Sheboygan Area School District board approves diplomas, field trips, policies, budgets and accepts major donations

The Sheboygan Area School District Board of Education approved a slate of routine motions at its regular meeting, including awarding diplomas, authorizing student field trips, revising a policy, setting special‑education enrollment caps, accepting financial reports and gifts, and moving into a closed session to discuss personnel and collective bargaining.

Diplomas and early‑graduation approvals: The board approved committee recommendations to award high‑school diplomas and early graduations for individual students and groups across district high schools. The board voted to award diplomas to named students (motion carried; no roll‑call vote recorded on the public record) and approved a larger list of diplomas by school: Central High (1), North High (10), South High (10), and George Warner (3) for the class of 2024, as presented by the Curriculum and Instruction committee.

Field trips: The board approved several out‑of‑country and regional field trips, including a South High trip to Luxembourg, a North High mini study‑abroad to Spain and France, a North High Band/Field trip, and authorization for Warner High School to attend the Lake Sturgeon Bowl regional competition. Committee reports recommended approval and motions carried by voice votes.

Policies and enrollment caps: The board approved a revised policy referenced as Policy 8451 and approved recommended regular and special‑education enrollment caps; the report noted there is no cap on open enrollment for regular education but continued caps for special education “because we do not have room.”

Human resources and personnel items: The Human Resources Committee recommended approval of appointments and retirements; the board approved those personnel items by voice vote.

Finance, budgets and gifts: The Finance and Budget committee recommended and the board approved Fund 41 capital projects, the statement of cash flow, revenues and expenditures, and budget revisions and transfers. The board accepted gifts and donations, including a nearly $500,000 contribution supporting Boys & Girls Club space at Longfellow (described in the superintendent’s report as from Herbert B. Kohler Jr. and Edwin Black Kohler funds and Kohler Company partnership) and a $466,000 gift from the Black Springs Foundation to support GAP programming, Lexia learning and special‑needs programming.

Other committee approvals: The board accepted the Suburban Theater Company financial report and the Community Recreation Department financial report as presented.

Student reports and highlights: Student representatives reported school activities and student accomplishments. Caitlin Marver, student representative from Central High School, noted community service activities, early‑college enrollment and a student who won a welding competition and received a $1,000 scholarship; she closed, “that concludes my report for Central High School.” Derek Givona, representing George Werner High School, summarized college visits, art‑program partnerships with the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, a stock‑market challenge finish and progress on the Rising Phoenix program; he thanked the board for the opportunity to report.

Closed session: The board recessed to closed session under Wisconsin Statute §19.85(1)(c) to consider employment, promotion, compensation or performance data of district employees and to deliberate strategies regarding collective bargaining for teachers; the board took the roll‑call required to enter closed session.

Votes at a glance: Most approvals were carried by unanimous voice vote as recorded in the public meeting transcript. Individual roll‑call tallies were not recorded in the public remarks for each item; where a roll‑call occurred it was for entry into closed session under Wisconsin statute.