Proposal to expand Wauwatosa School District boundaries faces legal hurdles
WAUWATOSA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A proposal to expand the Wauwatosa School District's boundaries is not permitted under current state law, according to a legal opinion released by the district Wednesday, Aug. 28.
The proposal would have transitioned some neighborhoods that currently send their students to Milwaukee Public Schools to the Wauwatosa School District.
However, under Wisconsin law, Milwaukee Public Schools is the only district in the state whose boundaries cannot be reorganized.
The legal opinion, dated Wednesday, Aug. 21, states, "Currently, there is not a process or mechanism under state law for the District to initiate the detachment of territory from MPS. Reorganization of this nature would only be possible if the legislature changed the applicable law, or the Milwaukee Common Council changed the City’s municipal boundaries such that territory that presently belongs to MPS would no longer be within its municipal boundaries."
The plan is one of several proposed by the school board to boost enrollment and maintain all of the district's elementary schools.
