Amy Hetzner:

Among the audit’s findings:

• With 17 administrators, the Menomonee Falls district is at the high end of comparably sized districts, which have 14.5 to 17 administrators. But its licensed teaching staff exceeded staffing at similar districts by the equivalent of 40 to 60 full-time employees in the 2005-’06 school year. In particular, specialty courses at Menomonee Falls High School often have smaller class sizes than other districts or even other district schools, Germain found. The board already is planning to reduce its staff by 10 full-time teachers in 2006-’07.
• Departments and teachers are “pushed” to spend the money the district budget provides annually by the end of the school year. “That is, purchase orders are rushed into the Business Office during April in an attempt to spend any remaining budget dollars so that when next year’s budget is prepared their budget level is not reduced,” according to the study.
• The district’s building structure – separate middle schools for sixth- and seventh-graders and for eighth- and ninth-graders and a 10th- through 12th-grade high school – contributes to more administrative staffing, time lost for traveling teachers and small class sizes for courses such as foreign languages.

More commentary.