School District of Howards Grove
Parent & Guardian Newsletter February 2024
Update from the Superintendent
Dear Parents & Guardians:
This past October at our Annual Meeting & Budget Hearing, we delivered a presentation to the Board and Community detailing a significant operating budget deficit for the district. This information was shared with all parents and guardians in two follow up newsletters in October and again in November. I have linked access to each of those communications for your reference. Before I explain this further, please know that this has nothing to do with the referendum budget which tax payers approved in November of 2022 for a new Middle School and other building projects at the High School and Northview. The budget deficit we are referring to is the money needed to operate the day to day expenses for the district. For those of you that watch the news or read the newspaper, you will see that we are not alone in our budget crisis. School Districts across the state are being forced to make very difficult decisions causing some districts to close schools, while others are forced to make staffing and program cuts to balance the budget.
School funding is extremely complicated to explain, but the bottom line is that we are simply not properly funded by the state to keep our current staffing levels. Many districts are going to the taxpayers for additional funds to run their districts by asking for an operational referendum. Due to the tax impact we've already placed on our residents with the building referendum in 2022, the Howards Grove Board of Education was not comfortable asking the community for more tax dollars to help us operate the district. As a result, the District needs to cut our expenditures (our spending) by an estimate of $800,000. While this is a much smaller amount than some other districts, it still has a great impact on a district of our size.
The goal with our preliminary reductions was to find ways that have the LEAST amount of impact on students, class size, and the programs we offer. While no cuts or reductions are desirable, we wanted to ensure the level of education along with desirable class sizes, and the variety of courses we offer was minimally impacted.
As the superintendent, I am responsible to work with my team to present a balanced budget to the Board by the next Annual Meeting & Budget Hearing in October of 2024. This means cuts needed to be made immediately whenever possible and even more cuts as we move into the 2024-2025 school year.
Over the past several months we have thoroughly reviewed the district budget and examined all of our expenses. Detailed below, you will find the preliminary budget reductions we will be making to attempt to balance our budget and not bankrupt the district.
The following action was taken immediately and is already in place to reduce our spending:
Eliminate Director of Buildings & Grounds Position
Eliminate of the combined SpEd Director & Athletic Director Position
Reduce Bookkeeper Position
Reduce hours in maintenance/grounds
Eliminate Summer School Principal Position
Waive School Board Salary
Reduce Nursing hours
eFunds charge to families for using credit cards
NOTES: The responsibilities of the position eliminations listed above are currently distributed to our remaining administrative staff to ensure all work expectations are covered and supported properly.
TOTAL ESTIMATED SAVINGS: $320,000
Moving Into the 2024-2025 School Year:
Position & Program Eliminations:
School Social Worker Position
Library Media Specialist Position
Assistant Track Coach (attrition)
Lunchroom Supervisor at the MS (attrition)
4 paraprofessional positions (goal with attrition)
Student Family Assistance Program
NOTES: The district still employs 3 full-time counselors and 3 full-time principals to help support the social emotional needs of our students impacted by the loss of the school social worker.
The district has 3 full-time library media paraprofessionals to keep our libraries open in all 3 schools every single day to ensure our students have access to books and library services.
TOTAL ESTIMATED SAVINGS: $280,000
Position Reductions:
Reduce MS/HS music FTE due to enrollment
Reduce early childhood FTE due to enrollment
NOTES: All services that are currently offered in music and early childhood will continue to be offered. Due to declining enrollment, the district simply needs less staffing in these areas. Programming that students receive will NOT be impacted.
TOTAL ESTIMATED SAVINGS: $72,000
Eliminate the following employee reimbursements & stipends:
Remove stipend for Cash in lieu of health insurance
Remove stipend for Building Leadership Team
Remove stipend for National Board Certification
Remove stipend for District Assessment Coordinator
TOTAL ESTIMATED SAVINGS: $97,000
Additional Reductions
Switch from Frontline to Baird for financial software
Reduce previously budgeted line item for athletic uniforms
Switch insurance brokers with a dedicated commitment to wellness with the goal to reduce insurance costs
Implement PaperCut to reduce copy costs
TOTAL ESTIMATED SAVINGS: $34,000
GRAND TOTAL Reductions: $803,000
Please know these decisions are not easy and greatly impact our school climate and culture. My heart goes out to all of our staff, as this impacts each one of us.
For further questions regarding the district budget and our budget reductions, feel free to reach out.
Shannon Kilton
(920) 565-5462
NO SCHOOL Reminder
Primary School Board Election
Just a reminder, The School District of Howards Grove will be holding a primary election for two school board seats on Tuesday, February 20th to narrow the declared candidate field from 6 candidates to 4 candidates. The general election is then held on Tuesday, April 2nd, to select 2 final candidates to serve on the School Board.
In case you missed the previous communication and would like a summary of each candidate.....please CLICK HERE to read a bio prepared by each candidate.
Building Projects Update
Middle School: C.D. Smith Construction is planning to mobilize this April and begin earthwork operations for the new Middle School addition. Construction of the addition is planned to run through June of 2025
High School: Construction of the new High School addition is planned to begin this June and run through the end of October of 2024. Once the new addition is complete, C.D. Smith will begin renovations of the existing district offices. Miscellaneous interior renovations to the library and music rooms will occur between the summer of 2024 and 2025, with all work being completed prior to the 2025/2026 school year. Exterior window replacement is planned to take place over the summer of 2024.
Northview Elementary School: All work will take place over the summer of 2025.
Exterior Athletic Improvements: Athletic field improvements will mobilize in April of 2024, with Track and Tennis Courts complete and ready for competition fall of 2024. The remainder of the fields will be seeded by November of 2024 with the goal of being competition-ready for the fall of 2025.
The architects and construction team will be in attendance at the February 19th Board Meeting to give a more thorough update.
School News
Here is a one stop spot to get updates from the district and all 3 schools.
Enjoy!
Summer School Announcement
Summer School information and registration forms will be available online starting March 1st on the district website (www.hgtigers.org). You can find the link in the top right hand corner labeled Summer School 2024. If there are any questions, please contact Angie Houston, Summer School Principal: (920) 565-4452 or ahouston@hgsd.k12.wi.us
March 1 – All summer school course descriptions and schedules available online. Families may begin browsing and planning your child(ren)’s schedule
March 11 – Summer school registration opens online
March 22 – Registration closes
April 1 – Fees for classes will be posted to the student's account
April 15 – All fees need to be paid
Session 1-June 10 – June 28: Summer School classes will be held Monday – Friday 8 am - 12 pm unless otherwise indicated
Session 2-July 29 – August 9: Summer School classes will be held Monday – Friday 8 am - 12 pm unless otherwise indicated
Middle School Summer Musical
Zombies! The Musical!
June 10th-June 28
12:30-3:30 PM
Northview Summer Musical
Cookies! The Musical
July 10-July 26
9 AM to Noon
PTO News
Thank You!
Family Food Night: Thank you to everyone who joined us at our two February Family Food Nights at the Log Cabin and Knockouts! We appreciate your support of not only the PTO, but of our local businesses as well.
PJs, Pancakes, & Books: Thank you to all who donned their PJs and joined us for an exciting evening of reading, face painting, and eating a yummy pancake dinner. We had a great turnout and even had a surprise visit from Pete the Cat and the Cat in the Hat!
Save the Date
Monday, March 4, 2024: Stop by our next Family Food Night at Log Cabin, where 10% of all sales will be donated back to the PTO for ongoing student programming. Join us for great food and another easy night of meal prep!
Monday, March 11, 2024: Join us for our monthly PTO Meeting at 5:00pm in the Northview Library. Everyone is welcome! Free babysitting is provided if requested within 72 hours of the meeting. Please contact hgpto@yahoo.com for more information.
March 2024: Family Food Night. More details coming soon!
Friday, March 15, 2024: Have you “Herd” the good news?! Family Night with the Wisconsin Herd is back on March 15 at 7:00pm, where a portion of all ticket sales will be donated back to the PTO. Here’s what you can expect:
- Special reserved section just for Howards Grove families.
- All children from Howards Grove will be invited to participate in the Jockey High Five Tunnel!
- All families will be invited onto the court post-game for a group photo and will have an opportunity to shoot free throws!
- Five children will be randomly selected to serve as Co-Captains for the game!
Grab your tickets here: https://fevo-enterprise.com/Howardsgrove
Update from Nurse Lydia
February is National Children's Dental Health Month! It's a great time to increase awareness of pediatric dental hygiene and find out how you can best support your child's dental care. Unfortunately, tooth decay remains the most common chronic childhood disease, but there are many ways to build a healthy oral hygiene routine to keep your child healthy now and for the rest of their lives.
Here are Nurse Lydia's top dental care tips for healthy gums and teeth:
Keeping up with daily oral care and visiting the dentist at least twice a year for an oral examination and professional cleanings are steps you can take towards a happier and healthier mouth! Setting the foundation for your child earlier in life will set your child up for success in the future. Most dental insurance plans cover two routine dental visits per year, but if you do not have dental insurance or are underinsured our community health clinics, such as Sheboygan's Lakeshore Community Health Care, is a fantastic resource.
This one we all know...brush teeth twice a day for two minutes and floss at least once per day. Angle the toothbrush at 45 degrees along the gum line to clean and massage the gums. Did you know that a healthy flossing routine may decrease your risk for heart disease, strokes, and rheumatoid arthritis?? There are a couple of theories why this may be the case, starting with the bacteria that causes gingivitis and periodontitis can travel in your blood vessels causing inflammation and damage else where in the body, including the heart.
Toothbrushes should be replaced every 3 to 4 months, as frayed bristles decrease their effectiveness. Get kids excited about their regular hygiene routine by letting them select their own toothbrushes and choose toothpaste that they like (even for the big kids!).
Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Crisp, raw vegetables and fruits not only have the fiber and nutrients to keep you healthy from the inside out, but they also act like nature's toothbrush, stimulating your gums, reducing cavity-causing bacteria, and gently removing plaque trapped between teeth.
Limit sugary foods and beverages, especially those sweetened snacks that are gummy and can get stuck between your teeth. If you don't have access to a toothbrush after enjoying some candy or a pop, try to swish water in your mouth and spit to remove at least some of the sugary residue.
We obviously know that smoking cigarettes is bad for our oral health but were you aware that vaping also has negative consequences to your teeth, gums, and oral microbiome, too?! Nicotine restricts blood flow to gums and the chemicals in vapes cause inflammation which contribute to periodontal disease. Read more about it here: Vaping and Oral Health from American Heart Association.
Did you know that the School District of Howards Grove offers a FREE on-campus preventative dental program that visits our district twice in a school year! They provide preventative dental sealants as needed, fluoride treatments, and important dental hygiene education for our students junior kindergarten through grade 12. If you are interested in your child receiving this service, please follow this link to the online consent form: WI Seal-A-Smile Consent Form. This permission is effective for two years to replace lost sealants when checked after one year or to have sealants applied on teeth that were not sealed this year. Reach out to Nurse Lydia with any questions LPomeroy@hgtigers.com