Parents, teachers and students urge MMSD to restore staff allocations after referendum

More than a dozen parents, teachers and school staff told the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) operations work group on March 10 that proposed allocation cuts will reduce access to music, increase class sizes and strain services for English learners and students with individualized education plans.

Speakers described specific enrollment-and-staffing changes they said are affecting their schools and urged the district to revise its allocation methods and communicate more clearly. "Music is an important part of a 20 first century well rounded education," said Jen Stripe, who said she was representing "over 200 Bell Phillips Memorial High School families, students, alumni, Madison Taxpayers" who support the BPM music program. "Residents of Madison voted to pass the 2024 operational referendum expecting school curricula to be fully funded, not cut," Stripe said.

The public comments included classroom teachers, building department chairs and bilingual resource staff. West High science…