SHOREWOOD, Wis. — Parents, teachers and students are expressing concerns following the Shorewood School District's decision to reduce staffing during a board meeting last week.
The board voted to cut five full-time positions in an effort to balance the budget, affecting teaching positions at multiple schools, including Shorewood High School, Shorewood Intermediate School and Atwater Elementary.
Students like Elise Akins from Shorewood High School voiced their worries about what these cuts could mean for their education and extracurricular activities.
“That they're going to stop a lot of the stuff that we need,” she said.
She is not the only one concerned.
“I really hope that they take into consideration not just that these teachers need money, they need jobs, they have lives outside of school, but how it affects us as students because a lot of us, you know, the only thing we have after school we come and we see our teachers and our directors and our art club presidents and it’s the only thing a lot of us have to do after school. It’s our home away from home," said Analucia Zimmer, another Shorewood High School student.
TMJ4 News first started looking into this situation when student Breckan Henkhaus emailed us saying, in-part, "After the referendum in 2023, they advertised that they would use the new money to 'retain and attract high- quality staff and protect robust student programs and services," and adding "The student body is trying so hard to spread awareness about what is happening," and "A majority of the community has no idea that the referendum money is not being used as advertised."
WATCH: Students concerned about staffing cuts coming to Shorewood School District
It's true that the cuts come despite the passage of a 2023 referendum intended to help “attract and retain top-notch staff.”
"This is an incredibly difficult and challenging situation that we find ourselves in. I blame the state legislature for continually underfunding public education," said School Board Treasurer Nathan Hammons during the April 29 board meeting.
In a statement sent on Monday, School District Superintendent Laurie Burgos reaffirmed the district's commitment to the 2023 operating referendum.
"First, it’s important to reiterate that the Shorewood School District remains steadfast in the commitments of the 2023 operating referendum: to attract and maintain high-quality staff and protect robust student programs and services, and ongoing financial stewardship of community resources. Similar to many other school districts, we are working to align our staffing levels to student enrollment," the statement said.
In response to the cuts, students are planning a walkout on Wednesday, hoping to raise awareness and encourage more community members to attend the next school board meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. on May 13.
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