October 2022 Ovations

Hartford Union High School District

Greetings!

Fall is a fabulous time to enjoy so many things in Wisconsin, and our district’s 225 square miles provide so much for us to see, do, and appreciate during these months when we settle into the first quarter of the school year, and look forward to the months ahead.

At a recent school board meeting, I shared feedback the district received after the spring referendum, as well as themes from an August meeting with community members who expressed interest in ongoing conversations about our facility needs. Here are some of the results from over 220 respondents to the survey this past spring:

- 32% responded that we asked for too much

- 33% responded that we should have included interior renovations

- 71% responded that the referendum question was an appropriate ask

While we certainly appreciate those that responded, it is apparent that the 71% who thought it was an appropriate ask are not in alignment with those who voted this past spring. With that, we are focused on moving forward, finding solutions, and we would like you to consider joining a Citizens Advisory Committee focused on our ongoing facility needs. If you are interested in joining this group, please scan the QR code to the right. We very much appreciate you considering being part of this very important work!

Lastly, congratulations to our 2022 HUHS Hall of Fame inductees, Michael “Mickey” Hesprich – Class of 1960, Al Laufer – Class of 1971, and Chief Paul J. Stephans – Class of 1980. Thank you for using your experiences at HUHS as a springboard to future success. You are a model for our current and future students!

Go Orioles!

Mr. Jeffrey A. Walters, Superintendent jeff.walters@huhs.org

Don Pridemore

Ross Kirley James Gumm Craig Westfall

Tracy Hennes

HUHS Board of Education

Jeffrey Walters

Citizens Advisory Committee

New Hires

at Hartford Union High School

Ms. Desiree Rahmlow

Associate Principal

I believe that all learning is personal, honor that no learning is ever one-size-fits-all, and know that relationships matter most. This is my 20th year in public education, and I have served WI students in numerous roles including Statewide District Coach, K-8 Principal, Math and Reading Interventionist, Behavior Interventionist, Alternative Programs Coordinator, At-Risk Education Teacher, and High School English and Speech Communications Teacher. My commitment is to serve our students across their many needs so they experience individualized support and success.

Ms. Kayla Davis

Communications/Marketing Specialist

A proud 2010 Hartford Union High School alum, I know firsthand how truly remarkable the opportunities at HUHS are, and how positively impactful the faculty and staff can be on a young person’s life. I am so excited to have an opportunity to portray that passion and spread the word to others. I have 10 years of communications and marketing experience. Most recently, I was a Communications/Marketing Specialist at a Private School for grades 6-12.

2022 HUHS Hall of Fame Inductees

Michael “Mickey” Hesprich, 1960

After high school, Mickey served our country in the United States Army as a military policeman. Upon his return in 1966, he became known as Mickey the Mailman while he “walked the world” 3 times over before retiring from 41 1/2 years of service. He was nominated by the City of Hartford in 1976 to recieve the “Outstanding Young Man Award” for his devotion to the community: serving as Alderman, Hartford Common Council President, Acting Mayor, and Federal Government Section Chairman of the United Fund. Mickey passed away in 2020. He is often remembered for his distinctive voice, but most of all, he left a lasting impression on many lives in Hartford.

Al Laufer, 1971

Al’s professional accomplishments include owning and operating Laufer Trucking, Inc. since 1977 and Wacker Drive Logistics since 2006. His community involvement includes serving on the Hartford Area Development Corp (HDAC) Board of Directors, the Forte Bank Board of Directors, and The Hartford Airport Committee. Al has been an active member of the Hartford Fire Department since 1978, including being the American Legion Firefighter of the year in 2016. His personal accomplishments include many years of racing at the Slinger Speedway and being inducted into the Slinger Speedway Wall of Fame in 2019. He is also an adept private pilot and avid snowmobiler. He lives by the statement that opportunity is out there for anyone who seeks it.

Chief Paul J. Stephans, 1980

Paul was hired by the Hartford Fire Department in 1989 as an on-call FIrefighter. In 2002, he was appointed to the City of Hartford Emergemcy Management Director position, adding to his responsibilities as Assistant Chief in the Fire Department. Then, in 2006, the City of Hartford Police and Fire Commission unanimously appointed him as the City’s first full-time Fire Chief. Chief Stephans served as a board member for the Dodge and Washington County Fire Chiefs Associations, and WI MABAS Division 111. He is the longest serving member of the Washington County Emergency Planning Committee. In 2018, he was awarded the Badger Firefighters Association Award for Meritorious Service.

Our Reasons Why

Garrett Mcfarren

2023

Future Plans: Astrobiology and Biogeosciences major at Arizona State University.

Hartford Area School: Homeschooled

Favorite Class: AP BioPsych or AP Chem

Favorite thing about HUHS: That Mr. Lubus will take a picture with me whenever I ask him to.

“Garrett brings the energy and positive attitude daily! He is an extremely hard worker and is always pushing himself and others around him to do better. Garrett is a very respectful person and I know he will be successful in the future.” -Mr. Rusch

Natalie Corrie

2025

Future Plans: I plan to attend college to enter the education field.

Hartford Area School: Central Middle School

Favorite Class: Spanish

Favorite thing about HUHS: The teachers and the different classes/co-curricular opportunitites.

“Natalie is one of the sweetest, kindest, most respectful, and hard-working students I have had the pleasure of teaching here at HUHS!”

-Mr. Smith

Calvin Kenney

2024

Future Plans: I would like to attend one of California’s universitites (specifically UCLA).

Hartford Area School: Erin Elementary School

Favorite Class: PLTW

Favorite thing about HUHS: The wide variety of clubs that they offer.

“Calvin has a fiery and passionate personality that leads to many fun conversations. He has a high level of dedication to do his best in whatever he is doing.” -Mr. Williams

Brooke Keskimaki

2026

Future Plans: Be a Game Warden and have a lot of land.

Hartford Area School: HoNoR Intermediate

Favorite Class: Graphics and Photography Exploration

Favorite thing about HUHS: Meeting new people.

“Brooke has excelled in Biology this year. While she knows the content well, she helps to encourage others around her and is a great lab partner. Her inquiring mind helps to make class new every day!” -Mr. Martin

Queen & King

Homecoming

Homecoming Court

Back row (left to right): Evan Klink (Musical), Ryan Schmidt (Future Farmers of America), Maddox Pratt (Soccer), Carter Block (Volleyball), Jackson Stortz (Football), Connor Hennes (Soccer), Jackson Kujawa (Football), Jon BrownKING (National Honor Society), Harsh Patel (Cross Country), and Landon Hron (Football).

Front row (left to right): Abby Schrunk (Musical), Isabelle Klink (Future Farmers of America), Isabelle Navarre (Tennis), Jimena Herrera- QUEEN (Volleyball), Sierra Loosen (Cross Country), Helen Wilson (Swim), BoDean Schinner (Tennis), Anna Pearce (National Honor Society), Alayna Pusch (Cross Country), and Sophie Farrell (Golf) – not pictured.

Meet Our New School Resource Of�icer

Officer Kali Reiman has been a Police Officer for 4 years, and we are so excited to welcome her to our team! She is a field training officer, an evidence technician, and an ALICE instructor.

Her goal as the HUHS School Resource Officer is to provide students with a positive experience with law enforcement while keeping them and the staff safe.

Tennis Court Facilities Update

The Hartford Union High School Board of Education approved the construction of a new tennis complex with 8 new tennis courts to be used by the HUHS students, staff, and community. Construction began in July and is expected to be completed in November of 2022 with the final coats of paint going on in June of 2023.

Thank you to our generous donors for making this possible!

Festival Foods - $50,000 Horsch & Miller, Inc. - $15,000 Westbury Bank - $15,000 Signicast - $15,000

United States Tennis Association grant - $35,000 District funds - $620,000

GO ORIOLES!

Moraine Park Referendum

On Nov. 8, residents of Moraine Park’s district will vote on a referendum authorizing the College to expand facilities. The updates and improvements would target programs in high demand that impact citizens across the region in the career areas of robotics/ automation, public safety, manufacturing, technology, and health care. The $55 million referendum would allow Moraine Park to borrow funds to update and expand Moraine Park facilities to meet the needs of businesses and industries in the region through four projects planned between 2022 and 2025.

Moraine Park Technical College serves more than 12,000 students across 10 counties at all stages of their careers; the College partners with 27 school districts in the region— and many of their updated spaces would directly serve HUHS students.

To learn more about the referendum, projects and impacts, voting, and more, visit morainepark.edu/future.

2022-2023

Budget Hearing and 2022 Annual Meeting Report Summary

The budget is built to reflect the mission of the District and to support its vision and goals. The budget is the outcome of a collaborative process involving the Board, administrators, supervisors, and staff.

The budget reflects priorities in the context of school finance statutes and rules that limit the resources available to districts in Wisconsin. Since the 1993-1994 school year, Wisconsin has had revenue limits that determine the amount of money districts receive from local property taxes and state general aid. At HUHS, this represents 85.2% of the revenues received to support general operations for the school. All other sources of revenue such as student fees, interest earnings, other state aids, federal grants, open enrollment tuition, etc., make up approximately 14.8% of the other revenues used to fund HUHS. As a result, the District continues to evaluate the programs and services offered to students to ensure that it not only addresses the District’s goals but to do so within the framework of available resources. This report focuses primarily on the general operations Fund 10 budget.

In addition to the general operating budget, the District has other budgets as well.

- Special Education budget Fund 27

- Debt Service budget (repayment of long-term bonds) Fund 38

- Capital Project budgets Funds 41 and 46

- Food Service budget Fund 50

Enrollment

School finance in Wisconsin is driven by student enrollments. 85.2% of the operating budget revenues are determined by the state revenue limit law. The revenue limit formula is based on student “membership,” meaning resident students for whom the District is paying the cost of education. This includes District residents who attend other public school districts through the state’s open enrollment program or private schools through the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP).

Expenditures

The majority of the resources are invested in personnel costs (salaries and benefits). The second largest group of items is purchased services, which includes open enrollment tuition for District resident students to attend school elsewhere, as well as transportation and utilities. Supplies and equipment are mostly classroom-related materials, technology, and the Building & Grounds Department. Transfers are the District’s share of Special Education and debt service costs.

Revenues

85.2% of the general Fund 10 budget is subject to the revenue limit law. When all state and local sources are combined, more than 99% of the budget is funded from these sources. Less than 1% of the District’s revenues come from federal and other sources.

Fund Balance

Fund balance is the difference between what a district owns and what it owes: assets –liabilities = fund balance (equity). Fund balance is not cash in the bank. Each fund has a fund balance calculation. When referencing a district’s fund balance, it is usually related to the fund balance of the general operations Fund 10.

A district’s General Fund 10 balance is calculated on the last day of the fiscal year (June 30), once all revenues and expenditures have been accounted for. A district’s actual cash reserves fluctuate throughout the year as revenues are received and expenses are paid.

The mill rate of $2.25 is based on a District-wide average across all thirteen municipalities (city, villages, and townships) in two counties. The District provides the municipalities with a dollar amount for taxes, not a tax rate. The actual tax rate paid by individual property owners will vary depending on which municipality the property is located.

The municipalities take the school’s property tax and deduct the school levy credit they receive from the state and then divide the rest among property owners based on assessed value. Due to the way the school property tax is processed from the time the levy is certified by the Board until it appears on the tax bill, the District cannot accurately predict what any individual will pay in school taxes. The District’s tax rate projection can provide taxpayers with an estimate of their taxes if the District was the only taxing entity.

Street

WI 53027

Hartford Union High School District

Nondiscrimination Statement: It is the policy of the Hartford Union High School District, pursuant to s. 118.13, WI Stats., and PI 9 that no person, on the basis of race, color, age, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, sex (including transgender status, change of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity), pregnancy, marital or parental status, military status, genetic information, or physical, mental, emotional, learning disability or handicap, may be denied participation, be denied admission to any school in this District or be denied participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be discriminated against in any co-curricular, pupil service, recreation, or other programs. This policy also prohibits discrimination as defined by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 (sex), Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (race and national origin), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The Hartford Union High School District has adopted a policy of nondiscrimination. In addition, the District has adopted procedures regarding the processing of discrimination complaints. Copies of the policy, procedures, and complaint forms are available, upon request from any administrator. It is the policy of the Hartford Union High School District, pursuant to PI 41.04(1)(a), to provide for the reasonable accommodation of a student’s sincerely held religious beliefs with regard to examinations and

requirements. Requests for accommodations may be directed to any administrator.

nondiscrimination policy and procedures should be directed to the Human Resources Supervisor or

or concerns regarding the

WI 53027, (262) 670-3200.