Verona Area School District approves 60 open‑enrollment seats, declines kindergarten openings for 2025–26

The Verona Area School District Board of Education voted Jan. 27 to approve 60 additional open‑enrollment seats for the 2025–26 school year while recommending no new kindergarten open‑enrollment spots.

District leaders told the board the recommendation aims to protect class sizes and avoid unplanned staffing costs after enrollment counts came in lower than projected. “We just finished up our January count … We actually have 30 fewer students in our school district than we did last year,” said Nate, a staff member presenting enrollment data.

Administrators recommended allocating the newly approved seats mainly to first and second grades and some middle‑school grades; administrators said 17 spaces were set for sixth grade in part to accommodate current fifth‑grade tuition‑waiver students who might reapply. Chad, a district staff member who worked on the projections, said the recommendation is an "informed guess" based on current enrollments, class sizes and county birth trends.

The district reported 129 students seeking to open‑enroll into Verona and 140 seeking to open‑enroll out this year, figures officials said are close to even. Officials also flagged an estimated $1.6 million budget gap the district is addressing and said adding kindergarten seats now could require hiring teachers in August if a larger‑than‑expected kindergarten cohort appears.

Board members asked whether shared 4K agreements with other districts would affect who is treated as a current student for preference; staff said state law treats current students and certain tuition‑waiver students as having preference, and that 4K partnerships create complexities in sibling and current‑student priority.

The board motioned to approve the administration’s recommended open‑enrollment proposal (motion by Joe; second by Christopher) and approved it by voice vote.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Approve recommended 2025–26 open‑enrollment seats as presented by administration. - Mover: Joe; Second: Christopher. - Outcome: Approved.

What this means for families

Administrators said no kindergarten open‑enrollment spots are being recommended for now; families with incoming kindergarteners who are currently enrolled in Verona 4K programs still count as current students under district practice and state preference rules, which affects how lottery and preference are applied if seats are limited. District staff said they would update website materials and FAQs to explain the timeline and preferences for families.

Background and next steps

Open enrollment in Wisconsin runs through late April for families to apply; districts notify families in June and parents must confirm placement by the end of June. The board’s vote sets the number of spots Verona will offer; individual applications will be processed under state rules. The administration will return with staffing and placement details as registrations finalize in spring and summer.