Port High's Favorite Number Cruncher

Mark Bichler prefers not to be in the spotlight.

But he loves shining the light on one of his passions—helping students pay for college.

Bichler, who is retiring from teaching business classes at Port Washington High School next month, has been a member of the Scholarship Committee for three decades and chairman for nearly as long.

The Community Education Foundation of Port Washington-Saukville Inc. this week will give a record of more than $523,000 in scholarships — $408,650 to 125 graduating seniors and $115,500 to 52 Port High graduates attending college.

“I think what we have here is so special,” Bichler said. “What we’ve given is far outpacing any of the other schools in the area.”

Bichler was encouraged to join the committee 30 years ago by fellow teachers Bob Koch, John Tauscher and Tom Falk. As they eventually retired, Bichler took over running the scholarship program, overseeing a growth in giving that is now five times more than its $80,000 in 2003.

“We were so small then,” Bichler said.

Donations have helped the foundation reach more than $6 million it rarely touches. A financial firm in Neenah manages the money with oversight from the foundation, and the vast majority of scholarships are given from the interest earnings.

None of that money comes from brat fries, banquets or bake sales.

We did zero fundraising. Zero,” Bichler said.

A committee of 12 to 15 people goes through scholarship applications—this year 132 were turned in—and determines the awards.

Bichler’s dedication to the program will be missed. “He really has been amazing in terms of his dedication and thoroughness to the whole program,” said Jeff Morgan, president of the Community Education Foundation board of directors. Bichler’s role has included helping donors who want to start their own scholarships “develop the details if they have any details,” Morgan said. “A lot of donors will simply set it up and it’s up to the Scholarship Committee. He was just really a great resource for a lot of people and great for the scholarship foundation board to work with, to have that knowledge.”

Another focus of Bichler’s career at Port High is the school’s Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), an extracurricular activity that prepares students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. Students participate in leadership and community service activities—Port’s chapter helped the food pantry move to a new building last fall—and competitive events similar to those of Future Business Leaders of America but on a deeper level.

“That’s as real as you can get,” Bichler said.

He has been one of the chapter’s advisers for 28 years. Leeann Wellenstein is the co-adviser. This year Port set a school record for the most state competitors, medalists and international qualifiers. Eight competed in the International Career Development Conference in Atlanta last month.

Bichler began to hone his interest in business and accounting growing up in Belgium. He excelled in math, and the 1988 Cedar Grove-Belgium High grad majored in business at the University of

Wisconsin-Whitewater.

“I was probably going to be an accountant,” he said.

Bichler caught the education bug and added an education major his second year at school. He later earned his master’s in education from Lakeland University in Plymouth.

Bichler taught for three years in West Bend before coming to Port Washington, where he has taught for 30 years.

His dedication to his craft is cliched but honest. “The kids are what you do it for. I know it’s easy to say that,” he said.

Port High Principal Rachel Biertzer witnesses Bichler’s commitment and caring every day.

“Over the course of three decades, Mark has worn many hats—business teacher, DECA adviser, Scholarship Committee chairperson and National Honor Society adviser. But beyond the titles and responsibilities what has truly defined Mark’s impact is the way he cared deeply about students and their futures beyond high school,” she said.

“While retirement marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in education, the impact Mark has had on students, staff and this school community will continue long after today.”

Teaching business has changed significantly over three decades, Bichler said. “Artificial intelligence and data technology do things differently. You try to relate it as much as you can, but still some core principles stay the same.”

Bichler’s marketing class offers a focus on three tracks – sports, social media and retail. In accounting, Bichler often brings back former students, including accountant Brad Bertler, to give classes a real-world perspective.

Bichler’s interaction with former students is going to take a different track after he retires. He will be working part time for Lake Financial Group, just down the street from the high school, for Justin Behm, a member of Port’s first DECA chapter to qualify for state competition.

Behm said Bichler helped shape his career choice.  “He was definitely impactful in my life and he’s become one of my good friends.”

Behm has three children in the district’s schools and would have liked Bichler to wait to join the company so he could be their teacher.

“I’ve been begging him not to retire,” Behm said.

But now, Behm said he is thrilled to be adding his former teacher to his team.

Other retirement plans for Bichler, who lives in Random Lake, include spending time with his wife, who retired from the print industry last fall, and their two children and grandchildren who live in the area.

For more information on the Community Education Foundation, visit

porthighscholarship.org.