Superintendent's Welcome
The School District of Sturgeon Bay provides a well-rounded education for all students to set them up for success both now and in whatever they decide to pursue after high school. We provide a wide range of academic and co-curricular opportunities to ensure students have both what they need and what they want to help them connect with others, connect with their school, and learn and grow so they are ready for the future.
Whether families are interested in early literacy, a four-year college experience, or connections with employers and the workforce, we have the local expertise and connections to make success in these areas and many more a reality for our students. Here in Sturgeon Bay, you will find an environment where staff, families, employers, and the community work together to provide quality opportunities for all our students.
I would like to thank the Sturgeon Bay community for the continued support of our students, our schools, and our district as a whole. One of the many ways our community has shown tremendous support is through revenue limit override referenda, also known as educational programming operational referenda (six times from 2007 to 2022, with a future referendum likely in 2026 or 2027). The list of ways our community shows support could go on as we think of the Greenhouse, Fitness Zone projects, Sunrise Elementary playground, and more. Thank you for your ongoing support.
On the facility front, our community approved a $16.84 million capital referendum back in 2020 to make various updates at four existing schools and close Sunset Elementary School, which was an aging building dating back to the early 1950’s. The plan, the project, and the approval clearly would not have been possible without the support of our community members through focus groups, a large community survey, and the eventual vote itself.
The District is also participating with the City of Sturgeon Bay and working through a feasibility study process to update the outdoor athletic facilities, track, and fields on land owned by the City and the District; we look forward to receiving feasibility study results in 2025. The District also has steering committees working on updates to the Sawyer Elementary Playground and the Robert H. Nickel Auditorium.
It is a privilege to work in a community that cares so much about helping all kids be successful. I believe there are a lot of places that say this—but here in Sturgeon Bay we actually do this. It is critical that we continue to work together to make Sturgeon Bay the best school district and overall community that it can be, now and years in the future.
On a more personal note, my wife and I are proud to have our daughter attend our schools and she’ll be graduating as a member of the Class of 2025. We know that she is having a well-rounded experience and receiving a high-quality education to prepare her for the future.
With Clipper Pride,
Dan Tjernagel, District Administrator
920.746.2801
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