Meet the candidates for Sturgeon Bay School Board
Voters in the Sturgeon Bay School District have a choice to make – three choices, actually – in the April 7 general election.
Three seats on the Sturgeon Bay School Board are up for election this year, and four candidates are on the ballot. Current members Allison Haus and Damion Howard seek to retain their seats and are joined on the ballot by Jeffrey Matson and Cliff Wind, while incumbent Tina Jennerjohn is not running for reelection. The winners serve three-year terms.
The other four school districts in Door County – Southern Door, Sevastopol, Gibraltar and Washington Island – have uncontested races for their open board seats for 2026, with current Southern Door board president Kim Starr seeking reelection and no one else in the district registered to run for the two other open seats. The other three districts all have incumbent board members facing no registered opposition to retain their seats.
To give readers some information on the candidates for Sturgeon Bay School Board and where they stand on issues in the city, the Advocate asked the candidates to answer a few questions about themselves and the issues. Some answers might be edited for length, style or format but not for content.
Allison Haus (incumbent)
Age: 44
Current occupation:Geochemist
Education: Ph.D.
Educational and public service experience: Sturgeon Bay School Board for the past three years, treasurer for the past year. It has afforded me opportunities to learn more about school governance and policy, better understand challenges facing our district and get to know more of our amazing staff at school. In particular, I have learned a lot about school finance, including through participation in annual Wisconsin State Education Convention sessions and workshops and CESA 7 meetings. I also volunteer on the Door County Library Foundation Board and serve as co-chair of the Board of Education at Hope Church.
Contact information:ahaus@sbsdmail.net
Damion Howard (incumbent)
Did not respond to questionnaire.
Jeffrey Matson
Age: 38
Current occupation: Business development manager, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding
Education: B.S.E., Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of Michigan; M.B.A., Milwaukee School of Engineering
Educational and public service experience: Professionally, I've spent years working in strategic planning and business development, which has given me experience with budgeting, project management and long-range organizational planning. I've led teams through long-term projects, balanced complex budgets and built partnerships that align resources with real needs. As a parent of school-age children from outside academia, I will bring a real-world and taxpayer perspective to the board.
Contact information:jeffmats.email@gmail.com
Cliff Wind
Age: 57
Current occupation: Retired high school math teacher (31 years at Sturgeon Bay)
Education: B.S.-Honors in Math and Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Master's in Math Education, UW-Oshkosh
Educational and public service experience:Educator in the district for 31 years
Contact information/website:If elected I will have a school email address and start a Facebook page..
Why are you running for the board?
Haus: I am running because strong public schools are a vital foundation of our thriving community. I appreciate the opportunity to serve the community and represent the voice of busy working parents who want the best outcomes for our promising youngsters. I want to continue to ensure our schools provide the opportunities that best prepare each student for their pathway after graduation.
My belief is that educating the next generation of Wisconsinites is a value we all share, and I want to support our teachers and administrators as we, like so many districts in the state, continue to navigate difficult challenges around budget and resources.
Matson: Strong public schools are essential to Sturgeon Bay's future, and I want to ensure all students have access to quality education, safe environments and opportunities to grow. I want to ensure our district continues to provide exceptional educational opportunities for every student while supporting the teachers and staff who make that possible. I'm committed to maintaining high academic standards, fiscal responsibility and strong ties between the district and the community.
Wind: As a recently retired Sturgeon Bay teacher, I am passionate about public education. I want to continue to give back to the community and help the students of our district.
What makes you the better candidate for the board?
Haus: I strive to think critically and independently, try to focus on forward-looking strategies toward finding balanced solutions and also ask a lot of questions.
As a parent of four children in our schools, I personally understand the opportunities and challenges that families experience. As a scientist, I am trained to approach complex problems with careful analysis and evidence-based thinking. In my professional role, I regularly balance perspectives from multiple stakeholders with practicality and fiscal responsibility to make strategic decisions that move projects forward.
Taken together, I strive to contribute a fair and balanced opinion that is grounded in my own experiences as a parent, taxpayer and proud resident of Sturgeon Bay.
Matson: My leadership style is collaborative and servant. The board's responsibility is to give the superintendent and his staff the tools they need to be effective. I believe in listening first, evaluating input from multiple perspectives and then making decisions grounded in facts and long-term impact. I value open communication, accountability and teamwork – principles that are critical in education. I am currently involved in a variety of nonprofit boards and volunteer within the community.
Wind: I have a very analytical and problem-solving mind. I would also offer a unique historical perspective as a retired Sturgeon Bay teacher, a parent of two Sturgeon Bay graduates, and a longtime Sturgeon Bay taxpayer.
What is the school district currently doing well?
Haus: Our school district continues to thrive academically, as evidenced by the Blue Ribbon we won last year, by our improving performance on DPI report cards and rising proficiency in our elementaries since we adopted a new reading curriculum. In addition to strong academics, our district has a great variety of clubs, sports and pathways to further student involvement. I am thankful for the wonderful teachers and coaches who instruct and lead our kids toward success every day.
Our school district is a great place to be a kid, and I think the school board has strived to also make it a great place to be a taxpayer by trying to be fiscally responsible and transparent with our community.
Matson: The school has attracted and retained great teachers throughout all schools in the district, they consistently go above and beyond for their students, and that is reflected in the outcomes of the students. The school district, although small, does an amazing job of offering a variety of courses and opportunities for their students.
Wind: I believe the district is maintaining academic excellence, despite dealing with state budget cuts.
What could the district do better, and how would you propose fixing it?
Haus: I am interested in supporting and further enhancing information sharing between our district and our community members, particularly around school finance. As I have improved my understanding of the role the board plays in financial oversight, I have advocated for enhanced transparency and data sharing with the community because I want everyone to understand the direct relationship between our current property tax bill and historical and ongoing underfunding of public education at the state level.
Even in the face of budget concerns, I want to identify ways to attract and retain high-caliber staff, maintain our academic excellence, and keep Clipper pride alive. This again will require ensuring great communication between our school leaders, the board, the students and their families, and with the community and residents of Sturgeon Bay.
Matson: Communication. Communicating clearly about the district's budget and finances is essential. Most of us experienced a tax bill increase this year. Public trust depends on transparency – residents deserve to see how their tax dollars are spent and how funding decisions support student outcomes. I would advocate for regular newsletters or newspaper inserts to make the school's finances timely, understandable and accessible. Open communication builds confidence.
Wind: The school district has a history of academic excellence by having highly qualified educators. As the statewide pool of educators declines, the district needs to continue to attract and retain quality teachers and support staff by offering competitive compensation packages.
Is there a major issue on which you plan to focus when on the board?
Haus: Our priorities will continue to be serving and educating our students toward their success; fostering a healthy and supportive environment for our teachers, administrators and staff within the district; and responsibly managing the trust and fiscal support we receive from our local community.
Like nearly every district statewide, Sturgeon Bay is partially dependent on operational referendums to close the state-level funding gap, essentially so we can pay our teachers and keep the lights on. Even as we work toward successful passage of an operational referendum in the upcoming year, we continue to look toward creative bigger-picture avenues that may mitigate local dependence.
Matson: The big focus for the board in the upcoming academic year will be passing the operational referendum. Ensuring fiscal responsibility in a state climate that is experiencing an increased burden being passed to school districts will take creative thinking and willingness to make tough decisions.
Wind: I think I would focus on all aspects of the board, particularly budgets. It is very important for the school district to help residents understand the complexity of state aid and why schools across the state, including Sturgeon Bay, need to go to operational referendums. I would be willing to share relevant information on a Facebook page or meet with people because I believe in transparency of information.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Meet the candidates for Sturgeon Bay School Board
