November 2024 District Newsletter

✨ Click the play button below to view a video message from Dr. Foeckler:

Dear Families,

As we welcome November, it has been inspiring to see students, staff, and families across our District embody the values outlined in our Focus Plan. I am thrilled to witness firsthand the supportive environment our dedicated staff creates in every building, making this an Exceptional Place to Learn, Work, and Engage!

Spotlight on Empowering Students

This month, I want to take a few moments to recognize the students in Ms. Jansen's High School AVID 12 class, as they shared how they are empowered "with the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and character necessary to thrive in an ever-changing, global society so that students are life, career, and college ready." Many thanks to Ms. Jansen, Joe, Abby, Liyu, and all of the AVID 12 students for sharing their experiences!

Join us for the Continuing the Conversation Event on December 4th

We invite you to engage with the District and community by attending the “Continuing the Conversation” event on December 4th. This event will take place in the Cumberland Great Room from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. We’ll be discussing the key themes from last year's community conversation, providing updates, and seeking your feedback on our progress. Your voice matters, and we hope you can join us to contribute to the future of our schools. CLICK HERE to RSVP today!

Moving Forward with Facilities Planning

We are excited to share that the School Board recently approved two co-chairs for the Facilities Advisory Committee. We are incredibly grateful for the interest and engagement of so many school community members during our facilities planning process. We look forward to engaging with many of you over the next several months through various Focus Groups and Community Presentations. Please stay tuned for updates and more ways to get involved!

Thank you all for your support and partnership in making the Whitefish Bay School District an Exceptional Place to Learn! Together, we continue to foster an “inclusive learning environment” where every student can grow and thrive.

Your Partner in Education,

Jamie

At the Regular Business Meeting on October 23rd, the School Board certified the 2024-25 tax levy. This certification is an adjustment to the levy approved at the Annual Meeting that was held on September 4th. Variations between the amount approved at the Annual Meeting and the amount certified by the Board in October are due to multiple factors including enrollment, state aid, and the statewide private school voucher program. The 2024-25 tax levy amount that was certified by the Board on October 23rd was $20,191,886, which equates to a tax levy rate (mill rate) of $5.92. The tax levy rate is an amount used to estimate the school tax bill for property owners for the upcoming year based on the total levy and property valuations. The $5.92 rate set for 2024-25 is a four cent decrease compared to the rate set in 2023-24, which was $5.96. This means that if a homeowner’s estimated fair market value remained the same from last year, they could expect to pay roughly the same amount in property taxes to the District in 2024-25. If a homeowner’s estimated fair market value increased, the amount they owe in property taxes will likely increase. However, any changes in a homeowner’s property tax bill will also be impacted by an increase in the school levy tax credit, which received a funding increase of 7% compared to last year.

"A district's revenue limit is the maximum amount of revenue that may be raised through state general aid and property tax for the General, Non-Referendum Debt and Capital Expansion Funds," according to the Department of Public Instruction. Each year, any increases to the revenue limit are determined by the state through the state budget process. Over the last decade, state funding has not kept pace with inflation making it challenging for public school districts to maintain programs and remain competitive in a challenging labor market. By state law, all public school districts must stay within the state imposed revenue limit each year.

The state provides funding for public schools primarily through state equalization aid. The property tax levy is determined by subtracting state equalization aid from the revenue limit.

The District is incredibly grateful for the 150+ community members who participated in the November 2023 Community Conversation. Since we last met in November 2023, District leaders have been compiling feedback and priorities identified at the Community Conversation. Please join us on Wednesday, December 4th for an update on the process and to share your feedback on the work that has been completed thus far. Additional information about the event can be found on our website.

In October 1998, a twenty-one-year-old student at the University of Wyoming was kidnapped, severely beaten, and left tied to a fence in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming. His bloody, bruised, and battered body was not discovered until the next day, and he died several days later in an area hospital. His name was Matthew Shepard, and he was the victim of this assault because he was gay.

Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project made six trips to Laramie over the course of a year and a half, in the aftermath of the beating and during the trial of the two young men accused of killing Shepard. They conducted more than 200 interviews with the people of the town. Some people interviewed were directly connected to the case, while others were citizens of Laramie, and the breadth of the reactions to the crime is fascinating. Kaufman and Tectonic Theater members have constructed a deeply moving theatrical experience from these interviews and their own experiences in Laramie.

The Laramie Project is a breathtaking collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable. Come join us for this deeply moving production.

Content Warning: Mature Themes, Content, and Language

When: 7:00 on November 8th & 9th & 2:00 on November 10th

Where: Whitefish Bay High School Auditorium

Tickets: $15 for Adults, $10 for Senior Citizens, & $5 for Students

The School District of Whitefish Bay is hiring a Custodian III - Night Supervisor! This position assists in providing safe and welcoming school spaces for students, staff members, families, and community members.

The successful candidate must be available to work second shift (2:30-11:00 p.m.), Monday through Friday. During the summer and select non-school days (winter break, spring break, etc.), this position may be assigned first shift hours. The District will provide training and equipment.

If you are interested in learning more about this amazing opportunity to serve the students, staff members, families, and community members of Whitefish Bay, please contact Brian Chase, Director of Buildings and Grounds and Safety, at (414) 963-3926 or brian.chase@wfbschools.com. Ready to apply? Click here to submit your application!

The School District of Whitefish Bay shared the ACT, Pre-ACT, and Forward Exam scores from the 2023-2024 school year which had been recently released by the Department of Public Instruction.

On September 15th the Community Garden hosted its Annual Garden Harvest Appreciation Open House. The event is a celebration of all the staff, garden sponsors, donors, and volunteers that work hard to make the community garden an excellent place to engage. The 2024 growing season raised almost $4,000 dollars in sponsorships and donations. This year we had many firsts:

• The garden was part of the Whitefish Bay Garden Walk
• Potatoes were planted for the first time
• Funds to get a new garden sign

Volunteers put in over 400 hours of time planting, harvesting, maintaining, and garden clean up, and it showed. Thank you to the generosity of our community and local businesses, we look forward to another year of growth, partnership and produce!

Come hear about each one of our school’s continuous improvement efforts at each of the Annual School Reports. All School Reports will take place at the High School LMC at 7PM.

Each of our schools has developed and refined a school improvement plan aimed at ensuring an aligned and collective commitment around all students' learning and growing in a supportive and caring environment.

• Cumberland, November 13, 2024
• Whitefish Bay Middle School, December 11, 2024
  
• Richards, January 8, 2025
• Whitefish Bay High School, February 12, 2025

The Whitefish Bay School District prioritizes both social-emotional learning (SEL) and mental health for both students and staff. Recent data from the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that a significant number of Wisconsin students are struggling with mental health issues. Here are some key findings:

• 59% of high school students in Wisconsin reported experiencing at least one mental health challenge in the past year.

• 51.6% of high school students in Wisconsin reported experiencing anxiety.

• 35% of high school students in Wisconsin reported experiencing depression.

• 20.9% of high school students in Wisconsin reported non-suicidal self-harm.

It's important to note that these are just a snapshot of the situation, and the actual number of students dealing with mental health issues may be even higher. In response to students' social emotional and mental health needs, Whitefish Bay School District implements research based universal instruction to all students along with targeted interventions as well as a collaboration with the North Shore Center to provide direct services to students in the school setting. For additional information related to Community Based Mental Health please access the following webpage: Community Based Mental Health.

The WFB Public Education Foundation’s 2024 Annual Fall Pledge Drive kicked off on October 9th! The Foundation provides immediate support to Whitefish Bay Schools and helps fund innovative educational projects, continuing teacher education, student scholarships and provides emergency funding.

Your donations are vital to the District’s long-term growth and success. With your support, we can help ensure continued academic, artistic and athletic excellence.

The campaign takes place October 9 – December 31. Show your support for our students and our schools by donating at www.educatethebay.com TODAY!

The School Board and School District invite you to attend School Board Meetings. Board meetings begin at 7PM in the High School Library Media Center, unless noted otherwise.

• November 13 -- Regular Business Meeting
• November 20 -- Business & Committee Meetings

Subject to change. Please view BoardDocs for up to date meeting notices and agendas.

Curious about what is discussed at School Board Meetings? Linked below, you'll find key takeaways from the most recent School Board Meetings. Additional information can be found in BoardDocs.

• October 9 Regular Business Meeting
• October 23 Business & Committee Meetings

Cumberland second graders focus on building community in the classroom by playing "get to know you" games! See more photos.

Richards Family Fun Night and Book Fair was a success! See more photos.

The Middle School Aviation Club held a paper airplane competition. Competitors had fifteen minutes to create a paper airplane and then competed first by grade, and then against the grade winners! See more photos.

Students and staff celebrated Homecoming with a week of activities including dress up days, food truck lunch, a rock wall, Homecoming parade, Best of Bay, the Homecoming dance, and more! Shout out to the Blue Crew for making it all happen! See more photos.

Activities Newsletters are shared throughout the school year on the High School's website. Check back frequently to stay up to date with athletics and activities! Read More.

Do you have good news to share with the school district? We would love to hear from you.

Email: districtnews@wfbschools.com
Website: https://www.wfbschools.com/
Location: 1200 East Fairmount Avenue
Phone: 414-963-3921
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WFBSchools/