Amtmann, Paulsen Re-Elected to HSSD Board of Education

Christina Amtmann and Rachelle Paulsen were re-elected to the Howard-Suamico School District Board of Education Tuesday, April 4, 2023. Amtmann begins her second term and Paulsen, a longtime Board of Education member, is starting her second consecutive term on the Board. 

A Brief Conversation with Christina Amtmann:

Q: One of the goals of the Board of Education is advocacy for the biennium budgets. Why is advocacy important for the Board of Education to take part in? 

A: The Board of Education is a crucial – and powerful – advocate on behalf of the people of our District. Advocate is the right term to use. In our capacity as Board members, we have regular linkages with our legislative bodies regarding our District’s budget, in addition to working with other school districts in the area on common areas of concern. 

The Board recently went to Madison to participate in The Day at the Capitol to support adjusting the state funding formula. The more than 25 years old funding formula that determines the District’s revenue limits does not provide HSSD with adequate funding, which is why the vast majority of districts rely on referendums to augment revenues. This is increasingly important in light of recent inflation and economic challenges. 

Further, the District is advocating for more dollars for Special Education and safety. HSSD was intentional with and good stewards of our COVID-19 relief funding, however, many positions that were temporarily filled to help with learning loss gaps are currently ending. We have seen the positive results of having extra staff in both math and literacy. Finally, we have placed focus on additional School Resource Officer (SRO) presence in our schools to ensure student safety. 

I am honored to serve as a Board of Education Director as we strive to benefit all students, staff, and community members. I’m grateful that our community puts value on retaining excellent dedicated staff and keeping class sizes to a minimum.
 

Q: Why did you decide to run for board of education?

A: It is an honor to serve and to be involved in decisions that are important to our students, staff, and community. I decided to run for the Board of Education because I love children and helping them succeed. 

During my first term of three years on the Board of Education, I have seen the dedication from staff and administration working together to create an environment where all students can reach their full academic potential while promoting their social and emotional growth. The level of support our District has from the community just adds another layer of gratitude in serving in this role. I am confident our District will continue to improve and look forward to serving this next term. 

A Brief Conversation with Rachelle Paulsen:

Q: One of the goals of the Board of Education is advocacy for the biennium budget. Why is advocacy important for the Board of Education to take part in? 

A: Advocating for the biennium budget strengthens our community by supporting our schools, families, and children. Our district has unique challenges when it comes to funding. Because of this, we would like to see a more balanced distribution of general revenue increases, using both revenue limit/general aid and per pupil categorical aid. This would better meet our needs with general spending authorities. 

We would also like an increase in special education and mental health funding to achieve a balanced flexible, spendable revenue for our district. These changes and investments in education would provide important additional opportunities for our students. 

Q: Why did you choose to run for the Board of Education?

Prior to a short break before my current term, I was a Board of Education director for 18 years. Currently, my goal is to make decisions based on enacting policies which allow us to allocate resources to develop all students to their academic potential and promote their social and emotional growth.  

I have a sincere passion for the education of our HSSD students. I want to make sure I listen to the community to create a strong tie with our stakeholders. Being a longtime Howard-Suamico resident I have a personal interest in preserving and improving the quality of our school system. 

Amtmann and Paulsen will take their official oaths of office at or prior to the April 24, 2023 meeting and will begin three-year terms on the Board.