MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — The Manitowoc Public School District has approved a budget that includes school closures and significant changes to grade-level organization across buildings, as the district grapples with declining enrollment.
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Superintendent Lee Thennes said falling student numbers have left 70 classrooms across the district underused, prompting the need for major restructuring.
"We need to go from 6 elementary schools to 4," Thennes said. "We move to a structure where we have 5th and 6th grade together at one of our middle buildings and then a 7th and 8th grade building in the other middle building."
The changes are part of the district's newly approved budget, which focuses on sustainability and reducing maintenance costs. Thennes explained that the district's revenue is directly tied to enrollment numbers.
"Our revenue is completely attached to the amount of kids we have so as you constrict in your number of students you have to constrict in the ways you operate," Thennes said.
However, not all parents support the proposed changes. Lisa Kruger, who has two 6th-grade boys at Wilson Middle School, expressed concerns about the transitions.
"I am pretty nervous about it," Kruger said. "Middle school is hard enough without throwing another big hurdle, new building, new teachers, new classmates."
Kruger's sons are particularly resistant to the potential move to Washington Middle School.
"They do not want to have to go to Washington," Kruger said. "They both are like ... I love Wilson, I don't want to leave our school."
Both of Kruger's children have special needs, and she worries the changes could disrupt their learning environment.
"Many of our kids that are autistic or have different special abilities, they can be routine structured and change can be really difficult for them," Kruger said.
Bus driver Mike Siebold supports the consolidation but acknowledges potential challenges in transportation.
"The only thing that could be an issue is finding enough bus drivers," Siebold said. "Depending on how it goes with filling routes ... we go along with whatever's gotta happen."
Thennes said the changes could begin next year, though it remains unclear which specific schools will close.
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