Shorewood School District approves small staff reductions after hours of public comment

The Shorewood School District Board on May 13 approved one final contract nonrenewal and three final notices of contract nonrenewal that together reduce staff by about 0.7 full-time equivalent (FTE), actions board members said were driven by projected budget shortfalls and statutory timelines for personnel notifications.

The votes followed nearly four hours of public comment during which dozens of students, teachers, parents and alumni pressed the board to reverse course or find alternatives. Speakers described elaborate experiential classes and a campus culture they said would be damaged by cuts, and many urged the district to use fund balance or pursue other short-term measures instead.

The board acted after Superintendent Laurie Burgos and district staff outlined the district’s financial outlook and a draft strategic plan that includes an enrollment study and a financial-sustainability task force. Burgos told the meeting that the district must balance long-term sustainability with protecting classroom programs and that some personnel steps were constrained by state timelines for contract notices.

Why it matters

The approved personnel notices are a small numeric change but came amid broader community concern about program cuts, rising class sizes and the district’s long-term enrollment outlook. Shorewood, like many Wisconsin districts, has faced flat or declining state aid and rising costs for insurance and retirement; the board and administration say those financial pressures, plus the need to preserve a prudent fund balance, are driving difficult choices.

What the board approved

- A motion to approve one final contract nonrenewal was adopted by voice vote after discussion; the board did not record a roll-call tally in the minutes.

- A subsequent motion to approve three final notices of contract nonrenewal, representing a combined reduction of 0.7 FTE, was also approved by voice vote.

Board members and administrators said the notices follow the district’s required notification schedule; Burgos noted that several staffing adjustments can still occur over the summer as resignations, retirements or scheduling changes create openings.

Public comment and community response

Teachers, students and parents filled the board chamber and repeatedly urged the district to keep staff and signature programs. Sheila Mooney, a department chair and SEA building representative, said department chairs were not involved in making the cuts and asked the board to use less of the fund balance. “Do you want your legacy to be the legacy of less?” Mooney asked the board.

Student organizers cited a petition and on-the-ground action: Nathan Berkowitz said he had collected an online petition with "1,005 signatures" opposing the cuts and that more than 200 students staged a recent walkout in protest.

Several students warned that class-size increases would harm safety and learning in lab and physical-education settings; a first-year teacher, a high-school chemistry instructor, told the board that managing a chemistry lab with 30 students is “very, very hard” and dependent on additional support staff.

Legislative context and district response

Reuben Berkowitz, a legislative staffer and Shorewood alumnus, read a message from state Representative Darren Madison urging the board to consider student organizers’ demands and noting the broader state funding challenges that many districts face. Multiple public speakers urged residents to contact the state Joint Finance Committee and their legislators; Burgos said she would provide information for community members to do so.

Administration presentations and next steps

Before the votes, district staff presented a draft strategic plan and community engagement findings collected over the past year. Burgos and consultants said the district will continue an enrollment study and convene a financial-sustainability task force to examine configurations, long-term facilities needs and other options to preserve programmatic quality. Staff said they will return to the board with further budget detail and implementation plans.

What the board said

Several board members acknowledged the emotional testimony and said they understand community concerns; they also described legal and fiscal constraints. Board discussion at the meeting focused on balancing the district’s fund balance, projected deficits if current trends continue, and the need to protect long-term financial stability while seeking creative options to preserve valued programs.

Where things stand now

The notices approved at the meeting are final actions under the board’s personnel timeline but do not exhaust the district’s ability to adjust schedules over the summer if other openings or resignations allow restoration of assignments. The district’s administration will bring additional budget detail, the results of an enrollment study and options from the financial-sustainability task force to the board in coming weeks.

Community members who spoke said they will continue to press the district and the state for funding changes. The board and administration urged continued public engagement through planned task forces and the district’s strategic-planning process.

Ending

The meeting closed with the board electing officers and agreeing to continue the strategic-planning and budget-work schedule; the administration said it would post contacts and guidance for residents who want to write or call the Joint Finance Committee and state legislators about school funding.

(Reporting notes: quotes and attributions are taken from the Shorewood School District public meeting transcript of May 13, 2025.)