UPDATE: Elmbrook Will Not Add 4K Next Fall; Some Favor Adding it in Future

Updated (10:55 p.m.): Despite an impassioned speech by Elmbrook Superintendent Matt Gibson urging future addition of 4-year-old kindergarten program, the School Board president said Tuesday it was clear from board debate that 4K will not be added next fall.

Two weeks ago, — not the minimum four votes needed for passage but close, as two other members did not say how they were leaning.

But Tuesday night, those two members said they opposed 4K (Meg Wartman and Kathryn Wilson). Joining in them in opposition were board members Jean Lambert and Glen Allgaier, who had raised concerns during the Jan. 10 debate. Wartman and Lambert face opponents in their April 3 re-election bids.

Board President Tom Gehl said he favors adding 4K "at some point beyond next year" — but not next fall due to the multitude of major changes occuring with the Hillside closing, redistricting and hiring of new administrators, including a superintendent.

Dick Brunner, who favored adding 4K two weeks ago, wavered against it Tuesday, although he said he was not ready to commit.

Bob Ziegler has been the sole board member in support of 4K for years, but he stayed silent Tuesday as Gehl was the only board member to endorse 4K.

Gehl said it was "pretty clear" there will be no 4K offered next fall, even though there was no formal vote Tuesday by the School Board. Tuesday's agenda called for discussion only, with a possible board vote on 4K at its Feb. 14 meeting.

"Part of me thinks we owe the community a vote of record on it," Gehl said.

He added the board could also vote on whether to approve adding 4K for the 2013-14 school year or beyond.

Outgoing superintendent supports 4K

Gibson urged the board to back 4K if not next year, then in future years, and if not in all five elementary schools, then in one or two centralized locations.

He said adding 4K was part of a "package" of recommendations by a steering committee that studied a mix of revenue and expenses changes to bridge budget deficits and reverse declining enrollment.

The board has adopted many of those package recommendations, including , not adding and tightening open enrollment.

"I fear, however, that 4K is being looked at as an individual program and (not) as a combined strategy," he said.

"It was hard to close a school," said Gibson, adding he "took the lead role in recommending the school closure."

District families were told "we'll pay a price in closing a school but there's something to be gained."

"It feels to me like we're ducking tonight," Gibson added. "It seems to me that it's time to step up right now ... to step up and complete this and take the high road.

He urged the board to consider endorsing 4K for implementation in a future year. "You could decide which of you would be the four votes," he said.

Gibson said while Elmbrook has excelled in academics, ACT stores and extracurricular activities, it has not been a leader in elementary school issues. It lagged behind peers in adding full-day 5K, he said.

But board members Wartman and Allgaier said they were not convinced Elmbrook needed 4K because studies have not shown academic benefits fade after a few years and Elmbrook has consistently captured the enrollment of about 73 percent of all five-year-olds in the district. The other 27 percent are enrolled in private and parochial schools for 5K.

Lambert said she remains concerned that increasing taxes to add 4K could endanger future community support when needed for a referendum to exceed state revenue limits to maintain Elmbrook's strong K-12 programs.