with kindness and respect and helped me react with a positive attitude and confidence.

While I attended school and sat in a classroom with students my age, it was unimaginable to change the narrative and sit in a room amongst board members. It gave me a chance for personal development. I think about the future often and realize my life will become meaningful. Being a student representative to a school board gives me a title that I can use and a role I never expected I would hold, making me believe that I can achieve much more and identify this as my significant experience. Initially, I shared with the board members my goal to become a Lawyer, but my experience as a student representative has changed my career direction and university. I realize how it feels to contribute to a team, be in a comfortable environment, and tend to that which brings happiness.

During COVID19, the Board of Education demonstrated its critical role in the educational process. The vision for the school year changed; in-person classes changed to virtual, and teachers and staff were provided with protection in school. The board’s role to adapt to changes and the pandemic made the educational process continue for students and made it possible for schools to carry out procedures safely. All necessary steps were taken to provide students a safe educational environment and learning. During meetings, board members held public community sessions, and they had the responsibility to provide guidance, resources, and information to stop the spread of COVID19. As a student who worried about getting exposed to COVID19, I want to thank the HSSD Board of Education for their leadership and response to the pandemic. I also want to thank the board members for allowing me to serve on the school board as a student representative, and I very much appreciate your support during this time.

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

The Howard-Suamico Board of Education would like to sincerely thank our community for voting yes and yes to approve the two referendum questions on April 6, 2021.

We are grateful the community recognizes district needs and supports them. Support from the community promotes unity and provides opportunity. We are proud to be the only district in the state of Wisconsin with plans to lower the tax levy rate while passing a facilities referendum.

We also want to thank everyone involved that helped make this referendum a success, especially the volunteer members of the Community Task Force and Citizen Action Team. There were more than 35 referendum informational meetings attended by more than 700 staff and community members who shared their time to ask questions and learn more about the referendum plan.

The next steps in the planning process have already begun. There will be several meetings regarding finance strategy that will focus on maximizing the impact of referendum funding. At Bay View and Forest Glen, meetings will begin in May with the principals, staff, students, and the architect firm EU:A. In May the district will also be selecting a construction manager that will work together with EU:A and the district.

The remainder of 2021 will conclude the design process. In early 2022 the bidding process will begin. The district will look at several bids before selecting a construction company. Construction will begin late Spring 2022 and for some of the larger facilities improvements construction will continue through 2023.

HSSD is committed to maintaining the referendum website with a focus on consistent and clear communication to keep the community informed as this exciting process continues.

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