Marinette school superintendent wants community input on financial path forward

MARINETTE – A failed $48 million referendum for Marinette Public Schools means it’s back to the drawing board for future capital improvements, while it also is in the market for a new high school principal.

Current high school principal Steve Linssen is leaving the district to return to his alma mater high school, Oconto Fall High School, and serve as its principal, Superintendent Corry Lambie said. “He’s an Oconto Falls High School graduate. He was with us for one year and then that position came open. He pursued it and was selected,” he explained.

With unavoidable changes coming, the school district hopes to hold a listening session with the community in June to garner input on priorities and future plans, which could include another attempt at a referendum, Lambie said. “Ultimately that’s a decision the board has to make. The needs haven’t gone away,” he said.

With the federal government cutting costs in many areas, including eliminating the U.S. Department of Education, Marinette is among the local school districts that are recasting their spending priorities and timelines.

Federal funds have supported smaller class sizes, school meals, career-tech education and programs for economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, youth mental health and English language learners, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) reported.

Marinette School District has received about $1.9 million annually from the federal government, with about $723,000 for student meals, DPI shared.

“Recent executive orders and proposed cuts threaten vital federal funding and programs that support Wisconsin’s public schools and libraries,” DPI said.

But relying more on local support, as Marinette attempted with its April 1 referendum, isn’t a slam-dunk either. Marinette School District’s referendum was defeated with 2,525 votes against it and 2,171 votes for it.

A November 2024 Marinette community survey, conducted by School Perceptions, suggested about 52% of respondents supported going to a referendum for the $48 million in capital expenditures requested. Referendum funds would have provided for career technical education improvements, renovated music and art facilities, science labs, security enhancements and infrastructure building repairs.

The school auditorium, which the greater Marinette community also uses, hasn’t been renovated in over 40 years, according to the school district. It needs repairs and improvements to seating, lighting and sound systems, the school district said.

Lambie said the school district has done an excellent job of continuing to serve the community with the resources it has available. Some big projects carry hefty price tags, he said.

The district is scheduled to repair the roof and some panels this summer because they’re necessary. “There are certain projects that need to be addressed. We had to budget for those,” he said.

“People struggle to believe how much square footage is on the four buildings. We do it in sections,” he said, noting some sections are on 15- to 20-year rotations.

The school district also is contending with state education revenues that haven’t kept pace with inflation despite new education mandates, such as the Act 20 science-based literacy curriculum and training requirements, Lambie said.

To comply with DPI’s science-based learning mandate, the school district selected a Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) curriculum with a seven-year contract and began implementing it in 2024. It will use AimsWeb+ from Pearson as a screening tool for learning issues, such as dyslexia, indicating extra support is needed.

The assessment provides specific information to teachers and parents on a student’s performance and learning gaps so lessons can be tailored to their needs.

Lambie said the district began using the new curriculum this school year, when teachers were trained on it. “We’ve got our instructional coaches working with it,” he said.

In a “Spotlight on Learning” presentation to the school board in March, First Grade Teachers Elizabeth Walters and Kelsey Mattison and Principal Shainie Elliott presented learning activities and other aspects of the program, he said. A group of students also was involved with the presentation.

“Some of our teachers that have had strong literacy backgrounds didn’t see drastic changes. However, they saw certain strategies and expectations for students were ramped up a bit,” Lambie said. “Implementation went well the first year, and we’re hoping it continues to grow and improve as we’re moving forward.”

The district could be reimbursed for the program, if the Wisconsin Supreme Court decides in favor of Gov. Tony Evers in Wisconsin State Legislature v. Wisconsin Department of Instruction. The case is expected to resolve whether $50 million earmarked for literacy education can be released for allocations to local school districts.

“It’s greatly appreciated,” Lambie said. “For quite a few years we received a zero dollar increase. With the state budget and some of the conversations coming up, there are strategies schools are trying to use to see if there are even more dollars available,” he continued.

The district is faced with educating more children earlier. Since implementing 4K preschool in the primary school, the school district has seen a difference in readiness for kindergarten, he said. “They know the expectations in the building, the routines, the drop off, lunch. There’s a preparedness that builds that psychological safety for the young kids. You have that school setting that helps them to learn and be successful,” Lambie said.

While the district doesn’t offer a child-care program, its primary school building also houses a separate Headstart program for 3- and 4-year-olds, he said. The children can attend Headstart in the morning and then participate in 4K in the afternoon. “We are seeing an increase in families that want the full-day 4K, so they serve a lot of 3-year-olds as well as 4-years-olds,” he said.

The school’s 4K program had 140 students this year.

Besides hiring a new high school principal, the district plans to hire a counselor, psychologist, band director and teachers for fourth grade, second grade, kindergarten and special education, Lambie said.

As for the sale of the former Garfield School, Lambie said he hasn’t heard what’s going on recently. He referred a reporter to the school district’s real estate broker Karen Kloida, broker/owner of Broadway Real Estate in Menominee, who said a company called Anything You Want LLC put down interest money but the transaction hasn’t closed. “It’s in limbo until the attorney gives us advice,” she explained.