Supt. John Groh Spring Valley Schools

To begin, I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the Pierce County Journal for providing this space to share news from the School District of Spring Valley. Since I began my tenure here, our district has been the fortunate beneficiary of dedicated news coverage from both the Journal and the Sun-Argus. As many of you know, the Sun-Argus concluded its incredibly long and distinguished run in December 2025. This transition marks the end of an era, and I want to take a moment to publicly thank Paul Seeling and Cari Cornelius for their years of selfless service to the Spring Valley community. Their dedication to documenting our students' achievements and our community's milestones will be greatly missed, as their work truly captured the "heartbeat" of our village.

The power of local news coverage cannot be overstated. It is critical to delivering on our mission of informing citizens, taxpayers, parents, and staff about the important work happening within our hallways. In an age of digital noise, a local paper remains an anchor of truth and connection. Recently, I had the opportunity to connect with John McLoone, owner of the Pierce County Journal, and Sarah Nigbor, the paper's editor. When I asked if they would be willing to continue—and potentially expand—their coverage of Spring Valley school news, they both responded with an enthusiastic “yes.” A primary challenge for any organization is reaching its "customers," and for a school district, our customers are the very people who live and work in this valley. We are grateful to the Journal for being a willing and eager partner in this mission.

This spirit of partnership leads me to my second message: an open invitation to every resident of Spring Valley to join us for a historic "Community Conversation." This event is not a standard board meeting or a simple presentation; it is a collaborative journey that will take place over three consecutive days this spring.

We will begin on Thursday, April 16, from 5:30-9 p.m., continue on Friday, April 17, from 5:30-9 p.m., and conclude on Saturday morning, April 18, from approximately 8 a.m. to noon. While I realize this is a significant request of your time, it is important to understand that this is a single, continuous conversation spanning three sessions. To ensure our participants are energized and focused, full meals and refreshments will be provided at each session.

Currently, a dedicated team of 12 community volunteers is working tirelessly to develop the itinerary for these three days. Their goal is to move away from "sit and get" lectures and toward a highly interactive experience. We want to highlight modern-day learning, with many presentations led by the students themselves. These young leaders will show you firsthand how education has evolved and what skills they need to succeed in an ever-changing world.

Imagine the elementary school commons transformed—filled with round tables and a cross-section of our entire population. Imagine sitting at one of those tables with seven other neighbors: perhaps a retired teacher, a local business owner, a high school junior, and a young parent. Imagine the power of those eight people dreaming together about what the future of Spring Valley could look like. Our goal is to have between 75 and 150 community members join us. The collective wisdom of a group that size will undoubtedly set the stage for our district's success for the next decade.

What could be so important that it requires a three-day commitment? The answer is simple: the future of the School District of Spring Valley. By noon on April 18, through your input, the district will have a new destination and a newly created strategic plan. This plan will define our priorities, our goals, and our "North Star."

Our children are our community’s most precious assets, and your hard-earned tax dollars are one of our most precious resources. This experience is designed to examine our goals and define exactly how those resources should be used to support learning for all. We want to ensure that every dollar spent is an investment in a future that the community has helped design.

The future of the School District of Spring Valley is bright because of our amazing staff, our wonderful families, and our supportive community. Let’s keep this momentum going. If you are interested in being part of this process, please contact the district office at 715-778-3184 or email me directly at grohj@springvalley.k12.wi.us to RSVP. We would love to have your voice at the table. Thank you for your continued support of our schools and our students.