PW-S District aims to bolster programs for the community

The Port Washington-Saukville School Board Finance Committee on Monday endorsed a proposal to add a recreation coordinator to the district’s staff who would oversee expanded community programs that could include everything from before-and -after-school child care to yoga for senior citizens.

Educational programs such as robotics and science clubs could also be among the offerings made available to all residents in the School District, Director of Business Services Mel Nettesheim said in proposing the position.

“These are community buildings,” Nettesheim said, referring to the district’s five schools. “If our kids and community members can use them and we have the capabilities to accommodate them, let’s do it.

“And the nice thing about offering programs through the district is they would also be open to Saukville residents.”

The recreation coordinator proposal is being driven not only by the opportunity to expand community programs but better manage current public use of schools. 

School facilities are now used primarily by local club sports teams as well as the occasional Scout troop and 4-H club, and managing that use is taxing Nettesheim and another staff member responsible for overseeing facility use, she said. 

A dedicated recreation coordinator could not only manage existing facility use but give the district the ability to respond to calls from residents to make its buildings more accessible to the public, Nettesheim said. 

For instance, she said, parents have asked the district to create an on-site before-and-after-school child care program. While students in the district’s 4-year-old preschool program have access to so-called wrap-around care because their classes are held at area day care centers and private schools that already offer that service, on-site child care is not available in the district’s buildings.

“We’ve had a lot of parents reach out to us about this,” Nettesheim said. “Dropping your child off at school by 8 a.m. and picking them up by 3 p.m. doesn’t allow for a full work day, making before-and-after-school care a necessity for a lot of parents.”

School Board members, however, questioned whether the district’s programs would compete with those offered by the City of Port Washington and Village of Saukville. 

“We don’t want to step on their recreational programs,” Doug Miller, a member of the committee, said. 

Board member Yvonne Klotz asked, “So we’d be offering types of activities that are different than those being offered in both communities?”

“That’s correct,” Nettesheim said. “The intent is not to duplicate or replace anything or anyone.” 

“Quite frankly, the city just doesn’t have space to offer some of the programs we would. We’re getting a lot of feedback about the need for programming, and we have the indoor space to provide it.”

A coordinator position would likely cost the district $65,000 to $75,000 annually, Nettesheim said, adding that 75% of the cost would be attributed to the community service fund. That’s important because while community service expenses — those the district incurs for providing services to the public — add to the tax levy, they do not count against the district levy limit that restricts how much it can spend.

Nettesheim said fees charged by the district for programs could cover a portion or eventually all of the cost of providing them.

Funding for the position is included in the district’s proposed 2021-22 budget, which will be presented during a public hearing at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 25, and considered by the board after that, but Nettesheim said the board would still need to formally create the position. 

“I like it,” Matthew Uselding, a member of the committee, said. “I think it’s a good idea.”