The Board of Education for the West Bend School District unanimously approved to certify the 2017 tax levy in the amount of $ 38,478,702 at the October 24, 2016, Board of Education meeting. The approved levy is $546,755, or 1.44% higher than the prior year and is the maximum limit allowed.

Under revenue limits, as property valuations increase, the mill rate may decrease due to the total levy being divided over a larger total worth.  This is the third consecutive year that the District’s Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) has increased from the prior year – 1.95% (14-15), 1.96% (15-16), 2.76% (16-17). The District’s tax rate will decrease for 2017, mainly due to an increase in equalized assessed value and an increase in the state aid allocation.  

The School Board approved a tax rate of $8.65 for 2017, which is a decrease of 1.26% from last year’s tax rate of $8.76.  Taxpayers will see a decrease in the average mill rate of 11 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.

One hundred and seventy-six students at the West Bend High Schools have earned AP Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP Exams.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) provides academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students’ who have demonstrated college-level achievement by taking AP courses and subsequently AP Exams.

Seven East students qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average score of 4 or higher on a five-point scale on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams. These students are Morgan Dommisse, Adam Gergetz, Jacob Kruepke, Ryan Lucka, Addison McGhee, Andrew Steiner and Elizabeth Williams. Additionally, ten West students received this honor, they are: Noah Barnes, Bryce Henschel, Abigail Janto, Maria Jasen, Alexis Johnson, Rachel Kruepke, Zachary Meyers, David Rosene, Aimee Solheim and Matthew Stoll.

Thirty-six East students and thirty-five West students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. The East students are:  Audrey Adelson, Lydia Albrecht, Hannah Bensen, Alyssa Birkeland, John Buehler, John Cameron, Emmalee Ciriacks, Morgan Dommisse, Kayla Furlano, Emmanuel Garrison-Hooks, Adam Gergetz, James Griffin, Adam Gumm, Michele Haeberlin, Anna Johnson, Benjamin Johnson, Elijah Killinger, Jacob Kruepke, Sydney Kylar, Cayla Lepak, Ryan Lucka, Hannah Luckow, Addison McGhee, Elijah Mentch, Josef Morisse, Hannah Nehmer, Brandon Parkison, Jakob Ravn, Zoey Roberts, Joseph Roth, Melina Schaetz, Samuel Scherzer, Lauren Sorensen, Lydia Spettel, Andrew Steiner and Elizabeth Williams. West students are:  Noah Barnes, Leah Botting, Victoria Burns, Reiley Collins, Kara Conley, Kieran Conley, Tyson Diffor, Kylie Engstrom, Jordan Gehrke, Leah Gudex, Krystal Hakes, Ryan Hanrahan, Amelia Hansen, Mackenzie Heinen, Bryce Henschel, Clara Hunt, Abigail Janto, Maria Jasen, Alexis Johnson, Owen Kannenberg, Dylan Kernan, Maggie Kieser, Rachel Kruepke, Shawna Landvatter, Tait Mauland, Zachary Meyers, Lily Miller, Kyle Parks, Michael Roemer, Jade Rogge, David Rosene, Kayla Schneider, Aimee Solheim, Matthew Stoll and Tamika Wiesner.

Twenty-six East and twenty West students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. The East students are: Austin Aliota, Denis Ardelean, Hannah Bohn, Madeleine Craig, Erica Fahrenkrug, Alexander Franke, Erica Gilhuber, Whitney Harmon, Georgia Harrison, Ryan Henke, Tanner Hopp, Benjamin Kroll, Emily McCabe, Thomas McCurdy, Jarod Meffert, Erin Melvin, Madeline Mollwitz, Isabella Nagovan, Miranda Paikowski, Alina Prahl, Caleb Ravn, Alysia Santamaria, Zachary Schneider, Dante Serrano, Rachel Uhren and Rebecca Virchow. West students are: Jacob Cass, Katie Espen, Shane Flynn, Claire Frick, Elizabeth Hadler, Jessica Heimke, Connor Hoppe, Liam Hupfer, Benjamin Kannenberg, Katie Kershaw, Tucker Nowack, Cera Propper, Abigail Schmidt, Elizabeth Schreiber, Quinn Skidmore, Matthew Tomey, Alison Wagner, Augustin Wedeward, Holly Wergin and Victoria Zich.

Thirty-one East and twenty-eight West students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with scores of 3 or higher. The AP Scholars from East are: Trevor Abel, Jesse Bauer, Alexander Berry, Brendan Boehlke, Kylie Cartwright, Amelia Daley, Brandon Gall, Christine Gan, Naomi Hadley, Elizabeth Hankins, Colton Harris, Kayla Keegan, Brandi Kreger, Shayla McClain, Kaitlyn McCurdy, Maranda Murphy, Andrea Narveson, Elizabeth Odness, Katie Opgenorth, Daniel Pomeroy, Shelbie Proudfoot, Ryan Ramierez, Elisabeth Rusch, Emily Rusch, Rachel Sanborn, Anthony Spence, Megan Swope, Mackenzie Tighe, Meredith Vande Zandee, Gabrielle Wanasek and Logan Woods. The West students are: Marvin Bateman, Brianna Bembenek, Alexandra Bensen, Ifeoluwa Ekunsanmi, Sydney Faehling, Matthew Iverson, Alyssa Jay, Hogan Johnson, Hunter Johnson, Abigail Kerzman, Hayden Kolowrat, Haley Kraft, Caroline Krebs, Sarah Legate, Andrew Lumsden, Caitlyn Malsom, Amanda Mezera, Jared Mitchell, Morgan Mueller, Kayla Nettsheim, Adam Newell, Coleton Nordquist, Kelsey Oliver, Taylor Pichler, Abigail Rudd, Abigail Sella, Sarah Vorderbruggen and Theran Wanta.

Thirty-six percent of East test takers earned a scholar notation, and 28 percent of the West students were given scholar standing.  Seventy–eight percent of the East students and eighty percent of the West students who took an AP exam achieved a 3 or better.  The National AP pass rate is sixty percent.

Through 34 different college-level courses and exams, AP provides academically prepared students with the opportunity to earn college credit or advanced placement and stand out in the college admission process. Each exam is developed by a committee of college and university faculty and AP teachers, ensuring that AP Exams are aligned with the same high standards expected by college faculty at some of the nation’s leading liberal arts and research institutions. More than 3,800 colleges and universities annually receive AP scores. Most four-year colleges in the United States provide credit and/or advanced placement for qualifying exam scores. Research consistently shows that AP students who score a 3 or higher on AP Exams (based on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest) typically experience greater academic success in college and have higher college graduation rates than students who do not participate in AP.

​Questions about the AP program at West Bend East or West  should be directed to Darci VanAdestine, Director of Teaching and Learning 9-12 or Ann Pauli, AP Coordinator.

September 19, 2016
 

As summer is oftentimes rejuvenating, I hope this letter finds you and yours healthy and well!  It was my honor to personally welcome new and existing families back to school on Thursday, September 1, 2016.  

My family and I are excited to be residents of the West Bend School District!  We recently moved into a house in West Bend and we are happy to be in this welcoming community.  As parents of four children, my wife Lisa and I are delighted for our kids to be a part of such an awesome system.  Sam is in seventh grade at Badger Middle School, Josh is in sixth grade at Silverbrook Intermediate School, Lexi is in fourth grade at McLane Elementary School, and my youngest, Ben, has started Kindergarten at McLane Elementary School.  With four school-aged children of my own, I have great interest in providing the best learning experiences for all our children.  

I have been an educator all of my life, beginning as a reading teacher and specialist.  I next taught middle-level students mathematics, social studies, and literacy.  Over time, I served as an adjunct professor, associate principal, a principal, a director of assessment and continuous improvement, and an assistant superintendent for operations.  As your Superintendent, I want to learn about the families in our district and questions you may have.  

Please be assured that relating to parents, staff, and the community is of paramount importance to me and I am already learning as much as I can.  Over the last two months, I have been learning about this amazing school district and community by visiting summer school sites and students, meeting school staff, meeting board members and administrators, visiting with local community leaders, and learning about our school district.  Everyone has been wonderfully supportive.

This vibrant community has embraced me with kindness and your focus on engaging our students is invigorating to me.  As I talked to board, staff, and community members, I could immediately tell that everyone is truly working toward “excellence for all!”  I saw people “living out” this message in their actions, relationships, and commitments.  I saw children enjoying their summer school programs by creatively participating in art, music, gardening, and science experiments, among other activities.  I cannot emphasize enough how inspiring it was to see this happening!  

Now that the school year has started, one of my top priorities is to schedule time to visit with staff and meet the students and families at each school.  Additionally, I will be scheduling time to meet with community members. I want to understand the strengths and opportunities for improvement within the West Bend School District, what you’d like the district to be known for in five years, and what indicators would signal I am off to a strong start as your superintendent.  Your input will help us to create a strong partnership as we educate and prepare our students for college readiness and career success.  I eagerly await conversing with all of you in the upcoming months!  

As you start the school year, you can find information on the District’s website: http://www.west-bend.k12.wi.us, and if you have any initial questions or concerns, please reach out to the principal of your child’s school.  Please consider following me on my Facebook page and on Twitter @ Erik_Olson_WB. I look forward to meeting you in the coming weeks and months!

Erik Olson

Superintendent

Students from the West Bend School District class of 2016 outperformed the state and national average on the ACT, according to information released from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The WBSD composite score for the class of 2016 was 21.0.

This is a historical year for ACT results in Wisconsin, as it’s the first time that 100 percent of its graduates took the ACT; Wisconsin joined 19 other states that administer the college admissions exam to all public school graduates.  Of the 527 WBSD students from the class of 2016, 56 percent scored above the state average of 20.5, and 7.3 percent earned a score above 30; the highest score earned by a WBSD student from the class of 2016 was 35. The national average ACT score is 20.8.

“With all students now taking the ACT, the information obtained from the assessment will be utilized by staff and students to prepare all students for college and career success,” said Erik Olson, Superintendent of the West Bend School District.

The ACT consists of curriculum-based tests of educational development in English, mathematics, reading, and science designed to measure the skills needed for success in the first year of college coursework.

“ACT results for our 2016 graduates represent the most comprehensive look at college and career readiness we have ever seen,” said Tony Evers, State Superintendent of Schools. “By testing all public school students we are opening the doors to opportunities for college and careers.”

Since 2015, the ACT has been a component of the Wisconsin State Assessment System (WSAS). As such, the  ACT is now administered to all students during their junior year of high school with the exception of students identified with significant cognitive disabilities.  These students are assessed with Dynamic Learning Maps, an alternate assessment.

Table 1: Four-Year Trend of ACT Scores
 

The West Bend Public Schools Foundation, in partnership with West Bend Mutual Insurance, is pleased to announce the 2016 In the Park Music Series at the Silver Lining Stage in Regner Park, West Bend.

August 17, 2016: The Ultimate Legends with the Hits of Elvis, Ray Orbison and Neil Diamond with Spontaneous Combustion

Tickets cost $10 per adult and can be purchased at the gate the night of the performance or online at www.wbpsfoundation.org. Online purchased tickets will be held and available at the Will Call table the night of each concert.  Food and beverages will be available beginning at 5:30 p.m., with music to begin by 6:30 p.m.; carry-ins are not permitted. Limited picnic table seating is available, so please bring a comfortable folding chair and arrive early to pick your spot. Parking is free

All proceeds from this event will benefit the West Bend High Schools’ Auditorium Transformation Project which will benefit students, families and the community of West Bend for many generations.  For more information visit www.westbendmusic.com

Parents, please make sure your child has their immunizations up to date. The Student Immunization Law (Chapter 252.04) states that the school districts with a compliance level less than 99 percent during the previous school year shall exclude non-compliant students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade.  The exclusion shall begin after the 30th school day from the day the student entered the school and shall continue for no more than 10 consecutive school days.   Readmission during the exclusion period can occur if the parent provides proof that the required vaccine(s) was received or if the parent claims a waiver for health, religious or personal conviction reasons.

This means your child K-6 COULD be excluded from school if their immunizations are not up to date.

The Board of Education for the West Bend School District approved and adopted the WEST BEND SCHOOL DISTRICT ACADEMIC STANDARDS 2016-17 at its July 27, 2016 Board of Education meeting, aligning its curriculum, instruction and assessment with the Wisconsin State Standards.

A link to the WEST BEND SCHOOL DISTRICT ACADEMIC STANDARDS will be posted on the WBSD website under the Academics tab.

The West Bend School District determines the curriculum to ensure alignment to academic standards.

Standards are:

• Expectations for what students should learn.

• Typically statements of what a student should know by the end of the year or a class.

• Created to ensure that students from one classroom to another are taught the same basic information in a particular subject.

• The Standards are the WHAT.

Curriculum is:

• The Curriculum is the text, resources, activities, lessons, units, and assessments that will be used to teach students the Standards.

• The West Bend School District selects the resources/methods that facilitate the delivery of the curriculum to ensure students meet standard proficiency levels.

• In the West Bend School District we use the Curriculum Audit Cycle to determine instruction resources used to deliver the curriculum.

Congrats to Paul Hoenecke, a 2008 West High School graduate for representing the Tulsa Drillers at the All-Star Game in Springfield.

Hoenecke was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 24th round of the 2012 Draft out of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. He was previously drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 42nd round of the 2008 Draft out of West Bend West High School but did not sign. He made his Minor League debut with the Arizona League Dodgers in 2012 and was promoted to Rookie-level Ogden at the end of 2012. In June 2012, he earned the "Dodger Pride Award," which was created in 2008 by General Manager Ned Colletti -- the awards and are given on a monthly basis to the players at each level of the club's Minor League system who play the game with a hustling, smart, aggressive style.

Congratulations to West Baseball on earning the North Shore Conference title.