Thursday, January 5, 2012

The Real Effects Of Walker's School Budget Starting To Be Seen

I've pointed out before that even though the schools are already being impacted by Scott Walker's irresponsible budget with less teachers, bigger classrooms and programs being cut, that the real impact hasn't been felt yet. Some school districts, like Merrill's, are starting to see the reality of it (emphasis mine):
Parents of Merrill elementary school students said a proposal to move fifth-grade students to the district's middle school would disrupt their kids' education and place them in an environment for which they might not be ready.

Merrill Area Public Schools administrators proposed sending all fifth-grade students now divided among five elementary schools to Prairie River Middle School in the middle of the city. The idea is one of 14 cost-cutting measures aimed at cutting about $1.4 million from the district's $40.5 million 2012-13 budget. Closing Maple Grove Elementary School in the town of Hamburg and Pine River Elementary School on the city's east side also is proposed along with eliminating the boys hockey program.

About 200 students now in fourth grade would move to the middle school as fifth-graders if the board approves the change, Interim Superintendent Bruce Anderson said. He is uncertain how the increase would affect individual class sizes or the number of classrooms for the grade and said the district will spend more time studying those questions if the board approves the change.
You're going to be seeing this all over the state as parents start to realize that Walker's budget is harming their children's education and would have life long impacts for the children. And this will be becoming more noticed as we close in on the time of the actual recall election.

I wonder if Walker is still so proud of what he has done.

1 comment:

  1. Four months later and Pine River school is slated to be closed as a grade school, Maple Grove narrowly survived as a Charter school created as a cooperation between Merrill Area Public Schools and the Wausau District to the south.
    Because children displaced from Pine River had to be in blended into the remaining grade schools in Merrill, attendance lines were redrawn, forcing grade schoolers to switch schools for the coming year.
    My youngest, in first grade, who lives 3 blocks from school and walked to and from school everyday just as his sister did for 6 years-- never costing the district a cent in transportation until now-- for some reason will now be bused across town to attend his new school.

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