Elmbrook School Board Close to Majority Support for Adding 4K

At least three of seven Elmbrook School Board members expressed support Tuesday for adding a 4-year-old kindergarten program next fall, but whether the board will reach majority support was unclear.

A vote likely will not occur until Feb. 14 at the earliest, as the board decided it needed more information and would likely continue debate about 4K at its next meeting Jan. 24.

Supporting addition of 4K were Board President Tom Gehl, Bob Ziegler and Dick Brunner. Opposed was Jean Lambert, with a caveat that she would support partnering with existing community preschools to offer Elmbrook curriculum there. Glen Allgaier raised concerns and sought more information, while Meg Wartman and Kathryn Wilson did not express their views Tuesday.

Gehl and Brunner said their stances on 4K have changed from opposition to support. Gehl said he believes resident families (and prospective resident families) want 4K. He said he wants to cater to those families and have the district focus on resident families' needs while stemming or eliminating — as much as legally possible — non-resident open enrollment.

But Gehl said he does not support offering 4K in all five elementary schools. Rather, he favors hosting 4K at two schools — Burleigh and Dixon.

Lambert said her opposition was based on concern that increasing property taxes in order to add 4K will poison relations with district families and taxpayers who don't have children in the schools. That could hurt Elmbrook's chances of gaining electorate support for a referendum to exceed state revenue caps to maintain Elmbrook's top-notch academics and other programs, whenever Elmbrook might need to seek such a referendum.

Ziegler said he has always and continues to support 4K for many benefits to the district.

Within four years, a 4K program would , money that could be used not only to fund 4K but other K-12 programs.

But the money would come largely from increased property taxes — about $70 to $100 more annually for the owner of a $300,000 home, according to a board memo for Tuesday's meeting.

Dixon Elementary School Principal Jeanne Siegenthaler urged the board to approve 4K and offer it in all five schools so four-year-olds can be in their home schools with their older siblings.

While obtaining her doctorate, Siegenthaler said she surveyed school districts statewide and 89 percent of the 259 district who responded said they saw academic and social benefits for students who attended 4K.

"I think we have to look at 4K as an investment, not as an expense," she said.

Allgaier said his review of voluminous studies showed that there was little long-term academic benefit for 4K, particularly for areas with similar socio-economic demographics as Elmbrook. Like Lambert, he had concern about the tax impact.

Brunner said he knows families who have chosen to move into other area districts that offer 4K. Adding 4K would keep Brookfield market competitive and attractive for new home buyers, he said.