Manitowoc letter-writers on concerns about school board president seeking reelection, costs of living in Two Rivers

Here are this week’s letters to the editor of the Herald Times Reporter. See our letters policy below for details about how to share your views.

Deep concerns about Manitowoc school board president seeking reelection

I have deep concerns about Manitowoc School Board President Stacey Soeldner’s decision to seek reelection.

Assessing her first term reveals a concerning trend of setbacks for our school district.

Since becoming school board president in April 2022, Manitowoc Public School District has seen a 57% increase in staff resignations and retirements (254 staff and counting).

Notably, 14 principals have resigned from the district’s 10 schools, significantly impacting the educational landscape.

The staff survey posted in December showed more than 70% of staff reported feeling unsupported, excluded, and poorly communicated with from the district and board. Only 24% agreed the school board is taking necessary steps to ensure the district’s success, a 56-point plunge from before Mrs. Soeldner joined the board. Alarmingly, only 27% of the educators said the district is headed in the right direction.

Compounding this, the latest Wisconsin state report card grading Manitowoc schools revealed a significant decline in performance. With a score of 57 out of 100 and a rating of 2 out of 5 stars, the district now falls into the “meets few expectations” category for the first time. Shockingly, half of the district’s 10 schools received ratings of 2 stars or less, indicating a failure to meet state expectations.

It is crucial to consider the impact of leadership on our schools. I urge voters to carefully assess the candidates and choose those who can provide a fostering, positive and effective educational environment. The facts show Mrs. Soeldner is not the best choice for our schools.

Charlie Russell

Manitowoc

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Two Rivers should look for alternatives to help seniors

I am very concerned that houses in Two Rivers are to be updated in 2024.

I hope you know house payments went up after a hike in interest rates on personal loans have risen from 8.73% at the beginning of the fed rate hikes in 2022 to 12.17% in August 2023.

If Two Rivers raises taxes, seniors would be forced to sell our homes. Our house loans went up and we are on limited Social Security, so this is very disturbing to continue to take an even larger portion in taxes in Two Rivers.

I know seniors who are already struggling with taxes. If a senior sells a home, they should give a certain amount to the city. Please consider alternative plans.

I think it’s terrible that we even must buy stickers for our garbage. Most places don’t have that.

Sharon Suettinger

Two Rivers

Our letters policy

Letters to the editor are published in the order in which they are received and letter-writers are limited to having one letter published per month. Letters can be emailed to htrnews@htrnews.com and Editor Brandon Reid at breid@gannett.com. Letters must meet specific guidelines, including being no more than 250 words and be from local authors or on topics of local interest. All submissions must include the name of the person who wrote the letter, their city of residence and a contact phone number. Letters are edited as needed for style, grammar, length, fairness, accuracy and libel.

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc letters on school board president, Two Rivers cost of living