West Bend board to seek family input on elementary boundary maps as grade reconfiguration advances

Superintendent Wimmer presented preliminary steps for developing elementary-school boundary options as the district prepares a grade-configuration change that will move fifth grade to elementary schools and sixth grade to middle school.

Wimmer said she wants to work with principals, staff and families at each elementary school this spring to craft viable boundary options before bringing a recommended plan to the board. "I'd like to engage in those conversations this spring with families at each one of the elementary schools, to kind of build that and then bring forward a recommendation," she said.

Board members encouraged a two-phase engagement plan: broad outreach followed by a tighter second round of feedback targeted at households directly affected by any proposed map changes. One board member said keeping neighborhood groupings intact should be a high priority to avoid drawing arbitrary lines through established neighborhoods.

Transportation considerations are being coordinated with the district's bus provider as staff model three-tier routing scenarios. Wimmer said the district's current bus operation is roughly "a tier and a half" and that moving to a full three-tier system could create route- and driver-efficiencies but requires attention to hazardous crossings and natural neighborhood boundaries.

Wimmer also noted that inter-district school-choice procedures remain available to families after boundaries are set, and that the district would invite broad participation even from families unlikely to be directly impacted, with a more focused outreach later once preliminary models are available.

No formal vote was taken. Wimmer said she will present a timeline and initial community-engagement plan back to the board, including initial meetings with school communities and a return to the board for future discussion.