Sheboygan Christian School
Education looks different from one school to another, but the underlying questions are shared: how we fund schools, serve students with different needs, hold institutions accountable, and give teachers the support and trust to do their jobs. Christian's conversation with Sheboygan Christian School added another perspective to those questions, particularly around school choice, special education, funding, and community-connected learning.
Understanding the system before changing it
Education policy affects students, families, teachers, schools, taxpayers, and communities. The details matter.
Recently, I met with leadership at Sheboygan Christian School for a tour and conversation about education in our community. We talked about education, accountability, school choice, special education, funding, teacher recruitment and retention, curriculum, and the school's relationship with the broader community. That conversation added another perspective to conversations I've had with public-school educators, administrators, families, and community leaders.
Education policy can become an argument about systems and funding formulas. But behind every formula, regulation, and budget decision are students, families, teachers, and people doing the work every day.
What I Learned
Accountability needs to be specific.
School leadership described multiple forms of oversight, including annual audits, third-party financial reviews, attendance verification, teacher credential requirements, academic assessments, Forward exams, benchmarking, state reading requirements, and documentation of student work. Whatever system we build, accountability works best when people understand what is being measured and why.
Special education brings real complexity.
The conversation included the challenges of serving students with special needs, including the resources required and the relationships between private and public schools when students need services a school cannot provide on its own.
Funding should be understandable.
We discussed a funding structure involving school choice students, students receiving special-needs services, and traditional tuition-paying families, as well as the role of fundraising and donations. That raised a broader question: can we build a school funding system that parents, taxpayers, school leaders, and local officials can actually understand?
Teachers need accountability and trust.
School leadership described a strong sense of mission as one factor in attracting and retaining educators, particularly when private-school salaries may not match those available in public school districts. The conversation returned to teacher autonomy and the importance of giving educators the ability to focus on teaching.
Community connections can strengthen learning.
The school described opportunities that connect students with more than 30 community organizations, including organizations such as the Humane Society and Pine Haven.
Seeing the school firsthand
The tour also provided a look at the school's facilities and academic programs.
We visited newer additions to the campus, including STEM and science spaces, music facilities, and athletic areas. School leadership described academic offerings that include Project Lead the Way engineering, Advanced Placement courses, dual-credit opportunities, and specialized science instruction.
Seeing those programs firsthand was useful because it added context that isn't always visible in a broader debate about education policy.
Listening, learning, and showing up
I left Sheboygan Christian School with more information, but also with more questions. That's a good thing.
A productive community conversation doesn't always end with a policy announcement. Sometimes the most useful outcome is a better understanding of how a system works, what challenges people are facing, and what questions still need to be answered. Education policy affects public schools, private schools, families, teachers, taxpayers, and communities. We should listen to all of them.
Before deciding how a system should change, understand how it actually works.
Continuing the conversation
These conversations are part of an ongoing effort to better understand the people, institutions, and communities that make up District 9. Christian will keep listening, asking questions, and learning from the people who live and work here.
Thank you to the leadership and staff at Sheboygan Christian School for the tour, the conversation, and the time spent explaining how the school serves students and works with the broader community.
