To read more posts regarding Academic Failures: Sheboygan Area School District, click here.

**Lack of Transparency**

One of the key issues plaguing the SASD is its lack of transparency and accountability. The established state report card ranked the SASD in the bottom 9% of all school districts. Instead of addressing and reversing these poor academic trends, the district decided to create its own Career and College Readiness (CCR) Report Card. Parents and taxpayers want to know why they changed? And how does this improve academic achievement and readiness for the work world? The SASD has stonewalled in answering the key question: Why is the SASD hiding the CCR Report Card Data?

Superintendent Harvatine recently responded to the email of a concerned stakeholder by comparing the SASD high schools to Green Bay’s high schools, calling it an “apples to apples” comparison. As pointed out in our previous message, this comparison was both inaccurate and laced with misinformation. And when SASD Board President Mary Lynne Donohue receives emails from concerned parents, she simply defers to the superintendent. Why is she, an elected official, not responding to her stakeholders directly?

**Poor Student Achievement (Return on Investment)**

The SASD is in the bottom 9% of all Wisconsin school districts. And it is NOT improving. State report card ratings reveal that 91% of SASD high school students attend schools that meet few or fail to meet expectations. The majority of students that attend South, North, and Central High Schools are basic or below basic in Reading, Writing and Math! For a city that not long ago touted its schools as a reason for young families to move here, this is both appalling and unacceptable!

When Superintendent Harvatine directed a stakeholder to compare SASD high schools with Green Bay, the data revealed that all Green Bay High Schools perform better than South and Central. Three of the four Green Bay high schools perform better than North! In a self-proclaimed “apples to apples” comparison, SASD underperforms Green Bay high schools.

But it gets worse! Comparing South, North and Central to Milwaukee Public High schools is even more alarming. The majority of MPS high schools outperform South and Central. SASD high schools are worse than MPS high schools.

The SASD receives $159 million annually, predominantly from taxpayers’ pockets. Average spending at SASD high schools is over $13,000 per student; yet student achievement remains abysmal. The district’s focus on lowering taxes while neglecting academic improvement raises concerns about its priorities. Taxpayers and parents rightly demand that the SASD change course and use their money more effectively to give children the education they deserve.

**Damaged Trust in the Community**

The SASD’s lack of transparency and poor academic results have severely damaged trust within the community. Stakeholders feel frustrated, disappointed, and unheard. The current school board and school board president are incapable of correcting this concern. Though they are elected to serve the taxpayers, they simply refuse to reply to emails from stakeholders. Is it any wonder why they have lost the trust of this community? They are unfit for public office!

**Demanding Accountability and Change**

As concerned stakeholders, it is our responsibility to demand answers and accountability from the SASD. We must unite as a community, voice our frustrations, and urge the SASD to implement a more effective academic system and a way to see clear results. The SASD must prioritize student achievement, provide transparent and accurate measurement tools, and demonstrate a commitment to restoring trust within the community.

The time for you to act is now!

You are the solution! Be part of a movement to improve your community!

• Website: TakeBackSheboyganCounty.com
• Twitter: TBSheboyganCo 
• Instagram: TBSheboyganCo 
• Private Facebook Group: Take Back Our Schools

To read more posts regarding Academic Failures: Sheboygan Area School District, click here.

Wisconsin’s public schools heavily rely on taxpayer funding, with the state and federal governments sharing the financial burden. The large majority of funding comes from residents in the state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s funding system aims to ensure equal opportunities for all districts, bridging the gap between those with higher and lower property values. The Sheboygan Area School District (SASD), classified as a lower property value district, receives the majority of funding from the state.

**The Cost and Funding Breakdown**

$159 million was allocated to the SASD for the 2022-2023 school year. This funding primarily stems from taxpayers’ pockets. Taxpayers living in the SASD paid $24.9 million, while Wisconsin residents not in the SASD paid $87 million to the SASD. The rest of the funding came from the federal government. The point is: If you live in Sheboygan County but are outside the SASD, you are funding the SASD!

**Academic Performance and Unmet Expectations**

Despite substantial financial resources, the academic performance of the SASD’s high schools remains deeply concerning. Per-pupil spending reveals that the district invests:

• Central High School: $14,124 per student
• South High School: $13,228 per student
• North High School: $12,782 per student

State Report Card Data:

• Central High: 27.4 (Fails to meet expectations)
• South High: 41.2 (Fails to meet expectations)
• North High: 56.3 (Meets few expectations)

The majority of students at these three high schools are basic or below basic in Reading, Writing and Math!

**A Broken Promise of Returns**

As taxpayers, we invest in our local school district with the expectation of a meaningful return. We anticipate that children will graduate from the SASD equipped to contribute to society.

Yet, the current reality falls far short of this promise.

 Is the $24.9 million paid by property taxpayers within the SASD or the $87 million contributed by state residents truly producing an acceptable return on investment? Student achievement results shows otherwise!

**Misguided Priorities and Fiscal Deception**

SASD leadership is playing a game of deception. Instead of increasing academic scores and our return on investment, their focus has been on lowering taxes over the last two years. Here is why! SASD leadership is preparing to sell you on a referendum to build two new middle schools, estimated to cost $150 million!  

Soon, you will hear the SASD pitch: We lowered taxes over the past two years. If you support this referendum, your taxes will not go up that much! In other words, the lowering of taxes was done to sell you on supporting a massive referendum to build two new middle schools!

**A Call for Accountability**

The issue at hand centers on the dire need for the SASD to be held accountable for the money entrusted to them. Before pouring more funds into a referendum, it is our duty to question whether the district can deliver a return on investment to taxpayers. As taxpayers, we demand results in student achievement and a return on our investment in the form of student achievement!

The SASD’s inability to fulfill its promises is a cause for justified anger. Spending $159 million annually, coupled with appalling academic outcomes at the high school level, highlights a broken system. As concerned citizens, we deserve better. We demand accountability and a radical shift in the SASD’s priorities.

If the SASD focused as much on Reading, Writing and Math as it does on pushing an LGBTQ-laced human growth and development curriculum, student achievement would sky-rocket! The time to act is now!

**Questions for SASD Leadership:**

• Will the SASD use the lowering of taxes the past two years to sell us on supporting a massive referendum to build two new middle schools?
• How does the lack of academic achievement prepare graduates to add value to our community and economy?
• Why should I continue sending my kids/grandkids to the SASD which is failing to prepare them?
• Why should I continue investing in the SASD with this lack of return on my investment?

SASD Leadership:

Seth Harvatine-Superintendent 

Email: sharvatine@sasd.net

Jake Konrath-Internal Incoming Superintendent

Email: jkonrath@sasd.net

SASD School Board Members:

In order for board members to respond, you must email them one at a time. If you send an email to all board members, they cannot respond independently.

Mary Lynne Donohue-President-  mldonohue@sasd.net

Santino Laster-Vice President- slaster@sasd.net

Kay Robbins-Secretary-  krobbins@sasd.net

Susan Hein- shein@sasd.net

Ryan Burg- rburg@sasd.net

Mark Mancl- mmancl@sasd.net

Sarah Ruiz-Harrison- sruizharrison@sasd.net

Rebecca Versey- rversey@sasd.net

Heidi Boehmer- hboehmer@sasd.net

Sources for this message:

Report Card Data from DPI website: https://apps2.dpi.wi.gov/reportcards/home

Per-Pupil Expenditure data from Wisconsin WiseDash Portal: https://wisedash.dpi.wi.gov/Dashboard/dashboard/22275

SASD Budget Information: https://www.sheboygan.k12.wi.us/perch/resources/sasd-2022-23-budget-presentation.pdf

To read more posts regarding Academic Failures: Sheboygan Area School District, click here.

Over the last 2 weeks, many members of our large and growing Facebook group, TakeBackOurSchools, have reached out to SASD leadership with questions about the poor performance of the SASD High Schools. Superintendent Seth Harvatine has responded but failed to answer! Just as a reminder, 91% of all SASD high school students attend a high school that meets few or fails to meet expectations based on the State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Accountability Report Cards.

In multiple communications, Superintendent Harvatine has stated the following:

“When trying to compare apples to apples (accounting for the percent of economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and multilingual learners), the Green Bay School District is the closest comparison to the SASD in the state, and we perform favorably in comparison to them.”

So, let’s look at the actual data comparison between the SASD and Green Bay School District, which can be found in the attached images.

The data clearly illustrates that South, North and Central High Schools do not compare favorably to Green Bay high schools. All four Green Bay High Schools are rated higher than South and Central High Schools in Sheboygan. Three of the four Green Bay High Schools are rated higher than North High School in Sheboygan.

Economic hardships, disabilities, and multilingual needs are challenges that every district across the state faces. Yet, most districts have higher accountability scores than South, North and Central, including Green Bay high schools, even if Superintendent Harvatine states otherwise!

SASD High Schools Fare Worse Than Milwaukee High Schools

When we examined the data of the three largest SASD high schools in comparison to Milwaukee Public School (MPS) High Schools, the data was alarming.

MPS has 20 high schools that have DPI Report Card Scores. Here are where the SASD high schools would rank in MPS with DPI Report Card Scores

• Sheboygan North HS – Would be 5th best high school out of 20 in MPS
• Sheboygan South HS – Would be 13th best high school out of 20 in MPS
• Sheboygan Central HS – Would be 17th best high school out of 20 in MPS

Sheboygan South High School scores worse than over half of the MPS high schools!

Sheboygan Central only scores better than 4 MPS high schools!

SASD high schools are performing at incredibly low numbers. When MPS high schools are outperforming SASD high schools, there needs to be concern. The SASD School Board is complicit in this lack of student achievement and return on investment to taxpayers. If they know how poorly our high schools score, why are they not outraged and taking steps to bring significant change and improvement? School Board President Mary Lynn Donohue responds to stakeholders by simply deflecting questions to Superintendent Harvatine.

Call to Action:

It is time to contact each of the SASD School Board members independently and demand answers to these questions:

• Do you support the current direction of the SASD?
• How can you hire an internal superintendent candidate when SASD high schools underperform Milwaukee Public Schools high schools?
• How can you support Superintendent Harvatine when he spreads misinformation to stakeholders by stating that SASD high schools compare favorably to Green Bay District high schools?
• When will the Career and College Readiness (CCR) data be released to the public? Why does the SASD hide by keeping their accountability data from the public?

Please email each SASD School Board separately!

Mary Lynne Donohue-President- mldonohue@sasd.net

Santino Laster-Vice President- slaster@sasd.net

Kay Robbins-Secretary- krobbins@sasd.net

Susan Hein- shein@sasd.net

Ryan Burg- rburg@sasd.net

Mark Mancl- mmancl@sasd.net

Sarah Ruiz-Harrison- sruizharrison@sasd.net

Rebecca Versey- rversey@sasd.net

Heidi Boehmer- hboehmer@sasd.net

All data was retrieved from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction School Report Cards for the 2021-22 school year and can be viewed here: https://apps2.dpi.wi.gov/reportcards/home

Final Action Step:

Select your favorite platforms, help us share the information, and join the conversation!

• Be sure to invite our community’s like-minded members: Take Back Our Schools | Facebook
• Share our website: takebacksheboygancounty.com
• Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBSheboyganCo
• Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tbsheboyganco/

To read more posts regarding Academic Failures: Sheboygan Area School District, click here.

Many of you have contacted the SASD regarding concerns about results in student achievement. Currently, 91% of high school students in the SASD attend a high school that meets few or fails to meet expectations. Most students that attend South High School, North High School, and Central High School are basic or below basic in reading, writing, and Math. Seth Harvatine responded that the SASD utilizes a long-range plan to address these concerns.

In examining the long-range strategic plan, there are even more reasons to be concerned. The Sheboygan Area School District (SASD) has left many of us frustrated and deeply disappointed with their strategic planning and accountability approach. It’s incredibly concerning that the SASD has chosen to use its own accountability tool, the Career and College Readiness (CCR) Report Card, instead of the established state report card. This decision only creates confusion and raises doubts about their commitment to transparency and consistency.

What adds to the frustration is the SASD’s lack of transparency regarding the CCR data. Where is this data published? Despite claiming to value stakeholder engagement and a “we mentality,” they fall short of delivering on those promises by withholding crucial information about student performance and college readiness. What are they hiding?

Furthermore, the first goal of the SASD’s strategic plan is to ensure that all students are engaged in a rigorous and relevant curriculum. What does this mean? The lack of clarity and a way to measure if the goal is met does little to instill confidence in the SASD.

Additionally, the SASD’s decision to use their own CCR report card as an accountability tool raises legitimate concerns about the validity and effectiveness of their continuous improvement efforts. Not using the same standardized measurement tools as other districts in the state makes it impossible to track progress accurately and evaluate their performance in a meaningful way.

As concerned stakeholders, it’s crucial that we demand answers and accountability from the SASD. We have the right to know how our students perform and how our tax dollars are utilized. Let’s unite as a community to express our frustrations and call for transparency. By voicing our concerns, we can push the SASD to reassess their approach and work towards a more effective and accountable system that truly serves the best interests of our students.

Here are several questions you can send directly to SASD Superintendent Seth Harvatine at sharvatine@sasd.net:

• Why is the Career and College Readiness (CCR) Report Card data not available to the public?
• How can the SASD be trusted to measure accountability when the measurement tool is hidden from the public?
• When will the SASD release to the public all the CCR data from the start of implementation to now for South, North and Central High School?

On a related note, the SASD Board is responsible for governance, including hiring a superintendent. Recently, the Board decided to hire internally for that role. The School Board has an obligation to answer questions of stakeholders regarding governance.

Here are several questions you can send directly to SASD Board President Mary Lynn Donohue at mldonohue@sasd.net:

• Does the current school board support the direction of the SASD based on this strategic plan?
• Does the school board support the current levels of achievement at South, North and Central High Schools?
• What is the school board policy regarding the superintendent keeping the CCR data hidden from the public?

Is the SASD delivering a return on your investment (tax dollars) in terms of student achievement results and preparing kids for life after high school? You have a right to know how the SASD measures and holds itself accountable!

To read more posts regarding Academic Failures: Sheboygan Area School District, click here.

The Sheboygan Area School District (SASD) is not educating the children of Sheboygan. The district’s overall state report card is rated 385 out of 421 school districts in the state of Wisconsin. That places it in the bottom 9% in the state of Wisconsin.

This means that 91% of school districts in Wisconsin are doing better for their children than the SASD. When you look at the state report cards for the largest high schools in the SASD, it gets even worse:

• North High – 56.3 – Meets few expectations
• South High – 41.2 – Fails to meet expectations
• Central High – 27.4 – Fails to meet expectations

Here is the fact: 91% of all high school students in the SASD attend a high school that meets few expectations or fails to meet expectations.

In looking at student achievement data of these three high schools, there is great reason to be alarmed. Let’s look deeper.

Central High School

• 88% of students are below basic in English Language Arts
• 85% of students are below basic in Math
• 7-year cohort graduation rate – 94.7%

South High School

• 77% of students are basic or below basic in English Language Arts
• 77% of students are basic or below basic in Math
• 7-year cohort graduation rate – 91.5%

North High School

• 67% of students are basic or below basic in English Language Arts
• 61% of students are basic or below basic in Math
• 7-year cohort graduation rate – 92.7%

Think about this! The large majority of our high school students are basic or below basic in Reading, Writing, and Math! Yet, the overwhelming majority of students still graduate from the SASD!

How are so many students that are struggling in basic skills still graduating from the SASD? What is a diploma from the SASD really worth?

With these academic failures, one would think that the SASD would consider opening its recent superintendent search to candidates outside of the district. Instead, the SASD decided to promote an internal candidate to be the next superintendent.

If you are satisfied with these academic results, do nothing!

However, if you feel that the SASD has failed to deliver an acceptable return on your investment (taxes), the time is now for you to act!

Contact the SASD leadership:

• Demand answers on why your taxes yield this return on investment – academic failure!
• Ask why the SASD is letting down our kids by not preparing them to succeed after graduation!

Contact:

Mary Lynn Donohue – SASD Board President

Email: mldonohue@sasd.net

Seth Harvatine – SASD Superintendent

Email: sharvatine@sasd.net

**SASD data is from the 2022 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Report Card.