Waukesha school district contemplates closing schools as enrollment declines

Wisconsin’s public schools have fewer students in the classrooms, leaving districts across the state considering closing and combining schools. 

That includes the School District of Waukesha, where officials say enrollment has declined steadily since reaching about 13,000 students a decade ago. 

Last school year, enrollment dropped to about 10,500 students. District officials predict enrollment will continue to decline based on birth trends.

In a letter to families, the district says it has a capacity of 14,232 students, but 4,557 seats are empty.

“Our projections show that our consistent 2 percent reduction in students per year is projected to last until 2034 and likely beyond,” wrote Superintendent James Sebert.

Sebert said over the last 20 years, the district’s enrollment has declined by 25 percent.

The school district began work on long-range planning earlier this year. Leaders have come up with four options to be evaluated through fall before a decision is made. They include reconfiguring grade levels, closing schools and ending programs. The options range from reducing the number of seats in the district by 12 to 22 percent. 

In every scenario, Bethesda Elementary School is closed. And in three of the scenarios, Hawthorne Elementary School would be closed. 

But parents are raising concerns about the data the district used and questioning if Hispanic families are being targeted.

Overall, School District of Waukesha students are about 60 percent white, 25 percent Hispanic and 5.6 percent Black. About 37 percent of the students are considered economically disadvantaged, according to the latest Department of Public Instruction school report card.

Bethesda has about 400 students and 37 percent are Hispanic, according to DPI. At Hawthorne, 54 percent of the school’s 325 students are Hispanic, according to DPI. 

Fathers Sean Shurbet and Joe Burke decided to analyze the school district’s data and compare it with a city housing study. That study, updated in 2024, highlights the need for thousands of new housing units through 2038. It also says an additional 1,821 residents under age 20 are expected in the next decade. 

Shurbet, who has a son at Bethesda Elementary, argues the school district’s focus on enrollment downtrends is “disingenuous” and potentially discriminatory. 

“The residents are deeply alarmed by the disproportionate impact on the Hispanic community as reflected in the school district’s recommendations,” Shurbet said. 

District projections from the state Applied Population Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggest enrollment will continue falling to 8,700 students by 2034.

In a statement, the school district said it agrees that Waukesha will need more housing options, but there is nothing in its data to suggest significantly more children will be born or live in those housing units.

The school district’s response did not address the proposed closures’ impacts on Hispanice students.

Shurbet is considering filing an ethics complaint with the state. Meanwhile, the fathers plan to bring their findings to the next school board meeting and ask that consolidation plans be put on hold.