School board inks first naming-rights donation deal

The Port Washington-Saukville School Board on Tuesday approved the district’s first sponsorship agreement of its kind, accepting a $100,000 donation from Port Washington State Bank in exchange for the right to name a prominent part of the high school.  

The lounge-like area of Port Washington High School’s new commons, which overlooks its arena-style gym, will now be called the Port Washington State Bank Upper Deck.

“Your presence in this community is of indelible value,” School Board President Brenda Fritsch told James Schowalter, the bank’s president and chief operating officer, and his father Steve, chief executive officer, during a meeting in the commons.

“I can’t think of a better place for your name. This is the hub of the high school.”

The agreement calls for the bank to donate $100,000 over five years to the PWSSD Foundation, a nonprofit organization formed to solicit and accept donations on behalf of the district, in exchange for naming rights for 25 years.

The money is to be spent on projects of the district’s choosing. 

The donation is the largest single gift accepted by the foundation, which was formed in the wake of a 2015 $49.4 million referendum to help finance projects not included in the school improvement initiative.

Most notably, the foundation is raising money for an $8 million overhaul of Port High’s outdoor athletic facilities. Only the first phase of that project — an artificial turf football field — has been completed, and that was financed primarily by the school district. A new running track, bleachers, concession stand and artificial turf baseball fields are also planned.

In addition to the Port Washington State Bank logo mounted next to raised metal “UPPER DECK” lettering on a wall of the commons, the recognition will include a plaque that features the Port High yearbook photos of James and Steve Schowalter, Steve’s brother Mark and their father Ron, who graduated from the school between 1944 and 1999.

A statement at the bottom of the plaque reads, “We’re passionate about the people who have helped make it (Port) the great city that it is today. Many of those people, us included, are graduates of Port Washington High School, which is why we proudly sponsor the PWSB Upper Deck.”

Jim Froemming, the district’s director of business services, noted this isn’t the first donation from the bank, which has given money to support programs and improvements at all schools in the district and finances two high school scholarships.

“We’re talking about a long-standing commitment to education,” Froemming said. 

The bank’s commitment to funding a multitude of projects and causes in the district will continue, Steve Schowalter said.

“This (the $100,000 donation) does not preclude anything else we do,” he said. “This is in addition to all those things.”

Noting that his family and many of the bank’s employees are products of the Port-Saukville School District, James Schowalter said the donation reflects his family’s recognition of the important role strong schools play in the community.

“We know what this gift can do for the future graduates and ultimately our community,” he said. “And to that end, to have such a beautiful space sponsored by the bank is quite an honor. We’re proud of our school district and proud to reinvest in its future.”

Although there are other school facilities named after contributors, most notably the Jack and Shirli Flack Soccer Field, the agreement with Port Washington State Bank is the first sponsorship deal negotiated under a recently adopted policy that allows the board to award naming rights in exchange for significant donations.