LETTER: More info, please, before we vote on $45.8 million school

To Ozaukee Press:

Is throwing away Saukville Elementary school building the right thing to do for the wrong reasons?

We have been asked to support a Port Washington-Saukville School District

$59.4 million April 1 referendum that includes the construction of a new Saukville Elementary School for $45.8 million. We are lead to believe it’s a reasonable request, as the School Board unanimously approved the referendum with the support of the superintendent.

The foundation for the decision is the

existing school building and its open class room configuration is providing students with a sub-par learning environment. In addition to the challenges of an open class room concept, it has been said the school is overcrowded and there are “failing systems.”

It is understood that systems fail and facilities need ongoing maintenance. It’s plausible student capacity at individual schools can push limits due to new residential development. It possible previous Saukville Elementary School students during the past 35 years were provided a substandard open class room expedience and education. This is what the proponents of the referendum want us to believe.

Before we sign off on another $45.8 million, let’s at the very least ask questions. Why was ongoing maintenance neglected until it gets to a point when demolition and a rebuild is more affordable than fixing the issue? Why is overcrowding being sited as a challenge when the current enrollment is at the same level as 2009?

If Saukville Elementary School is overcrowded while the other two elementary school enrollment has declined by 215 students since 2009, can students be reassigned to the other two elementary schools? Why did the Saukville Elementary open classroom concept outperform the other two PWSSD elementary schools and state academic performance up until 2021? Why has there been a decline?

Without additional data and strategic analysis, we have been asked to make a

$45.8 million impulse purchase. Let’s all ask for more information before we make our decision.

Rick Sternhagen

Port Washington