
MTSD Momentum Newsletter
November 22, 2022

We are Thankful for You!
MTSD "Significantly Exceed Expectations" on the 21-22 State Report Cards
Once again, the Mequon-Thiensville School District Significantly Exceeds Expectations on the 2021-2022 District Report Cards issued in November 2022 by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) with an overall score of 85.4. We are grateful to our students, families, and staff members for their work in helping us reach this achievement! The district's ranked score is the 6th highest score among 364 K-12 public school districts in the state. MTSD has significantly exceeded expectations all eight years the District Report Cards have been produced.
As part of the state accountability system, the DPI produces report cards for every publicly funded school and district in Wisconsin. The current school report card is primarily based on last year’s performance during the 2021-2022 school year. Due to the academic impact still being felt as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, DPI encourages caution when interpreting scores and ratings. Last year, adjustments were made to the scoring system used in creating the report cards.
Though these report cards do not represent the sole measure of student achievement in MTSD, they are a useful resource that the District uses to reflect on our strengths and areas for improvement. They also provide a helpful point of comparison against other comparable Wisconsin public school districts. At the foundation of the report cards are four priority areas. Schools and districts receive a score for each priority area:
Achievement - proficiency in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics on the annual state assessments
Growth - year-to-year progress in ELA and math achievement
Target Group Outcomes - outcomes for students with the lowest test scores: the Target Group
On-Track to Graduation - reliable predictors of how successfully students are progressing toward completing their K-12 education
All six schools in the Mequon-Thiensville School District exceed or significantly exceed expectations based on 2021-22 data. Districtwide scores on the MTSD School Report Cards can be found on our district website. Some notable data points include:
All MTSD schools’ Achievement scores were in the top 10% of schools in our state.
MTSD was in the top 3% for achievement, 6% for growth, 6% for Target Group Outcomes, and top 5% for On-Track to Graduation
MTSD Board of Education Develops Legislative Advocacy Priorities
2023-2025 Wisconsin State Budget
During the MTSD Board of Education's Regular Business Meeting on Monday, November 21, the Board approved a legislative platform topic on public school funding and with it, developed advocacy priorities related to the development of the Wisconsin State Biennial Budget for 2023-2025.
Sustaining fiscal strength is necessary for the vitality of our schools and community. We ask Wisconsin state lawmakers to consider funding and policy decisions that will support MTSD schools.
We ask our state lawmakers to:
1. Increase the current funding for public school students in the form of per-pupil, categorical aid in the amount of $908 per pupil for 2023-24 and in the amount of $658 per pupil for 2024-25.
With increased categorical aid schools can:
- Provide appropriate employee compensation. Our educators are our most valuable asset in achieving our mission and vision. We project the need for an additional $5.4 million over the next two years to fully fund our strategic compensation system and increase hourly wages for all school district staff.
- Maintain comprehensive school programming, including support for students’ mental health. Education must address every facet of a child’s being, and the need for public schools to support students’ health and well-being is more important now than ever before. High inflation and increased costs for contracted services will impact our students’ learning environments and programming, all while our students’ needs continue to grow.
2023-24 and 2024-25 Inflation Rates Included Are Projections
2. Reimburse school districts for 100% of special education costs to support the success of all students.
In MTSD, each student is valued, will learn, and will experience success. Public schools are currently reimbursed for only 27.5% of special education costs, creating a sizable deficit. In MTSD, this results in annual spending of $4.8 million dollars from the general education fund to support the required services provided to students receiving special education programming.
2023-24 and 2024-25 Depicts No Change to State Support
Cold Weather Brings Increase in Respiratory Illnesses
As we enter the cold weather season and begin to see an increase in respiratory viruses including RSV, influenza, and COVID-19, it is important to monitor your children for symptoms and keep students home from school when they are sick.
Students should not come to school if they have:
A temperature of 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
Nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea - Students should not return to school until 24 hours after the last time they vomited or had diarrhea.
Rash - DO NOT send a child with a rash to school until they have been seen by a physician (documentation must be provided to school). If your child has an undiagnosed rash at school, you will be notified to pick them up, and they may not return to school until rash is resolved or a physician’s clearance is provided to the school.
Eye drainage - May indicate conjunctivitis (pink eye), a common infectious disease of the eye. It is caused by both bacteria and viruses. Students will be excluded from school when thick drainage is seen and may not return to school until a physician’s note is provided to the school.
Mild cold/cough symptoms - If there is no fever and the child feels well enough to attend school, school is fine. If the cough is frequent, productive, or 'bark-like,' please keep your child home.
As a reminder, COVID-19 testing is available at Homestead High School on Monday-Friday (excluding No School days) from 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. To find out more about where to obtain a COVID-19 or influenza vaccine, please visit https://www.vaccines.gov/.
If a child becomes ill at school, he or she should notify their teacher and get permission to come to the health office. To notify your child's school that they are staying home sick or will be absent for any other reason, please follow your school's regular daily attendance procedures.
Please feel free to contact MTSD District Nurse, Kira Testin, RN at ktestin@mtsd.k12.wi.us with any health-related questions you may have. Thank you for doing your part to keep our school community healthy!
Reminder: Update Your Emergency Contact Information in Infinite Campus
It's time to get ready for inclement weather during the upcoming winter season. Please take a moment to verify and update your emergency contact information in Infinite Campus. If you do not review your information and communication preferences in Infinite Campus, we cannot ensure that you will receive emergency notifications from the district. This is the ONLY way we are able to notify all of our families of delays, closings, or emergencies in a timely and efficient manner.
Notice of ACCESS Testing for ELL Students
ACCESS testing for our English language learners will begin on Thursday, December 1. This is a state-mandated test that ELL students participate in each year. The ACCESS test is a four-part test that measures English proficiency in listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Educators use ACCESS results to make decisions about students' proficiency with English in academic contexts and to facilitate their language development. Students' scores reflect proficiency levels ranging from Level 1 (Entering) to Level 6 (Reaching).
Test scores can be used:
For accountability purposes
As benchmarks against which educators can measure future performance
As a measure to make reclassification decisions about whether a student can exit English language support services
To support decisions about placing students into appropriate classes or groups for instruction, instructional planning
To show the progress students have made
If you have any questions about ACCESS testing, please contact MTSD ELL Specialists:
Nikki Johnson (Elementary): njohnson1@mtsd.k12.wi.us
Jared Kubokawa (Secondary): jkubokawa@mtsd.k12.wi.us
M-T Recreation Department News
Winter/Spring Activity Guide
This guide highlights all the winter and spring sports, activities and classes for youth, families and adults. You will also find information on before and after school care with our Kids' Campus and 4K Wrap Care. A physical copy of the winter/spring brochure will hit all M-T resident mailboxes on or about December 1.
Board Briefs
The Mequon-Thiensville Board of Education convened in Closed Session and held one working meeting this month and one regular business meeting this month. Policy and Legislative Committee meetings were held in the Egelhoff Conference Room on Wednesday, November 9 with another meeting of each committee scheduled for Wednesday, November 23.
November 7 Closed Session
The Board of Education convened into Closed Session pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(g) for the purpose of conferring with legal counsel for the governmental body who is rendering oral or written advice concerning strategy to be adopted by the body with respect to litigation in which it is or is likely to become involved (Gierl records litigation).
November 7 Working Meeting (Non-Hybrid)
Dr. Joynt provided an overview of the Annual MTSD Programs Report, which highlights data points related to MTSD’s special education, AVID, Talented, Advanced, & Gifted (TAG), Academic & Career Planning (ACP), and English Language Learner (ELL) programming.
Mr. Kevin Deering, Executive Director of Educational Services, provided an overview of course revisions and proposals for the 2023-2024 school year.
November 21 Regular Business Meeting
The Board heard a SOAR report from co-presidents of the Lake Shore PTO
Dr. Joynt presented the Superintendent’s Report
The Board approved course proposals and revisions for the 2023-2024 school year as presented by Kevin Deering, Executive Director of Educational Services
The Board approved Board Legislative Platform Topics as Presented by the Board of Education Legislative Committee
The Board heard a presentation on the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan Update from the District Director’s team and engaged in subsequent discussion
The Board heard a first reading of policies #5900 - Whole-Grade Acceleration Grades 2-8 and #8520 - Allergy Management
Policy Committee Meeting
Policies discussed included: #5900 - Whole-Grade Acceleration Grades 2-8 and #5330.02 - Communicable Diseases/Life-Threatening Allergies
Legislative Committee Meeting
Topics discussed included: 3000 - Social-Emotional Learning and Support, 1000 - District and School Accountability, and 0002 - Public School Funding
As a reminder, all Board of Education meeting agendas and video recordings of past meetings can be found on the MTSD Board of Education website.
Register for the Board of Education Informational Session
Employment Opportunities
Like many organizations both locally and nationally, the Mequon-Thiensville School District and some of our contracted services providers are experiencing challenges related to staffing shortages. Please take a moment to review the employment opportunities below and spread the word about working at MTSD!
Bus Drivers
Access to consistent and timely bus transportation is extremely important to the success of our student academics, athletics, and co-curricular activities. Please help to minimize transportation disruptions for our students and consider applying to become a bus driver for MTSD and GO Riteway. Spread the word about how important this career is to our entire school community!
Substitute Teachers
Everyone knows a teacher or someone who loves children. Do you love working with kids? Become a Substitute Teacher and start making a difference in the lives of children! Teachers On Call is a substitute staffing company specializing in recruiting and retaining qualified staff who are willing to step into a classroom with minimal direction. There are many opportunities to sub at the schools in our district.
Recreation Department and Paraprofessional Opportunities
Featured Support Staff Opportunities:
Elementary School Administrative Assistant - Wilson Elementary School
Facility Coordinator - Wilson Elementary School
High School Student Supervisor - Homestead High School
Certified Staff Opportunities:
Connect With Us! 💻
Throughout the school year, be sure to check out the great things going on at your school building by following your school's page on Facebook, as well as the MTSD Facebook page, the District Twitter, and by finding us on LinkedIn.
Please note: The accounts linked above are the only official social media presence managed and moderated with support from MTSD Communications.
Important Dates 🗓️
NO SCHOOL - Comp Day
Wednesday, November 23
NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break
Thursday, November 24 & Friday, November 25
NO SCHOOL - Staff Inservice
Monday, November 28
Board of Education Informational Session
Monday, November 28 from 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Egelhoff Community Room, 5000 W. Mequon Rd.
Click here to register for the event
Board of Education - Working Meeting
Monday, December 5 @ 6:00 p.m.
Range Line Community Center
Ozaukee Youth Apprenticeship (OYA) Info. Night
Wednesday, December 7 @ 5:30 p.m.
Port Washington High School - Performing Arts Center
Board of Education - Office Hours
Wednesday, December 14 @ 11 a.m.
Egelhoff Community Room, 5000 W. Mequon Rd.
Board of Education - Regular Business Meeting
Monday, December 19 @ 7:00 p.m.
Range Line Community Center