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West Bend board debates how to study combining two high schools under one roof
Summary
School board members debated Policy 119, which outlines a review process for high school configuration, including whether to pursue a nonbinding referendum or a survey and how to structure community engagement and a task force.
The West Bend Joint School District No. 1 Board of Education discussed Policy 119, the district's high school configuration review process, during its regular meeting.
Board members and Superintendent Regenta Wimmer debated whether the policy's requirement for a nonbinding referendum should be retained or replaced with a district-run survey. Superintendent Wimmer said legal counsel advised there is no statute explicitly prohibiting the district from placing a nonbinding referendum on the ballot, but she warned that running a referendum would incur election and legal costs and asked the board to consider the purpose of such a question.
The policy's origin and timetable were part of the discussion. Board members noted the policy was adopted in 2015 and questioned whether the lengthy task-force process remains appropriate given changes in the community since then. Board member Jenkins said the existing policy felt "cumbersome" and suggested trimming the task force membership to those with direct stakes in the outcome.
Several board members favored collecting richer, qualitative input rather than a simple yes/no vote. One member said a referendum would produce a binary result, while a survey could capture nuance and allow targeted questions for students and families. Superintendent Wimmer proposed beginning internally with surveys of district students and families via existing systems (Skyward was mentioned as an internal option) and said she could cost out broader survey options and the expense of holding a referendum.
Board members also asked staff to prepare information the board would need if it were to advance the conversation, including projected financial impacts, likely effects on student extracurricular participation and athletics, enrollment projections, and participation data from similarly configured districts. Superintendent Wimmer said administration would sketch timelines and cost estimates for both a survey and a referendum, and bring proposals back to the policy committee and full board for follow-up.
No formal action was taken; the item was discussed as a policy review and the board asked administration to return with additional information and proposals for next steps.
The board said it prefers a staged approach that begins with input from those most immediately affected (students, staff and families) while recognizing some members want broader community engagement if the conversation advances.
Looking ahead, board members asked the policy committee to consider whether the current Policy 119 language should be revised to reflect the board's preferences on public engagement, referendum language, and task-force composition.
