School District of Waukesha votes to close 2 schools, sell building
WAUKESHA, Wis. - The School District of Waukesha Board of Education on Wednesday night, Nov. 12 approved a plan to close Bethesda Elementary and Hawthorne Elementary and sell the Whittier Elementary building — which is currently used for the district’s elementary school STEM program.
The K-8 STEM School will be housed at Horning Middle School.
The changes come as the district is dealing with declining enrollment.
What we know:
The district says the plan will generate a 15% reduction in overall capacity within the School District of Waukesha, meeting their target goal. The district's annual savings are estimated at between $3.2-$3.7 million.
The next update on this work will occur after the Dec. 10, Board of Education meeting.
School District of Waukesha declining enrollment stirs emotional debate
The School District of Waukesha is dealing with declining enrollment by closing schools. For months, there has been a heated and emotional debate.
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Parents at schools like Bethesda and Hawthorne urged the board to reconsider. Some worried about program changes, while others noted that schools on the closure list disproportionately serve low-income students.
"The exposure to Spanish and the rich diversity it brings are true assets to our community. And for 13 years, the dual language has been an integral part of Bethesda. It's woven into the very fabric of our culture and identity. It's not something that can simply be moved," said a community member during the board meeting.
The school board plans to have dual language learning at three other elementary schools based on enrollment.
Waukesha school closures, mergers; parents push back as board weighs options
The School District of Waukesha enrollment is projected to drop 2% annually, prompting closure and consolidation plans.
Superintendent Jim Seibert said a declining birth rate will result in a 2% enrollment drop each year through 2034.
By exceeding reduction targets now, the superintendent said the school district could avoid making more cuts in the near future.
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