The West Bend school board on Nov. 24 reviewed a staff financial analysis of possible changes to high‑school configuration and directed administrators to prepare public engagement plans. Superintendent Wimmer and district staff summarized projected enrollment declines, the financial implications of reconfiguration, and recommended next steps for community outreach.

Staff presented baseline enrollment figures (about 1,003 students in one program and 815 in the other) and a simple cohort projection showing continued decline in coming years. They described a model that removed duplicate teams and calculated athletics and associated costs; presenters estimated potential ongoing staff-related savings on the order of roughly $600,000 per year after startup if a reconfiguration and program consolidation were implemented. They also called out startup and rebranding costs: presenters said uniforms and related rebranding would require "well over a quarter of $1,000,000" in initial expense (transcript description; the presenter did not supply a single-line exact dollar figure) and that an expanded JV/continuum of teams would add about $95,000 annually to sustain the program.

Administrators stressed the analysis focused heavily on athletics where much of the variable cost and identity questions sit and noted some revenue effects are hard to quantify (gate receipts, facility wear and tear). Staff recommended a December planning phase to shape community engagement and to begin focused outreach — including sport-by-sport focus groups and broader surveys — with an eye toward a January–February public‑facing engagement timeline. "Kids equal dollars in school finance," the business office noted when explaining the revenue effects of enrollment change.

Board members asked for careful engagement of athletic stakeholders and for the district to return with a detailed framework; several trustees expressed general support for planning community input before any decisions are made.