Community Spirit–March 2026
Ryan Ruggles, District Administrator
Spring Forward: Looking Ahead to the Rest of the School Year
As we inch closer to spring, it’s a good time to pause and reflect on what has been a great school year. Like every winter in Wisconsin, this one tested us with a long stretch of cold weather, snow days, and schedule changes. Our students and staff have been excellent at responding to indoor recess, cancellations, and staying positively engaged. We remain busy as we look forward to the rest of the year.
A continued focus this year has been social emotional learning and student well-being. Academic success matters, but so does making sure our students feel safe, supported, and connected at school. We know students learn best when they feel safe and supported. From classroom practices that promote our profile of a learner to counseling support and relationship-building, our schools remain committed to educating the whole child and helping students develop skills that serve them well beyond graduation.
Spring also brings state mandated state testing, along with Advanced Placement exams for many of our high school students. These assessments are one snapshot of student learning, and we work hard to prepare students while keeping things in perspective. While we want to do our best and celebrate our achievement, our goal is to reduce anxiety, encourage best effort, and remind students that they are more than a test score on a single day.
On the activities front, we are wrapping up winter sports seasons and looking ahead to spring sports. Congratulations to all of our student athletes and coaches for their dedication and teamwork this winter. As the snow melts (and I hope it melts soon), we are excited to see students take to the fields, courses, and tracks, representing our school with pride and determination.
At the state level, there continues to be many proposed bills and ongoing conversations that could have a significant impact on public schools in Wisconsin. Topics such as school funding, school district consolidation, accountability, cell phones (another bill), curriculum standards, as well as student services remain active in Madison. We are closely monitoring these discussions and advocating for decisions that support local school decision making and keep the focus on what’s best for students. As always, I encourage you to stay informed on all of the educational bills and what they truly mean for our students here in Tomorrow River.
Behind the scenes, our planning for next year is already well underway, especially when it comes to the budget. Balancing rising costs while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars is one of our guiding principles and it is work we take seriously. Our goal remains to maintain our strong programs, support our staff, be a destination district that people look up to, and plan thoughtfully for the future of our district. As we head into year two of the no increase biennial budget, we will have to tighten our belts and make some adjustments.
Finally, I want to say thank you. To the senior class, as you prepare for graduation, thank you for the leadership and memories…keep your focus, you are almost there! To our staff, thank you for your dedication and care for our students every single day. To our families and community, thank you for your continued support of our schools. We are better together.