WAUWATOSA — Parents, teachers, and students packed the Wauwatosa School District Office to advocate for one of their STEM charter schools and STEM programs to continue.
The Wauwatosa School Board is considering sunsetting WSTEM school and retiring MSTEM for middle school students and USTEM.
The board looked at a proposal to extend a final five-year charter school contract to WSTEM, starting the 2025-2026 school year and concluding with the 2029-2030 school year.
Watch: Tosa Parents speak out as school board mulls ending STEM school, programs
“I’m totally baffled,” said Jill McClellan, a WSTEM parent. “I think it's a program that should be celebrated, that the district can hold up as this great achievement, and to take it away would be a huge mistake.”
WSTEM operates in Wilson Elementary, but the two entities are separate.
Many were disappointed at the possibility that WSTEM could end by 2031. Andres Romero, a new parent in the district, has a child at WSTEM and is concerned about how ending the school in five years might affect his children.
“It's a little bit frustrating, because I have another kid, and I also knew that my chances to get into that program were very little, and once you're there, it's like, really amazing,” said Romero.
While almost all the parents who spoke during public comment spoke in favor of keeping the school and these programs alive, one parent did speak against it.
“The STEM program is a lottery, and there are over 200 people on the waiting list,” said Sarah, a parent in the district. “It is not an inclusive program.”
Instead, the district is looking to launch ‘STEM for All,’ which was also a recommendation of the district audit. It was also mentioned during the meeting that more STEM electives would be provided.
One of the biggest questions up for discussion was why not offer both options, STEM for All and the other programs and schools.
District leaders said it would dilute the focus away from offering STEM for all students.
The board also heard a proposal to create a new, elementary STEM elective, starting next year.
School board members will have two weeks to mull over their decisions regarding these programs.
Learn more: School Board Meeting Preview - October 14, 2024 | Wauwatosa School District
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