Pre-Referendum Exploration

Superintendent Listening Sessions and Stronger Together

As Mark Smith transitioned into his first year as Superintendent, he engaged in staff listening sessions, 1:1 meetings with Board members, and two-way conversations with an array of stakeholder groups.

Most recently, in December 2024, 132 stakeholders (staff, students, families, community members, business leaders, etc.) gathered for the three-day Stronger Together event. During this event, they discussed the skills and knowledge they’d like a 2037 graduate, our current Kindergarteners, to attain during their time at HSSD.

Feedback gathered at each of these engagement sessions are helping to inform a Strategic Framework, which will launch in the 2025-26 school year.

Community Engagement Sessions

From October 6-8, 2025, HSSD held four Community Engagement Sessions. A variety of stakeholders attended and provided feedback regarding the district's operational and facilities needs. This feedback informed the community survey that followed the Community Engagement Sessions. 

What's Next

No decisions have been made at this time about potential referendum questions or when they might be presented to the community in 2026. We have two major election opportunities - the Spring General Election in April or the Fall General Election in November.  

2025 Studies

Since April 7, 2025 when the Board endorsed HSSD to proceed with a pre-referendum exploration process, three independent assessments were completed. This data was shared with the Board at the June 9 and August 11 Board meetings.

• Facilities Assessment (by EUA, 2025)
• Enrollment Projections (by Woolpert)
• Student Potential Report (by Woolpert)

The reason HSSD engaged another independent company to complete additional enrollment projections is to have up-to-date data that is as accurate as possible during this pre-referendum exploration process. 

2022 Studies

Prior to this, in 2022, an enrollment projection study and community growth study were completed by MD Roffers. 

• Community Growth Study (by MD Roffers, 2022)
• Enrollment Projections (by MD Roffers, 2022)

2021 Operational Referendum

$5M operational renewed the 2018 referendum, addressing:

• Continuing the reduction of class sizes
• Continuing to support employee compensation
• Addressing ongoing facilities maintenance needs district-wide

2018 Operational Referendum

The $5.85M operational referendum addressed:

• Hiring teachers to reduce class sizes
• Improving HSSD’s ability to compete in the teacher salary market
• Addressing ongoing facilities maintenance needs district-wide

2017 Operational Referendum

The 2017 operational referendum was not approved by voters. On the ballot was a recurring operational referendum question, which means no end date was listed. HSSD learned from voters that they wanted to see an end date on the ballot, so HSSD re-engaged with the community in order to bring an operational referendum question back to voters in 2018. As a result of the failed 2017 referendum, the district had to make cuts to certified staff. 

$98M to renovate and improve all eight schools with significant updates at Bay View and Forest Glen

• Forest Glen
  • New gym addition in order to free up space within building to do other renovations - sized for stand-alone community space
  • Convert gym to cafeteria, renovate kitchen
  • Add natural light to Large Group and LMC spaces, transparent movable walls
  • Renovate lobby and former District Office space
  • Replace boilers
  • Replace roof
  • Replace all windows
  • HVAC Improvements
    • Ionization
  • ADA Compliance items
  • LED lighting
• Bay View
  • New gym addition in order to free up space within building to do other renovations
  • Convert 1963 gym to cafeteria and new kitchen
  • Relocate and expand main office into portion of oversized LMC
  • Move orchestra to existing kitchen, near other music areas
  • Renovate classrooms - provide flexible connectivity, active lab spaces, small group spaces
  • Address capacity issues through renovated classrooms
  • HVAC Improvements
    • Air conditioning
    • Ionization
  • ADA Compliance items
  • LED lighting
• Suamico
  • HVAC Improvements
    • Air Conditioning
    • Ionization
  • Replace pavement, curbs, and sidewalks
  • Flooring replacement
  • LED Lighting
  • Roof replacement
  • ADA compliance items
  • Additional interior and exterior improvements
• Meadowbrook
  • HVAC Improvements
    • Air Conditioning
    • Ionization
  • Flooring replacement
  • LED Lighting
  • Window replacement
  • Roof replacement
  • Ceiling replacement
  • ADA compliance items
  • Elevator modernization
  • Additional interior and exterior improvements
• Lineville
  • HVAC Improvements
    • Air Conditioning
      • Ionization
  • Flooring replacement
  • Window replacement
  • Roof replacement
  • Ceiling replacement
  • ADA compliance items
  • Elevator modernization
  • Additional interior and exterior improvements
• Howard
  • Restroom renovation
  • Window replacement
  • LED Lighting
  • Roof replacement
  • ADA compliance items
  • Additional interior and exterior improvements
• Bay Port
  • HVAC Improvements
    • Ionization
  • Control system
  • Window replacement
  • Roof replacement
  • Replace and install intercom and sound system
  • Restroom additions (single user)
  • ADA compliance items
  • Additional interior and exterior improvements
• Bay Harbor
  • HVAC Improvements
    • Ionization
  • Additional interior and exterior improvements
  • Play structure surfacing

Have Questions?

Click here or scan/click below to ask a question or to leave a thought via ThoughtExchange. This is anonymous and regularly monitored by the district.