Faced with two failed referendums and a major budget shortfall, the Waterford Graded School District is considering a new approach to saving money, which is causing some parents concerns.
At Trailside Elementary in Waterford Thursday night, parents were asked to re-imagine the elementary school experience and consider the district's realignment plan.
Under the proposal, the district's three elementary schools would no longer serve K4 to fifth grade each but instead, divide the grade levels between the three schools.
Evergreen Elementary, for example, would teach all the fourth and fifth grade students in the entire district.
"From a fiscal perspective I can see the benefits,” parent Stacy Uebersohn said, “but from a student perspective and a family perspective I just have concerns there."
Many parents are concerned about things like larger class sizes, lack of stability with more frequent school changes, and longer commute times, or having to schedule multiple stops for each child.
Watch: Waterford Graded School District leaders explore 'realignment':
Related: Waterford parents hopeful about WGSD's second referendum attempt on ballot
Parents have pushed board members to reconsider, and while board leaders say they can't take it off the table completely they have responded to feedback about delaying the vote.
Right now, the earliest a decision could be made on realignment would be March 3rd, but many parents think more time is needed.
“I think they’re really trying to have good conversations with us about it,” Uebersohn said, “but I do think that they seem—it does seem apparent that they are in favor of realignment.”
Related: Parents in Racine Co. deal with mixed school referendum results
They’re encouraging school board members to hold off on making a decision until after the district’s latest referendum, set for April, to get a better idea of the overall budget and more seriously reconsider traditional redistricting as an alternative.
“Regardless of whether the referendum passes or not, we are still in this predicament with our population,” school board president Amanda Fiehweg said.
District officials said the redistricting option would cost about $30 thousand to execute and to meet population changes would disproportionately affect some families more than others.
The realignment plan divides the schools as such: 4K-1st grade at Trailside Elementary, 2nd and 3rd grade at Woodfield Elementary, and 4th and 5th grade at Evergreen Elementary. Then the kids would attend 6-8 at Fox River Middle School.
District officials have made it clear that they are facing a more than $1.3 million budget shortfall and said they are currently having to borrow money just to make payroll until they can find a long-term solution.
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