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Southern Door reports growth in youth apprenticeship, summer-school participation and student enrichment
Summary
District staff reported growth in the youth apprenticeship program (from about 28 to 42 participants over six years), robust summer-school enrollment and extracurricular activity highlights including a student trip to the Galapagos Islands.
Southern Door County School District administrators on Monday highlighted rising participation in youth apprenticeship and strong summer-school and extracurricular engagement, citing program growth and local employer partnerships.
Lauren Baumann, introduced by a board member as the district's youth-apprenticeship coordinator, said enrollment in the Northeast Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship program grew from roughly 28 students when she started to about 42 currently. On the program's impact, Baumann said the apprenticeships connect students to local businesses and career clusters; she noted the cohort is on track to earn a combined $307,097.94 this year with an average wage of $15.87 per hour.
"It's amazing the opportunities that they have," a board presenter said, praising the partnership between the district and community employers. Board discussion noted that youth apprenticeship is contributing to local workforce development and helping many graduates move directly into local jobs.
Summer school coordinators Rachel Schneider and Jody Nelson reported a range of summer offerings and participation figures: about 41 in-person enrichment classes for pre-K through grade 12; 54 students participated in credit-earning recovery and online courses; the afternoon program enrolled about 75 students; and summer meal service averaged roughly 175 breakfasts and 240 lunches per day.
Erin Rich and several students described an international learning opportunity: a high-school trip to the Galapagos Islands that included 11 students and another adult chaperone and featured field experiences such as snorkeling and wildlife observation. Student speaker Emma Bosley said the trip "allowed you to kind of see outside of your realm of what you knew," describing it as a formative experience.
Administrators also previewed events such as an upcoming high school musical and a Safe Driving Matters presentation targeted at teen drivers. District staff said they continue to recruit teachers, especially in K–2, and are exploring staffing models such as job sharing to sustain summer offerings and other programming.
Board members praised the apprenticeship and summer programs as tools that both expand student opportunity and support the local economy. The reports preceded the board's budget vote later in the evening.
Next steps: coordinators will continue outreach and enrollment efforts and the district will incorporate program participation and survey feedback into operational and referendum planning.
