The Pewaukee School District recommended and the board approved closing open‑enrollment seats for several special‑education programs and speech and language services for the 2026–27 application period after administrators said caseloads had reached locally appropriate thresholds.

Tony Stranky, the district’s director of student services, told the board the district uses a weighted caseload model tied to IEP service hours. He said regional comparables place elementary caseloads at about 8–10 students, middle schools at 10–12 and high schools at 12–14. Reviewing current staffing and enrollment, Stranky said several buildings are at or near those thresholds: Pewaukee Lake Elementary's five special‑education teachers cover 38 students (about 7.6 per caseload by the district’s accounting), Horizon Elementary’s five teachers cover a projected 52 students (~10 per caseload), Asa Clark Middle School's five teachers are projected at 11–12 per caseload, and Pewaukee High School's six special‑education teachers support about 83 students (roughly 14 per caseload).

"As a result, my recommendation for Pewaukee Lake Elementary... is to close all seats when we take into consideration referrals and move‑ins," Stranky said. He added that, because speech‑language providers are already at the mid‑to‑high end of recommended caseload ranges (district average projected at 38 students per SLP caseload), there is no additional capacity to accept nonresident students in speech services.

Board members asked about the practical implications for families. Administration clarified that the closure applies to new open‑enrollment applicants only; students already enrolled through open enrollment who have existing IEPs would remain in the district. Stranky explained the district reviews all open‑enrollment applications and any accompanying IEP paperwork as required by law to confirm eligibility and any changes in status.

Separately, administration presented the district’s open‑enrollment seat plan and financial context: the district expects roughly 350 nonresident students in district rolls next year and projects net open‑enrollment revenue on the order of $2 million. The board declared 35 open‑enrollment seats for 2026–27 (20 seats in 4‑K, plus seats in K, grade 2, grade 4, grade 5 and grade 9) in a motion that carried with one abstention. The board then voted to approve the recommended closures for specified special‑education and speech programs; that motion also carried with an abstention.

Administration noted it still receives and reviews IEP documentation each year (Stranky said he typically receives 15–30 IEPs for review in any given year) because some applicants may have had changes in their eligibility status. The district indicated the referral count to date for the current year was 36, with 13 students qualified and 14 evaluations in process, but said these counts commonly rise later in the year because of MTSS (multi‑tiered systems of support) timelines.

Next steps: the board directed staff to implement the open‑enrollment seat designations and closures for the 2026–27 application window and to continue the standard IEP review process for incoming open‑enrollment applications.