Supt. John Groh Spring Valley School District

This past December, Spring Valley community members, parents, and staff participated in a comprehensive school planning survey. The results were impressive, with many categories landing in the top quartile statewide. All three groups agreed on a clear vision for the next five years: a focus on life skills, career and technical education, and—most notably—financial literacy.

Spring Valley has recently risen to become a top 30 academic K-12 school district in Wisconsin. This achievement was no accident; it was an intentional result supported by our strategic plan and, equally important, our financial priorities.

It is often said, “Show me your budget and I’ll understand what is important to you.” In Spring Valley, this rings true. In recent years, residents have stepped forward to prove that students are our priority. You need look no further than the state-of-the-art elementary school opened in 2021, or the voter-approved improvements to the middle-high school, transportation building, and track facilities passed last April.

These investments are clear outward signs that children matter. Over the last five years, our budget has mirrored that core priority. In 2021, we identified six strategic goals to drive our success:

• Goal 1: Fiscal planning for athletic and co-curricular facilities.
• Goal 2: Competitive employee salary and benefits (targeting the top 50% of our area).
• Goal 3: Development of family and consumer education and life skills curriculum.
• Goal 4: Transparent communication regarding career planning and job fairs.
• Goal 5: Expansion of student clubs and activities.
• Goal 6: High-level professional development for all staff.

Much of our recent academic success is attributed to these targets. We have focused on retaining the best educators and expanding student opportunities. We’ve also been resourceful; for example, a philanthropic donation now funds a financial literacy teacher and materials in perpetuity, and a partnership with Harvard University is currently helping us improve reading comprehension through vocabulary research.

With our past goals accomplished, we are now drafting our future centered around these new "Pillars of Success:" Student Learning Excellence, Family Engagement, Financial Stability, and Professional Excellence.

At this moment, we need your input more than ever. How will we support these pillars? How will we fund these dreams? We invite you to a Community Conversation guided by facilitator Drew Howick. Mr. Howick has helped communities across Wisconsin transform their visions into reality. We will explore our history, celebrate our successes, and define our future—together.