JANESVILLE After a meeting with a grassroots parents group that formed online, the Janesville School District has announced its halting all major decisions on whether to permanently close the flood-damaged Washington Elementary School.
In an email to Washington school parents and staff, Superintendent Mark Holzman wrote that the district is delaying a board decision and vote on whether to permanently shutter the school an action the district had previously slated for the boards July 14 meeting.
Holzmans message followed a meeting he held with public information officer Patti Lux Mlsna, school board members Lisa Hurda and Greg Ardrey, and three members of the Save Washington Elementary School parents group Monday night.
The meeting focused on whether or not the group could start fundraising to try to aid with repairs for the building, Elizabeth Cullen, the groups Facebook page administrator and one of the meetings attendees, said.
We got a lot of information, Cullen said. They were receptive to our information, and we just want to work together to make whatever needs to happen, happen.
Cullen posted a message on the Save Washington Facebook page after the meeting stating that attendees discussed whether or not the parents group should begin fundraising for the $3 million needed for flood repairs.
In the message, Cullen said district officials did not tell the parents to refrain from fundraising, but they did suggest it would be better to wait for a more concrete answer because it might be difficult to refund donations, should the district ultimately decide to close the school.
This was a disappointment to us, Cullen said in the post. We have momentum now, and its hard to be told to pump the brakes.
She added that the group will still seek pledges of support from corporate entities and will sell t-shirts and yard signs. The revenue from those sales could go toward helping Washington teachers displaced by the closure, she said.
Cullen told The 69蹤獲 her group did not discuss financial aspects of repairing Washington school at the meeting, but instead focused on factors such as enrollment and space the district may need to examine to decide its next steps.
Holzman wrote in his email that the district will apply for FEMA aid. The move comes after President Trump approved a $22.6 million aid package last week for Rock County and other Wisconsin counties hit by flooding and other damage from severe storms the Week of April 17.
The application for aid opened Monday with an Aug. 31 deadline.
Michelle Guzzardo, a district mom, said applying for FEMA aid is the most logical next step. She agrees the group should hold off on fundraising at least until the district finds out whether it will receive disaster relief aid.
Guzzardo said Holzmans email reassured her that the district would not rush to a vote. Still, Guzzardo has remaining questions about logistics.
If I walked in there with a check for $3 million today, would they say no thanks, we dont need it? she asked.
As the district moves forward, it will monitor current and future enrollment trends, building capacity and budget status, including its November operational referendum, Holzman wrote in the email.
Sherry Eyers, a Washington mom, said the message gives her hope that district officials will slow down and give it the attention it deserves. But Eyers worries the district may not be entirely forthright about the process after what she sees as a lack of transparency in the districts handling of Madison principal Stephanie Filters leave earlier this year.
Eyers believes the decision will ultimately be based on enrollment trends. She said once kids are settled in their new schools during an initial, two-year Washington schools closure, the district might use it to reason that Washington is no longer needed.
At the June 16 board meeting and workshop, the district displayed data that shows Washington has the largest student population compared to Adams Elementary and Madison Elementary schools. And the school has a bigger number of students who choose to attend there compared to the other two schools.
Washington Elementary school dad Matt Shumann said Holzmans message doesnt give him enough clarity on the situation to believe that the school board will be transparent about district needs and funding options.
My gut feeling is that theyre just slow-walking the inevitable, he said.
Shumann noted that the school has not provided a full breakdown of the flood repair costs.
He cited Cullens Facebook post as an indication that the district is not open to concrete discussions on how to raise the funds.
If youre doing a science project and you decide what you want the result to be, you can figure out any way to get there and say wow, I was right the whole time and thats what it seems like theyre doing, he said.
Shumann said there should be an open-forum for community members to talk to the school board and provide more clarity on what the district is doing or what might happen.
Its a school district, Shumann said. They shouldnt be in the business of closing schools.