Letter to the Editor: Pursue Other School Budget Solutions

Letter to the Editor:

The Elmbrook School district faces a budget shortfall. What's new? Well, for one, this time it's because our taxes have been cut by Governor Walker. That's a good thing, right? Right.

The problem is, this district cannot continue to support their current level of teacher salaries and benefits so they are choosing to cut more programs, increase class sizes and close a school to save money.

For years, they have taken this approach and it is cutting into the Elmbrook education for which so many of us moved here to receive. No matter how you slice it, we will never enjoy a balanced budget in this district if we don't adjust something on the salary and benefit side of the pie. We just won't. We also cannot continue to cut and close, cut and close to balance the budget!

Some fear we will lose teachers if we attack their pay. We don't have to "attack" their pay to make a difference. And we may lose a few, but realistically, where are they going to go? Yes, they are now taking home less money than they did a year ago. Who isn't? But I'm far less concerned about losing teachers because we freeze their pay for a few years than I am about losing teachers because of what the larger class sizes and program cuts mean to them. They know Elmbrook is a GREAT place to work and I want to keep it that way!

I'm not advocating a tax hike, a referendum or any other revenue increasing idea (4K). I'm advocating getting our expenses in line with our revenue. I'm advocating a more efficient administration and district. We continue to hear how tight money is and yet Brook El seems to have funds oozing from all cracks. We have more staff, books, bells and whistles than any school could hope for! And yet my kindergartener sits in a room of 27 kids and we have another child who can't seem to qualify for speech!

I have NO FAITH that these two will come out of elementary school with the same foundation that my older two have. If we don't churn out stellar elementary school pupils, we will not churn out stellar high school students. For the sake of all taxpayers, and of my kids who are currently climbing through the system, I'd hate to see an Elmbrook education and reputation erode. 

To all those taxpayers who think this school closing is saving them money, buckle up. This school board plans to shove 4K, a direct tax hike, down your throat. It's been in all of their revenue budgets as part of the plan to close the current gap and yet they haven't even voted on it!

They say we will save money by closing a school. The savings generated by closing Hillside are not nearly the $1.2 million they are claiming. Are they really going to let go of .08 of an orchestra teacher, .11 of a phy ed teacher, or .06 of an art teacher? I think not. Even the teaching positions that ARE cut aren't because of the closing at all, it's done so by "smoothing," which is the new code word for larger class sizes. Smoothing will be done in all buildings across the district next year and Elmbrook will be firing, according to their numbers, seven to ten teaching positions at the elementary level. Good news? Not really. The younger the students, the smaller the class sizes need to be to make the most impact.

What can we do instead? Lots of things! First, why does our administration need its own building? Close that one! We have empty classrooms throughout the district, mainly in Dixon and Burleigh. Move in there. We also own a building on North Avenue. Move in there. In fact, according to the district's own numbers, moving CAO into the second floor of Burleigh and the North Avenue building costs less than them staying where they currently are! Move yourselves before moving the kids, the teachers and the classrooms!

There was talk a year ago about a charter school. Dixon is underused. Empty it and open the charter school there. It's a beautiful new building!

Are you going to pass 4K? Then it ought to be reflected in capacity numbers before you close a school. Are you shutting off Open Enrollment and Chapter 220? Shouldn't all of these enrollment-impacting decisions be made BEFORE closing a school?

There have been SO MANY ideas and questions put forth by the public with regard to this budget shortfall that this board has dismissed. They would argue we just disagree. With all due respect, to disagree, you must weigh and compare the pros and cons of an idea first.

Kathy Otto Lockwood
Brookfield