SHAWANO, WI- As Shawano School District leaders weigh possible budget reductions, community members urged the Board of Education to consider the long-term impact on students, families, and the district’s ability to stand out in a competitive educational landscape.
During public comment, Shawano teacher Matt Brunette described the district’s fund balance as a necessary safeguard, not something to be avoided in difficult times.
“Our fund balance is our savings account, and it’s a rainy day, people,” the speaker said. “We all have savings accounts because when it rains, we have things we have to fix.”
Other staff members cautioned against cutting programs that help attract students and families to Shawano, particularly specialized and hands-on learning opportunities.
“If you’re going to cut programs, if you’re going to cut something like LEADS, you are not going to have a bunch of people coming into this community seeking out those programs,” teacher Dan O’Connell said. “They’ll go elsewhere.”
Much of the testimony focused on the importance of technical education, trades, and applied learning, areas the speaker said cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence.
“We don’t need a bunch of Brett Favre’s coming out of Shawano,” Ross Beversdorf said. “We need electricians. We need plumbers. We need people who can fix your cars and build houses.”
“Tradespeople aren’t going to be replaced by AI,” Dick Karth echoed.
Beversdorf shared personal examples, explaining how hands-on instruction helped students grasp academic concepts.
“A lot of these kids, myself included, didn’t understand fractions until they had a tape measure in their hand,” they said. “They didn’t understand a Punnett Square until they learned it through biology in a different application.”
Concerns were also raised about increasing class sizes in technical and elective courses.
“If you increase it to 30 kids in a woods class or a horticulture class, they’re not going to get that attention,” Beversdorf. “They’re not going to get that one-on-one.”
Brian Morstad argued that Shawano’s strength lies in offering a wide range of opportunities, especially given the number of neighboring districts nearby.
“We have so many schools within a 10-minute drive,” he said. “We need to keep the things that make Shawano stand out, because they can’t offer what we offer.”
Athletics, music, and extracurricular activities were also highlighted as essential to student development.
“That’s academics, yes, but it’s also athletics,” Matt Hendricks said. “Those are enrichment opportunities, and they matter.”
Morstad expressed concern that cutting programs outside of core academics could create a ripple effect.
“If we cut programming, if we cut advanced placement, if we cut things that aren’t football, you’re going to lose those families,” he said. “And it’s going to spiral.”
Questions were also raised about a potential return to shorter class periods and its effect on literacy instruction.
“DPI suggests instructional minutes in literacy be about 90 minutes a day,” teacher Jen Schmidt said. “About half the kids that entered my classroom this year didn’t read at grade level.”
Speakers also questioned whether staffing reductions, technology costs, and budget cuts need to happen all at once.
“Do we have to fix $1.6 million this summer?” Matt Brunette asked. “Can we fix $800,000 this summer and save some of the things that are near and dear to our families and kids?”
Finally, Brunette urged the district to explore all options before reducing programs, including internal cost savings and potential mill rate changes.
“I’ve been a property owner since 2012. My mill rate has never changed,” they said. “I would pay more to make sure my kids get what they need when they come through these buildings.”
District administrators have said the budget reduction options remain under discussion and no decisions have been made. Additional public input is expected as the board continues its review process. Another listening session will be held Monday evening at 5:00pm at the District Board Room.
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