Milwaukee's Ongoing Movement toward K-8 Schools

Alan Borsuk:

he dramatic trend toward K-8 schools in Milwaukee is the central factor behind the middle school trend as a whole.

But this week's flurry of action was started by proposals from board member Michael Bonds to reopen Douglas and Jackie Robinson Middle School, 3245 N. 37th St., which also closed several years ago. Bonds argued that there was a shortage of traditional middle schools on the north side and that reopening the schools could reduce the amount of busing.

Andrekopoulos responded with proposals to close other schools to offset the reopenings. Overall MPS enrollment is expected to decline next year, and financial pressures on the system are sharp.

Finance committee members dropped the idea of reopening Robinson after a lengthy discussion of issues involved in launching the new Booker T. Washington program, such as how to meet the goal of getting at least 500 students, as well as a teaching staff, for a program that does not yet exist and at a time when the assignment process for students and the job transfer process for teachers are already well under way.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at February 24, 2008 4:01 PM
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