Residents encouraged to participate in survey
By John Faucher
The Hortonville Area School District released a survey Tuesday, Sept. 17, asking for citizen input on the district’s name.
The one question Yes or No survey asks, “Do you support renaming the school district from the Hortonville Area School District to the Hortonville-Greenville Area School District?”
Participants are first provided with a background paragraph on the district.
There are approximately 4,165 students in the Hortonville Area School District.
Its taxation districts include: Appleton, Center, Dale, Ellington, Grand Chute, Greenville, Hortonia, Liberty and Hortonville.
Hortonville and Greenville are the only two taxation districts that are completely within the school district boundaries.
Earlier this summer, board president Bob VanDenElzen requested the district’s Long Range Planning Committee have a discussion on district naming.
On Aug. 12, the committee met and considered the district’s pupil count, history, revenue and taxation districts.
They also looked at what other districts have done with naming throughout the state.
VanDenElzen said that he felt the name Hortonville-Greenville Area School District would give the district a broader identity and “kind of unite things.”
He asked board members for their input.
Board member Brett Eidahl said he also thought it helps create more of a sense of a joint community.
Long time board member Willard Griesbach said he was proud of the district’s name and accomplishments.
“I would like to see the people from Greenville come forward and say, hey we want to be involved with the name,” said Griesbach.
Other board members agreed that if the district surveyed residents, the question should be intuitive, neutral and simple.
The board instructed District Administrator Todd Timm and District Technology Director Scott Colantonio to work on a survey method and create a one-question community-based survey.
Timm and Colantonio provided a draft to the board for approval at the Sept. 9 meeting.
“We will be using the district’s website and social media platforms to present the survey and help get the word out,” said Timm.
The district will be sending a note home to parents asking them to take the survey, as well as reaching out to respective municipal districts, and local media.
Timm said the naming survey will be available on the school district website from Sept. 17 through Oct. 17.
Results will be brought back to the board at a future meeting.