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Neenah Joint School District Newsletter - November 2022
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Board of Education Approves Sale of Roosevelt and Jacobsen Properties
Roosevelt will be closing following the 2022-23 school year with students attending the newly-created Horace Mann Elementary School. Alliance Charter School, which currently occupies the Roosevelt building, will relocate into Wilson Elementary with Wilson students also moving to Horace Mann. The agreement is to sell the property to John Bergstrom, who provided the only offer without contingencies and the only cash offer among four interested purchasers.
The property on Jacobsen Road was purchased over 50 years ago with the possibility of eventually building an elementary school on the west side of the District. The $460,000 sale price was a $10,000 increase from the initial offer on the parcel.
Mill Rate Sees $0.67 Drop; Now Lower Than 2019-20 Mark
Neenah Joint School District residents will see their tax mill rate drop 67 cents for the upcoming year after the Board of Education approved its 2022-23 budget at its Nov. 1 meeting. The mill rate will be $6.82 per $1,000 of property value after being $7.49 last year.
The District will still tax the maximum amount allowed under state law and collect the same amount in local property tax revenues as last year. However, the burden on local taxpayers has reduced due to four main factors: no allowable increase in the revenue limit, increased local property values, increased state aid, and the infusion of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. The mill rate is actually lower than in 2019-20 when it was $6.86, which was prior to the passing of the $114.9 million referendum in April 2020.
Spring Road Wins Fox Cities Marathon Prize
Spring Road Elementary won the Fox Cities Marathon School Challenge for medium sized schools for the number of students it had participate in the Fox Cities 5K event in September. The school received $750 that will be used towards additional health and wellness activities at the school.
Coolidge Collects Treats for the Needy
Coolidge Elementary students donned Halloween costumes and, instead of candy, collected donated food items from their neighbors for the St. Joseph Food Pantry in their annual trick-or-treat for the needy event. The Coolidge neighbors contributed 2,867 pounds of food - an all-time high for the event.
Debate Students Win National Service Award
Alliance Charter School to Offer 4K and Sixth Grade in 2023-24
Alliance Charter Elementary School will expand for the 2023-24 school year and will offer four-year-old kindergarten and sixth grade options for the first time.
The school will relocate into the existing Wilson Elementary School in the fall of 2023 to accommodate the additional students. Currently, Alliance hosts one class at each grade level at Roosevelt Elementary School. Beginning next fall, the school plans to have two classes of 4K and then gradually expand each grade level to two sections of classes as those students progress through the school.
The 4K application window will open Nov. 28 and remain open until Feb. 17 at 3 p.m. The application will be available on the Alliance website, beginning on Nov. 28. If there are too many requests for the available spaces, a lottery system will be used that is identical to the system currently in place for 5K enrollment. Enrollment will not be confirmed until after Feb. 17.
There will likely be seats available for the sixth grade section at Alliance in 2023-24. Parents of fifth grade students who do not currently attend Alliance are invited to contact Alliance Principal Garrett Zimmerman if they are interested in having their child attend Alliance for sixth grade.
Alliance opened in the fall of 2004 and has achieved a "Significantly Exceeds Expectations" distinction on the Wisconsin School Report Cards in all eight years the report cards have been issued.
New Neenah High School Construction Remains on Schedule
Public Invited to NHS Veterans Day Program
All veterans and community members are invited to a public Veterans Day celebration on Friday, November 11 at 2 p.m. in Neenah High School’s Pickard Auditorium. The program will feature the presentation of colors by local veterans, performances by the Neenah High School band, choir and orchestra, as well as recognition of veterans in attendance.
Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. so that guests may be seated prior to the arrival of students at 1:45 p.m. There will be some parking available in Neenah High School’s main parking lot (Lot C) in the first three rows. Please enter Door 4 on the south side of the parking lot to the Pickard Auditorium.
NHS Science Teacher Wins $12,000 Grant for Hydroponics Labs at New High School
Neenah High School science teacher Emily Bennett (pictured, above) has been awarded a $12,000 grant towards hydroponics labs at the new high school for receiving second prize in the national Voya Unsung Heroes awards program.
Voya awards $2,000 to one recipient in each state and then presents additional prizes to three national award winners. Bennett earned $10,000 for her second place honor.
Bennett has introduced hydroponics to students at Neenah High School and will use the grant money towards a lab at the new high school that will open next fall. The lab will produce lettuce that will be used in the school cafeteria. Neenah High School currently has three hydroponics labs that produce lettuce for students and staff. Bennett is working to get hydroponics labs in all of the other schools across the District.
Bennett believes that, with the expanded capacity, the school could harvest up to 60 pounds of lettuce per week and feed the students and staff with fresh, locally grown produce. The lab is run by students who also receive high school and college credit through this program.
Neenah Students Selected to State Honors Music Project
Nine Neenah students were among 300 students selected statewide for the Wisconsin Middle Level Honors Music Project band, orchestra or choir. The students in grades 7-9 were chosen from about 1,200 musicians who auditioned. The musicians performed at the Wisconsin State Music Conference in Madison in late October following one day of rehearsal as an ensemble.
Those selected included: Abram Engelhardt, Henry Farrell, Lawton Pester, Aubrey Strosahl, Rebekah Thomas, Jenny Wang, Ava Wasmer, Malina Zhang and Tim Zhao.
Also, two high school students participated in the High School State Honors Project in Madison. Violinist Hope Lawton was selected to participate in the orchestra and Bridger Wenzel participated in the jazz ensemble. Neenah High School teacher David Dunning coordinated the state jazz ensemble.
Kimberly-Clark Donates $150,000 for STEM Programming
In celebration of its founding 150 years ago in Neenah, Kimberly-Clark Corporation has made a $150,000 donation to the Neenah Joint School District to help advance the District’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programming.
A check presentation was made on Oct. 18 at Kimberly-Clark’s Experimental Mill in downtown Neenah, which was the company’s original site in 1872. The presentation included Neenah High School engineering academy students, who also received a behind-the-scenes tour of the mill. Kimberly-Clark President Russ Torres presented the check to Neenah Joint School District Superintendent Dr. Mary Pfeiffer.
In appreciation of the donation, the District will consider naming a classroom wing after Kimberly-Clark in the new Neenah High School. The new school will open in the fall of 2023 directly across from Kimberly-Clark’s West Offices on Winchester Road.
Upcoming Events
Nov. 10 - "Phase 1" Special Olympics Basketball Game, 7 p.m. (Fieldhouse - Free)
Nov. 15 - NHS Fall Band Concert, 7:30 p.m. (Pickard Auditorium - Free)
Nov. 22 - NHS Show Choir/Touch of Class/Jazz "Opener," 7:30 p.m. (Pickard Auditorium - Free)
Nov. 29 - Boys Basketball, Home Opener vs. Stevens Point. 7:15 p.m. (Fieldhouse)
Dec. 3 - NHS Madrigal Singers, 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. (Cafeteria)