A tax hike is inspiring an effort by some New Berlin homeowners to change school districts.
Some of their bills jumped more than $500 this year. Now the people living on South Pohl Drive in New Berlin want out of the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District.
"I open up the bill and almost fell off the couch, 18.4 percent increase," said homeowner John Molling.
For Molling that's a $450 dollar increase. Last year, he said his bill went up by about $50. His neighbor Deb Neuroth saw a $530 dollars increase.
They and the dozen other homeowners on South Pohl Drive all pay into the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District. The district has been in financial trouble. The state approved more than $15 million in loans last year leading to the tax hike.
"That's a high increase," said Neuroth.
The homeowners argue their street is about a mile from Eisenhower High School in New Berlin and more than three miles from Nathan Hale High School in West Allis.
Molling said New Berlin Schools agreed to the swap, but the West Allis school board did not take up their request.
"They didn't even vote, they are so disrespectful, after all this," said Molling.
So he's starting a petition to appeal to the state.
"Tomorrow, I start gathering names. I got to get six more names," said Molling.
"It's not just the tax increase, it's the lack of representation of the New Berlin citizens in the West Allis District," said Neuroth.
We reached out to members of the West Allis School Board and the district for a comment, but they did not respond back.
