Joe Green and Chris Linder on School District Consolidation

Frederica Freyberg:
In the case of Wisconsin K-12 schools, enrollment has been on a steady slide. In the 2024-25 school year, there were 68,000 fewer students than in 2005. Enrollment figures for this year aren’t tallied until the third week in September. Declines in school populations mirror declines in the state population and birth rates. School buildings being emptied out is happening all over the state, an issue lawmakers are hoping to address this fall by helping districts consolidate.

Amanda Nedweski:
Because student enrollment is the primary driver of our state’s school funding formula, districts experiencing declining enrollment receive less money in state aid. So to make up for this, many districts go to referendum and they raise local property tax bills to pay for increasingly empty buildings. The already heavy burden on taxpayers will only get worse over time.

Frederica Freyberg:
This is especially true for rural districts. We look at two of them now embarking on consolidation in the small Clark County cities of Loyal and Greenwood. For more on this, we turn to Greenwood District Administrator Joe Green and Loyal administrator Chris Lindner. And thanks to both of you for being here.

Joe Green:
You bet.

Chris Lindner:
Thank you very much for having us.

Frederica Freyberg:
Joe, are these enrollment numbers kind of the tipping point for what prompted the moves to consolidate?

Joe Green:
It’s definitely one of the factors. It’s a significant factor. I think that, you know, when you think about factors of why we look to consolidate, it’s the declining enrollment paired with the increasing difficulty to hire highly qualified staff, which is then also, you know, paired with creating more opportunities for our kids and maintaining the opportunities that our kids need to be college and career ready when they leave the district.

Frederica Freyberg:
What is the mood among residents for — and families — for this consolidation?

Chris Lindner:
So this has been something that has been talked about since 1960. Early 2000s I think it was approached once, if not twice. Actually had a vote on it, had a study done with it, and it did not pass. We — so it seems like every 20 years, this continues to come up. And we are at 2025-26 school year, I believe community members, families, are ready to make that move. I know there’s questions out there. We have done a number of things in the last two or three years to help alleviate some of the pain with co-opting a number of sports. Our marching band is co-opted. We share some students back and forth for classes. Some of your higher-end classes that may not run because — or you run with three or four kids. Now you can add some more kids to make it a little more efficient for that teacher. But I really see both communities, which according to the advisory vote that we had last spring, are for it and want to do something moving forward to help alleviate, you know, what I’ll say is, higher taxes and the operating referendums.

Frederica Freyberg:
What are your opinions of the state right now saying — taking an interest in helping districts, potentially incentivizing districts to consolidate?

Joe Green:
Well, I — it’s music to our ears that there’s some interest. There was interest years ago. And I think I’m cautiously optimistic that they will, they will take interest in consolidation. But again, you know, what I would hate to see is them take the local control away from consolidation. It’s not right for everybody. I mean, the school districts of Greenwood and Loyal are going down this road for good reason. And the reasons are, you know, we have similar — a similar tax base. We have a similar mill rate. Neither one of us have debt. We’re six miles apart. We share the same bus service. There’s a lot of things that make sense for our district, but that don’t necessarily make sense for every district. So I hope that the — I hope the state supports in their — if there is legislation, I hope they support the local control that districts have. If they decide that this is the right course of action to help their districts out.

Frederica Freyberg:
Chris, thoughts on that?

Chris Lindner:
I would say throughout the state, you have a lot of districts that are probably watching Loyal and Greenwood to see what happens there. I hear it a lot of superintendent conferences or meetings, just that if we don’t start working together and not just Loyal and Greenwood, but all our districts, we will be on an island by ourselves. And it won’t be — it will be a sinking ship or island, whatever you want to say. Deserted. So we need to work together and help not only survive, but to thrive.

Frederica Freyberg:
Are you hopeful this will — this will happen and when – by 2028? Is that right?

Joe Green:
Yeah. We’ve been meeting as joint boards for the better part of a year, regularly to, you know, work through this process. And our joint boards just earlier this week passed a motion, both passed a motion that there will be a binding question on the November 2026 ballot that if both communities approve that question, then it’s a binding consolidation which then would start the 18-month process to consolidate July 1, 2028.

Frederica Freyberg:
Okay. Well, we really appreciate you taking your time out today to talk with us. Joe Green from Greenwood Schools and Chris Lindner, Loyal Schools, thanks very much. Good luck.

Joe Green and Chris Lindner:
Thank you.