Laurie Lane Contingent Seeks to Switch School Districts

A group of residents on Laurie Ln. and Dunn Rd. in Sturgeon Bay are looking to detach themselves from the Sturgeon Bay School District and join the Sevastopol School District. Photo by Len Villano.

A number of residents on Laurie Lane and Dunn Road in Sturgeon Bay are looking to detach their property from the Sturgeon Bay School District and attach it to the Sevastopol School District.

The annexation process requires the petitioners to go before both school boards and ask for permission to leave one district and enter the other. Last month, the Sevastopol School District okayed the request for the group to join their district, but Sturgeon Bay denied the group’s request to detach. That triggered an appeals process overseen by the state.

The property in question was originally part of the Sevastopol district, but was annexed into the Sturgeon Bay district in 1962. At the Feb. 21 Sevastopol School Board meeting, group representative Nancy Buhl said the petition was an attempt to “come home” to Sevastopol.

But the move also makes financial sense for the property owners, as it would place them in a district with a lower property tax rate. One family in the area currently has school-age children, and those children go to Sturgeon Bay.

Sturgeon Bay Superintendent Joe Stutting said the properties looking to leave the district total $8,995,810 in value and represent about 1 percent of Sturgeon Bay’s tax base. If their petition is approved, the property tax rate for the remainder of the district could go up by 14 cents per $1,000.

“I don’t blame them for wanting to lower their property taxes, but should everyone else have to pay more for them to lower their taxes?” said Stutting. “That’s why our school had to say no to it.”

Sevastopol Superintendent Linda Underwood said she called Stutting about the petition before it came up to either school board in an effort to make sure the process proceeded as smoothly as possible.

“None of us want to lose property value,” said Underwood. “We don’t want these things to be contentious and create issues between districts that are, now more than ever, collaborating.”

Stutting said the petition won’t create any tension between the districts, and he understands why Sevastopol approved the petition.

“Saying yes is great for you because you increase your tax base,” said Stutting, “but then how do you argue with the person who wants to go to Gibraltar?”

According to Underwood, Sevastopol has denied one homeowner’s request to attach themselves to Gibraltar within the last five years.

“I can’t speak for the board’s thinking on that specific case, but it would seem to me that it would be similar to Sturgeon Bay’s board denying the Laurie Lane petition,” said Underwood.

When asked if saying yes to the Laurie Lane group might encourage anyone considering a detachment from Sevastopol’s northern border, Underwood said she didn’t think the district’s decision would affect anyone’s thinking.

“It seems to be a decision made by the property owners for their own reasons,” said Underwood.

The state appeal on the issue will likely be heard sometime this fall. Stutting said the state is unlikely to go against Sturgeon Bay’s decision to deny the request.

“They generally don’t overturn that decision,” said Stutting, “because then when do you stop the process?”