NOSD charter school receives $1 million grant for expansion

Sugar Maple Nature School is celebrating in a big way after finding out it is receiving a $1 million grant from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to add middle school classes.

The Wisconsin Charter School Program grant will allow the school — a Northern Ozaukee School District charter school — to add grades six to eight in the coming years, Director of Education Cindy Raimer said.

“We are so excited,” she said, noting the money is to be used over the next five years to provide everything from supplies and furniture to community outreach programs.

At the same time, the school is moving from its home at Riveredge Nature Center to Ozaukee County’s Hawthorne Hills Park. The first modular pieces of its new schoolhouse were set to arrive from Mobile Modular, the Illinois company constructing the building, on Wednesday.

The last piece is expected to arrive the following Monday, Raimer said.

“We’re really hoping for sunny skies,” she said, noting that the building is expected to be finished by Aug. 15.

“It’s been a very, very busy summer,” she said. “We’ve got lots of momentum going.”

Raimer said the school found out last Monday that it was receiving the $1 million expansion grant — federal funds awarded by the DPI to plan, open or expand charter schools — adding the school’s governance council was expected to accept the funding this week.

Sugar Maple School, formerly Riveredge Outdoor Learning Elementary School, has kindergarten through fifth grade classes but had already committed to offering a combined fifth-sixth grade class next school year, Raimer said.

The following year, she said, there will be dedicated fifth and sixth-grade classes.

It’s an option parents have been asking for, she said, noting all the students in this year’s fifth-grade class wanted to remain at the school.

Sara Tippet of Menomonee Falls has three children enrolled at the school and was one of those parents seeking a middle-school option. Her oldest daughter will enter sixth grade this coming year, she said and they are thrilled to be able to continue at Sugar Maple School— her other children are entering fourth and second grades at the school.

“When the possibility (of middle school classes) was discussed, I was very happy to have the option for her to stay at the school,” Tippet said. “It’s really special.

“We’re thrilled with the small class sizes, the community and the communication between the teachers and us. The outdoor time has been invaluable. This has made such a difference.”

The move to Hawthorne Hills was another factor in her family’s decision, Tippet said, noting the school was limited in space at Riveredge.

“We’re sad to leave Riveredge but excited about the opportunities we’ll have,” she said.

With the move, Raimer said, Sugar Maple School will be able to use the 57-acre Hawthorne Hills Park and 67-acre Shady Lane Natural Area as an outdoor classroom and learning lab.

During winter, she noted, the school will be able to use the Hawthorne Hills Golf Course for cross country skiing, snowshoeing and sledding as well as hiking and learning.

Raimer said that one area of emphasis for the middle school will be developing students who are actively engaged in their community.

This extends beyond traditional academics to cultivate a sense of responsibility, altruism and gratitude for community, according to the grant application.

As part of that, the middle-schoolers will work on a community garden, host a farmers market and donate any excess produce to Family Sharing’s food pantry to help those in need.

They will also work with the Ozaukee County ecology team on stewardship projects, such as cleaning up area waterways and removing invasive plants from parks, she said.

“The focus on stewardship instills values that can positively influence academic performance by fostering a sense of purpose, teamwork and social responsibility,” according to the grant application. “It contributes to the development of well-rounded individuals who understand the broader implications of their actions.”

Sugar Maple School got its start as ROLES during the 2019-20 school year with 70 students, attracting many with its commitment to nature and the idea that the outdoors can be a classroom.

The school has grown each year, with a maximum 22 students per class. Raimer said that there is only one open seat at the school for the coming year, in the second grade.

The school has a waiting list of 22 students for kindergarten, she said, and four for the combined fifth and sixth-grade class.