Researching the concept of changing districts arose, it seems that some families wanted to change from one school district to another. The primary reason for wanting to switch was because of better outcomes at a different district. There is a formal process that is governed by state statutes. The problem the Wisconsin DPI has is if it allows a landowner to attach their property to a higher-performing district it would ‘open the flood gates’ and many engaged parents would move their children.

The Wisconsin DPI has determined the process of switching from one school district. It is suggested:

• The petitioner provides paperwork to each of the districts. They are asking to be released by one district and accepted by the other. There is a strict deadline.
• The petitioner attends a school board meeting at each district, explaining why we wanted to switch districts.
• If either district denies the petitioner, Wisconsin Statute provides for an appeal in Madison.
• Both districts and the petitioner are encouraged to attend. The appeal board consists of three school board directors from different size school districts.

From the petitioner’s perspective, this is not an independent process. All parts of this process are controlled by either the school board or the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Why should a taxpayer have to stand in front of a school board and explain they are doing an inferior job running the local school district, compared to the district they are trying to join?

The fundamental problem with this process is that the educational results of a particular district do not come into consideration.

Public School District Reorganization-Evaluation Criteria for School District Reorganization

(https://dpi.wi.gov/sms/reorganization/evaluation-criteria)

(Wis. Stats. 117.15)

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Wis. Stats. Ch. 117.15 lists the criteria by which school boards and the School District Boundary Appeal Board (SDBAB) or the three-member Appeal Panel evaluate school district reorganization requests. The following items, along with other appropriate factors, should be considered when assessing the effect of the reorganization on the educational welfare of all the children residing in all of the affected school districts:

• The geographical and topographical characteristics of the affected school districts, including the estimated travel time to and from school for pupils in the school districts.
• The educational needs of all of the children residing in the affected school districts, the educational programs currently offered by each affected school district, and the ability and commitment of each school district to meet those needs and continue to offer those educational programs.
• If the territory is proposed to be detached from one school district and attached to an adjoining school district, whether the proposed detachment will have any adverse effect on the program currently offered by the school district from which the territory is proposed to be detached, including both curricular and extracurricular aspects of that program.
• The testimony of and written statements filed by the residents of the affected school districts.
• The estimated fiscal effect of the proposed reorganization on the affected school districts, including the effect of the apportionment of assets and liabilities.
• Whether the proposed reorganization will make any part of a school district’s territory noncontiguous.
• The socioeconomic level and racial composition of the pupils who reside or will reside in the territory proposed to be detached from one school district and attached to an adjoining school district or in a school district proposed to be dissolved; the proportion of the pupils who reside in such territory who are children at risk, as defined under s. 118.153 (1)(a); and the effect that the pupils described in this paragraph will have on the present and future socioeconomic level and racial composition of the affected school districts and on the proportion of the affected school districts’ enrollments that will be children at risk.
• The results of any referendum held under s.117.10.
• Other appropriate factors.

Is this system designed to limit the number of property owners transferring from one district to another? Should a number of landowners transfer a district, it may become not viable.

Reviewing data, not readily available from the DPI it is apparent petitions to switch districts are seldom granted. When face with an appeal of boundary issues the appeal panel suggested using open enrollment of simply selling your land and purchasing land in the preferred district (REALLY?).

The real problem is that the school district is not providing an equal product as another school district. Typically the district tries to paint the petitioner as being greedy because there is a substantial difference in the value of their property. However, the value of the land is driven by the buyer. In today’s market information of school districts quality is easily available, and that is one

“The domestic home-buying population also clearly values the right school. A 2013 realtor.com® survey of nearly 1,000 prospective home buyers showed that 91 percent said school boundaries were important in their search.” https://www.realtor.com/advice/buy/the-right-school-district-how-much-do-schools-affect-real-estate-prices/

The quality of a school district is generally widely known, by both residents and professionals dealing with real estate. Professionals in the education field are also keenly aware of where their districts stack up against schools in their conference.