Wauwatosa School District could eliminate both middle schools (2024)

PUBLIC INSTRUCTION’S LETTER TO DOCTOR POSLEY. THE WAUWATOSA SCHOOL DISTRICT IS CONSIDERING A DRASTIC CHANGE IN THE FACE OF DECLINING ENROLLMENT AND A SHRINKING SHARE OF STATE AID. AT A MEETING NEXT WEEK, THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL PROPOSE ELIMINATING THE DISTRICT’S TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS, MOVING SIXTH GRADERS IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND THE SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADERS INTO THE DISTRICT’S HIGH SCHOOLS. 12 NEWS NICK BOHR JOINING US LIVE AT LONGFELLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO NICK, HOW WOULD THIS WORK? WELL, IN SHORT, THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WOULD ADD THE SIXTH GRADES AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN THAT ARE AT THE SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE WOULD MOVE TO THE HIGH SCHOOL. NOW, THAT WOULD ALLOW THE DISTRICT TO CLOSE. THE TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS, INCLUDING LONG FELLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL HERE. BUT PARENTS SAY WHETHER THEY CAN SUPPORT IT DEPENDS ON THE DETAILS. AS THE SCHOOL YEAR CAME TO A CLOSE THURSDAY IN WAUWATOSA, ATTENTION IS ALREADY TURNING TO THE FUTURE. THE DISTANT FUTURE THE TULSA SCHOOL DISTRICT, LIKE MANY SCHOOL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN WISCONSIN, LACKED THE NECESSARY FUNDS TO MEET THE COMMUNITY’S DESIRES FOR THEIR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IN A VIDEO TO WAUWATOSA FAMILIES, THE SUPERINTENDENT REVEALED HIS RECOMMENDATION FOR ADDRESSING A GROWING BUDGET SHORTFALL BY CLOSING BOTH MIDDLE SCHOOLS WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. MY BIGGEST FEAR IS MORE JUST LIKE HOW THE KIDS ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS THAT CHANGE AND I KNOW FOR ME, LIKE MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS A BIG TRANSITIONAL PERIOD UNDER THE PLAN, THE SIXTH GRADE CLASSES WOULD BE ADDED TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, WHILE THE SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADES WOULD BE ABSORBED BY THE HIGH SCHOOLS, BUT REMAIN, QUOTE, PHYSICALLY SEPARATED FROM STUDENTS IN NINE THROUGH 12 AND A SEPARATE ENTRANCE AND EXIT TO ENSURE MINIMAL INTERMINGLING OF MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, I DO KNOW THAT I, AS A FORMER MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR, DID FEEL LIKE IT WAS HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT TRANSITION PERIOD, BUT BUT IT COULD WE COULD GET CREATIVE WITH IT IN FIGURING OUT A WAY TO DO THAT. IF WE DID HAVE TO COMBINE THE TRADE OFF. IS NONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WOULD HAVE TO CLOSE? IT’S VERY IMPORTANT. I ENJOY WALKING TO SCHOOL. I ENJOY, YOU KNOW, SEEING WHERE MY KIDS ARE, AND THEY KNOW THAT WE’RE CLOSE BY IF NEED BE. UM, BUT I THINK IT JUST IT’S PART OF COMMUNITY. IT’S A PLAN THAT WOULD CERTAINLY SHAKE UP THE EDUCATION LANDSCAPE IN WAUWATOSA. WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP? RIGHT. WELL, THE SUPERINTEN WILL PRESENT THIS PLAN TO THE SCHOOL BOARD ON MONDAY NIGHT. THERE’S NO VOTE PLANNED RIGHT NOW. THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT A $60 MILLION REFERENDUM IN THE FALL TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, BRING ALL THE SCHOOLS UP TO ADA COMPLIANCE, BUT A LOT OF WORK TO DO. THEY’RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT A SEPARATE REFERENDUM TWO YEARS AFTER THAT. EVEN SO, CERTAINLY A LONG TERM