Mayor: Elmbrook School Closure Should Be Last Resort

Largely due to declining enrollment and budget constraints imposed by the State government, the Elmbrook School District finds itself in a difficult fiscal position. I have watched closely as the School Board has debated ways of dealing with its fiscal issues.

I firmly believe that the continuing excellence of the Elmbrook School System is vital to assuring Brookfield's position as a premier community. When people evaluate a community to decide whether to make it their home, the foremost consideration for most of them is the quality of education in the community.

Because of this, I have emphasized that the City of Brookfield should work cooperatively with the School District in achieving efficiencies wherever possible. I am in regular contact with Superintendent Matt Gibson and members of the School Board. I respect the process that the Elmbrook School Board is going through to determine whether to close a school or schools. Closing a school is a very serious step and should truly be a last resort. I hope and expect that whatever decision is made will be made on the basis of objective, logical criteria which can gain the acceptance of the residents of the District.

The Village of Elm Grove and the City of Brookfield are educational partners, and I would like to expand our cooperative relationship to other areas. Greater cooperation between communities is essential to achieving cost effective local government. It would be deeply unfortunate for the issue of school closings to create divisions between the City of Brookfield and the Village of Elm Grove. It would be similarly unfortunate for the issue of school closings to create divisions between different areas of the City.

Because of that and my respect for the School Board, I believe it is inappropriate for me or other elected municipal officials to reflexively take sides in a matter which is to be decided by elected School Board members. I do believe, however, that whatever decision is made by the School District, it should be based on the interests of the residents of the entire District. It should be based on objective, logical criteria which residents can understand and accept, regardless of where they reside. The School Board should think in terms of the District as a whole and not consider municipal boundaries, or arguments such as those based on the number of schools in a municipality.