Elmbrook School Board tonight: Action on petitioning neighboring subdivisions, DISCUSSION of 4K & maintenance budget

In case you didn't see this, the 4K vote was scheduled for tonight but was moved off the Agenda as an action item. The board will still discuss 4K tonight, however. The March 8th Agenda does include voting on 4K, but that could change too, I would think, depending on what happens in Madison regarding the State Budget.

One rather Deja Vu item on the agenda is 3D, E, F, & G. Neighboring subdivisions are petitioning Elmbrook to join our School District. Why do I say Deja Vu? Because we went through this in February of 2009: 64 from Waukesha petition to join Elmbrook schools: Why now? . The School Board accepted in 2009, Elmbrook board unanimously approves petition to join us, the State later denied. At least one of the areas seems to be the same as the last time.

Also on the agenda for tonight is discussion on the Long Range Capital Maintenance Budget. That doesn't sound too exciting, but it is important. If you saw Capital needs outweigh funds, Long-term, larger projects put off, maybe you were as surprised as I was to read, (My emphasis)
"The district also has deferred $500,000 in repairs to heating, ventilation and air-conditioning units and roofing at Brookfield Central and Brookfield East high schools. Miller [Elmbrook Facilities Director] said Central has $50,000 worth of urgent needs that will have to be addressed, and the facilities staff will know more once the snow clears off the roofs.

He said the district can patch some of the roofs as a stopgap measure, but improvements need to be done at both schools.

'Obviously the level of need clearly is higher than the (capital improvement) budget', Miller said."

Now I was under the impression that the entire heating and ventilation systems were replaced at East and Central High Schools during the $62 million dollar referendum remodel?

As for the ongoing roof replacement maintenance program (a common method of keeping large building flat roofs in good repair), I found it disturbing that once again, it seems that the district is skimping on the necessary repairs to maintain our facilities because of lack of funds. Yet every spring, it seems we have a budget surplus that then goes to other expenditures.

Last May Elmbrook split their projected$570,000 surplus to replace 2 lawn related tractors, faulty playground equipment, Hillside cafeteria tables, and make a $45,000 AstroTurf repair at Central High School's football field. The remaining $282,000 was to be added to Elmbrook's fund balance.

Do still contact the board regarding 4K.
Elmbrook School Board:
President Tom Gehl gehlt@elmbrookschools.org
Meg Wartman wartmanm@elmbrookschools.org
Glen Allgaier allgaieg@elmbrookschools.org
Gary Jones jonesg@elmbrookschools.org
Jean Lambert lambertj@elmbrookschools.org
Kathryn Wilson wilsonk@elmbrookschools.org
Robert Ziegler zieglerr@elmbrookschools.org

Residents split on K4
Fairly Conservative Archive: Who wants into the Elmbrook School District?

Links: Practically Speaking, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, The Right View Wisconsin, CNS News, Mark Levin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation