Waukesha parents question Waukesha School District's enrollment projections

Yahoo

03-07-2025

Parents are concerned about the Waukesha School District's plans to close schools in the future, with some questioning the data the district is using in its decision making.
The Waukesha School District is looking at four options that could lead to closing schools, redistricting remaining schools and possibly selling buildings in an effort to match its building footprint to its current and future enrollment. No decisions have been made yet, and whatever the district decides will not be implemented until fall 2026.
All four options the district is considering would close Bethesda Elementary School. The school is at 730 S. University Drive on the west side of Waukesha.
Two Waukesha residents with children in the Waukesha School District, Joe Burke and Sean Shurbet, said in a June 24 news release that the district's presentation of enrollment data contradicts data from the City of Waukesha that shows current and projected future growth.
The two said the district's focus on enrollment decline is not aligned with the city's priority of increasing housing availability, affordability and attractiveness.
Here's what to know about the data and residents' concerns.
The school district's enrollment has dropped from a peak of over 13,000 students in the 2012-13 school year to about 10,500 students today. The district's 2024 enrollment study, which was conducted by the University of Wisconsin's Applied Population Lab, predicts enrollment will continue to decline through 2034, to as low as 8,776 students.
In their news release, Burke and Shurbet cited a August 2024 City of Waukesha Housing Study and Needs Assessment. The city's study identified an additional 1,821 people younger than 20 by 2038 and said it expects the population of age 19 and younger to grow by 2.25% between 2028 and 2038.
In addition, the city's study said population growth in general is shown to be steady through 2038. In 2023, there was a need for 763 additional homes. There will be a need for 641 additional housing units between 2023 and 2038 and another 986 housing units in 2038, the study said.
Shurbet and Burke's news release said the options the district is considering would disproportionately affect the Hispanic community, especially at Bethesda Elementary, where 38% of the school's students are Hispanic. The release said that, between Bethesda and Hawthorne elementary schools, 334 Hispanic students would be affected.
In a statement, the Waukesha School District said that it, like other districts statewide, have experienced declining enrollment over many years. The district said its enrollment has dropped each year between 2% and 2.5%; over the past 20 years, it has experienced a total enrollment decline of 25.5%.
"While we agree that Waukesha needs all types of housing options to meet the needs of our community, there is nothing in our data or experience to suggest significantly more children will be born or live in any additional housing units," the district said in its statement.
The district cited Wisconsin Department of Health Services statistics showing Waukesha County's birth rate as lower than Wisconsin's and the United States' birth rate from 2003 to 2023.
The district also cited the Applied Population Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's most recent enrollment study, which shows a continuing decline throughout Wisconsin "over the coming decade."
And, it said, a Waukesha School District specific study from April 2024 showed enrollment will likely decline between 1,011 and 1,479 students over the next five years, a trend it thinks will likely continue through 2034.The district said it is being proactive in evaluating the number of buildings it has and how many schools it needs. It says it is working with parents, staff and the community to decide what options to pursue.
Along with questioning the district's data, Bethesda Elementary School parents have other concerns about the district's process.
Karen Fraley, who has two children at Bethesda Elementary and is vice president of the school's Parent-Teacher Organization, said parents were shocked when they heard about the plans. One of their concerns is the timeline for the district's decision, which is expected later this year.
"So what is the real driving factor here? Why does it need to be so urgent, and why can't we stretch out the timeline so that we can make sure that we've thought all of the logistics, all the potential unforeseen consequences?" said Fraley.
Fraley also said the parents are concerned about the logistics of busing students to the remaining schools, and the impact of the potential loss of the schools dual language program, which teaches students in both English and Spanish.
The effects of the plans on special education students also concerns Fraley, who has a child who uses those services.
"It doesn't look to me, from the state of the plans as they are, that the district administration really took into consideration 'OK, where are students going to be moving to? How are you going to maintain the types of relationships that are necessary for learning?" she said.
Madison Gonzalez, whose two children both attend Bethesda Elementary and both use special education services, said her two biggest concerns are about special education and the dual language program.
"I think one of my biggest concerns in regards to the special education program, from my experience, would be how we're going to take these kids who have found a home and really grown with the school and then put them somewhere else and possibly backtracking all the work that's been done," Gonzalez said.
While her children aren't in the dual language program, Gonzalez said those families need to be spoken for. Cutting the program would present transportation issues and moral issues due to what she says are families who are native Spanish speakers being excluded from the conversation.
"It was just a little disheartening for the school board — that prides itself on being one of the best when it comes to dual language — is not including these families in the same conversation so they can give feedback," Gonzalez said.
Antonia Schmidt, whose daughter has Down syndrome, uses special education services and is heading into second grade, said she is also concerned about how the changes would affect the progress her daughter has made. She also has a son who will start kindergarten in the 2025-26 school year.
"Just the thought of it getting taken away and changed around was hard to process," Schmidt said.
Schmidt said she was encouraged to see how many parents have rallied in trying to save the school. "Seeing how many want to save the school, it was really touching and really comforting, and it's really making us more driven than anything," Schmidt said.
Bethesda parent Bill Stengrevics started a change.org petition, "Save Bethesda Elementary School," which had 718 signatures as of July 2.
Burke and Shurbet's news release said Bethesda Elementary parents are planning to share their concerns at Waukesha School District meetings. They also plan to hold a rally at the School Board's July 9 meeting.
For more information on the district's information sessions, visit sdw.waukesha.k12.wi.us/o/sdw/page/optimizing-our-future.
Contact Alec Johnson at [phone] or [e-mail]. Follow him on Twitter at@AlecJohnson12.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Waukesha parents concerned about district plan to close schools