Mergers approved for four MPS middle schools

A request to merge four MPS middle schools into two new schools has been approved by the Milwaukee Board of School Directors.

The A.G. Bell Accelerated Academy (Bell Middle School) and Walker International Middle School will be combined at the Bell site, 6506 West Warnimont, to be effective with the 2007-2008 school year.

The merger of Edison Middle and High School with John Muir Middle School will also be effective with the 2007-2008 school year. That new school will be located at the Muir site, 5496 North 72nd Street.

The school communities will work together under the leadership of the principals to determine program design, curriculum and names for the new resulting schools.

Declining student enrollment propelled the mergers. During the past seven years, middle grade enrollments at both Edison and Muir have decreased significantly. During the past four years, enrollments at both Bell and Walker have also decreased significantly.

Enrollment at Muir was 571 in 2006, down from 907 students in 2000. The middle grade enrollment at Edison was 327 in 2006, down from 791 in 2000. Bell Middle School had a September 2006 enrollment of 501 students, down from 866 in 2003. Enrollment at Walker was 534 in 2006, down from 808 in 2003.

Superintendent William Andrekopoulos explained that state aid and other funding formulas are keyed to how many children attend a school. The mergers are expected to result in additional support staff and services for students, because of combined larger enrollments for the two resulting schools.

"I had twenty-two years of experience in middle schools and I am a strong proponent of the middle school educational environment," said Andrekopoulos. "These mergers will provide stronger choices for parents who want their children to learn in a middle school setting."

As incentives for the mergers, allocations will be added to the new schools' FY08 budgets. The Bell site will receive an extra allocation of $388,413, while the Muir site will receive an extra allocation of $607,886. These allocations will continue for two more years, pending annual approval of the school allocation process.

The merged school at the Bell site will retain the current Bell attendance area. The sole attendance area currently assigned to Walker is the Wisconsin Avenue attendance area. Through previous Board action relative to the closing of Wisconsin Avenue School, that area will be added to the Story K-8 School attendance area beginning in 2007-08. For more information, call (414) 475-8237.