From the Board of Education: Community Updates

The Howard-Suamico School District is excited to kick off the 2023-2024 school year by wrapping up important construction projects at five of eight schools. We are grateful to our community for voting yes and passing the April 2021 referendum so that this critical infrastructure work could take place. It is because of your support that our school buildings are on track to meet the college, career and citizenship expectations of our community!

We look forward to showcasing the impressive progress at Forest Glen Elementary School and Bay View Middle School during a Community Open House on Wednesday, September 27 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. In addition, back-to-school Open House events will be held at all eight schools August 29-31. Visit the HSSD Calendars page on the website for the details.

The mission of the Howard-Suamico School District is to, “...work with families and community to ensure that our students have the knowledge and skills to succeed in a changing world." With this mission we continue to actively engage with our community and area. As we have witnessed the economic growth regionally in Northeast Wisconsin and locally in both the Villages of Howard and Suamico, we continue to develop programming and facilities that meet these evolving needs. Relatedly, the Board of Education has been exploring facilities in different school districts that support the careers and pathways for the future. This work is in preparation for long-range facilities planning intended to improve our career and technical
education fields and prepare graduates for life and career beyond Bay Port.

In addition to facilities, programming continues to develop. For example, our Youth Apprenticeship Program has attracted record numbers of Bay Port High School juniors and seniors to apply for positions with area businesses to gain experience and credits towards their career goals. We are proud to share that 109 students are currently enrolled in the Youth Apprenticeship program and placed with 93 local business organizations.

The Howard-Suamico School District Board of Education finds numerous ways to partner with external entities to learn more about trends outside of the schools. These meetings, called linkages, have included Village officials, local business leaders, NWTC and post-secondary institutions, and other community leaders. Through these conversations, we partake in two- way communication as we prepare policies in support of students and staff.

In addition to working with regional partners, the Board of Education recently commissioned a community growth study. The goal of this work is to accurately inform the facilities needed for the future. Specifically, the data indicates growth and targets the specific areas and school boundaries that will need to be assessed as our community expands. Information collected also provides timely insights and discussion points for a potential 2026 facilities referendum.

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 a school board member.