Board denies two New Berlin detachment petitions, rules one petition void

The West Allis-West Milwaukee School District Board of Education on Feb. 24 denied two petitions to detach small parcels of New Berlin from the district and ruled a third petition void under state statute.

The board voted to deny the two petitions that had met statutory form and hearing requirements after hearing public comment from dozens of residents and hearing a staff recommendation that one larger petition be declared void because it overlapped territory already pending in another proceeding.

The deliberations centered on statutory requirements, travel distances to neighborhood schools, the academic profile of students who live in the affected area, and the fiscal implications if additional parcels were removed from the district tax base.

Why it matters

A successful detachment would shift property tax revenue, reduce district equalized property value and change the mix of students the district serves. District staff warned that approving detachment petitions on the west edge of the district could prompt more petitions and leave the district with a smaller tax base and higher per-pupil costs for remaining taxpayers.

What the petitioners said

Petitioners told the board they filed to move parcels that fall within the City of New Berlin into the New Berlin School District. "We received that formal invitation via…