Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly

Page 4A • Freeman Brookfield & Elm Grove FEBUARY 2015 262-754-2727 In the Galleria West Shopping Center 18900 W. Bluemound Rd., Ste. 218, Brookfield 241945001 In-Network Provider For Most Dental Plans www.BrightSmiles.net • Exams/Restorative Care • Cosmetic Dentistry • Whitening • Implants • Crowns • Bridges • White Fillings • Limited Orthodontics • Root Canal Treatment Dr. Alex Schwab & Dr. Eric Biederwolf Get to know us at our newly remodeled office. NEW PATIENT SPECIAL • Professional Cleaning • Comprehensive Exam • Cavity Detecting X-Rays • Free Second Opinion $ 89 All Services Listed are Included Additional charges may apply if gum disease is present. Valid only with coupon. Welcoming New Patients! Providing Gentle Dentistry For Your Entire Family You said yes, now the planning of your fairytale wedding begins... Where do you fi nd the experts to create the wedding of your dreams? In the Winter Bridal 2015 - A Bride's Guide special section we've created to connect you with wedding professionals. Available inside the March edition of Brookfield & Elm Grove T H I S M O N T H CAR GUYS BOOMER 2,121 Sq. Ft. 7-Car Garage 2,225 Sq. Ft. $239,369 Complete Low $280's Mid $300's Mid $300's Waukesha Model Open Sat-Sun 1 to 4 Monday and Wednesday 6 to 8 94 to Hwy TT & G (Waukesha/Meadowbrook) south past Hwy 18 to Madison Street right to the 4th street right to125 Prairie Song third house on right 414-704-2640 Providence 2014 Open Saturday & Sunday 1 to 4 I-43 th Hwy 164 north to National Ave (ES) west to Edgewood souh to Fox River Run right to 1547 Fox Tail Court Mukwonago. From a huge kitchen to a car guys garage. Let us create your dream home. Bring your wish list for a no cost Hand drawn custom design. We have lots in Waukesha, Waterford and Delafield from $65,000 We also have lots at WesternHillsLots.com from $36,900 13' X 17'–9 13' X 17'–9 13'–7 X 11'–9 15'–7 X 22'–11 11'–6 X 11'–6 BOOMERS NEXT STEP RANCH 2014 Call 262-893-7440 2,148 Sq. Ft. 242402004 TAKE A MODEL HOME TOUR ON YOUTUBE "BADGER HOME BUILDERS" See a 2,152 sq. ft. $289,475 home at "Badger Homes Providence Model" See a 2,147 sq. ft., 913 sq. ft. garage $289,475 home at "BOOMER RANCH" See a 1,865 sq. ft. $244,305 home at "BOOMERS NEXT STEP RANCH" See the new 2,225 sq. ft. "Boomer 2014" BadgerHomes.com 1,865 Sq. Ft. BOOMERS NEXT STEP RANCH FOREST VIEW RANCH PROVIDENCE 2014 $253,900 1,900 Sq. Ft. By Lauren Anderson Freeman Staff BROOKFIELD — In the Brookfield-area school mar- ket, competition is stiff — and if local families are the consumers, Elmbrook School District leaders are looking to advertise their their product. Responding to what school leaders say is one of the state's most competitive school district environments and preparing for a possible increase in competition with future school voucher expan- sion, the district is striving to increase enrollment. Chief Information Officer Chris Thompson said just over 76 percent of students living in the Elmbrook dis- trict attend public schools. While that number has grown by 4 percent over the past decade, Thompson noted that the district still has one of the state's lowest market share percentages — a trend he attributes to the concen- tration of private and parochial schools in Brook- field and its surrounding communities. "That means one out of four resident students is choosing to attend a different school," Thompson said. "Of that student population, they attend over 60 different pri- vate and parochial schools in the area." With a goal of increasing student enrollment by 25 stu- dents each year, the district's aim is to reach parents who are still deciding where to send their children and bring new residents to the district. "We're not looking to con- vert resident students who already attend parochial and private schools," he said. "It's really to get to those families who have yet to make a deci- sion, parents of children from birth to five who haven't decided on an education instruction yet. Or to attract more families to the Brook- field area when they're think- ing about moving." Funding and enrollment trends Boosts in enrollment are a helpful factor in the state's funding formula. Thompson said each additional student equates to about $7,000 to $8,000 in revenue. It doesn't cover the full cost of educat- ing a student, Thompson said, but it helps. With more students, schools can also maximize their resources by having fuller classes, he said. "School funding is tied to enrollment," Thompson said. "And while we are always looking at budget efficiency, we also want to take more opportunities to attract and retain families in our com- munity." The district recently emerged from 10 years of declining enrollment — which resulted in a total loss of 800 students between 2002 and 2012. The tide turned two years ago, with the district seeing consecutive years of enrollment increases since then. The significant dip over that decade, Thompson said, reflected the slowing of the housing market during reces- sion years and the aging of Brookfield's residents. But, Thompson said, local realtors are beginning to see the market turn around. Schools are seeing it too. Between mid- and late August last summer, the district saw an influx of 120 new students. Recent enrollment changes in the district do not reflect open enrollment in or out, as the Elmbrook School Board decided two years ago not to offer seats through the state Chapter 220 program. The district sees a small number opt out of the district, Thompson said, at about 100 students each year. Competition from private schools The district's most signifi- cant competition comes at the K-8 levels, with some parents choosing private schools for their child's early education and re-entering the public setting when they reach high school, Thompson said. Brookfield Christian Academy Principal Kevin Vos said students who have completed K-8 at his school will move on to various set- tings — some want to contin- ue in private school, others opt into public high school. Vos said the younger grades provide an opportuni- ty to build foundational skills that translate to both private and public school. While in some circum- stances families choose pri- vate schools because of dis- satisfaction with public schools, Vos said that's not the case in the Brookfield area. "Elmbrook is a great school district and a great partner," he said. "I have been very impressed with them." Rather, Vos said, families seek a K-8 private school experience to have more parental involvement and, in the case of his school, faith- based instruction. "Our approach is we want to partner with parents and families and give students a solid foundation of faith," Vos said. "We work with the family to nurture their physi- cal and academic and social and emotional growth. And every school can do that, but one thing we can do that pub- lic schools can't is develop their spiritual growth. When parents come in and meet with us, that's at the forefront of the conversation." Parents often also look to private schools for 3- and 4- year-old instruction, Thomp- son said, which can then set them on a private school tra- jectory. Beginning next year, the Elmbrook district will begin offering a fee-based preschool option for resi- dents, which staff hope will provide a new avenue for stu- dents. "Our preschool option is a good entry for us into that market space," Thompson said. The district is also launch- ing an early literacy initia- tive, which will provide sup- port for families looking to help their young children read and prepare for future learning environments, he said. Thompson said he hopes the efforts will help families in the Brookfield area and beyond see Elmbrook as a "destination district." Email: landerson@conleynet.com MILWAUKEE — North- wester n Mutual announced recently nearly five dozen companies that had joined the design and construction team for the Northwester n Mutual Tower and Commons, a 32- story, 1.1 million-square- foot development to be built over the next three years near Milwaukee's lakefront. Sandy Botcher, head of Northwester n Mutual's downtown campus develop- ment project, stressed the inclusion of various Mil- waukee companies on the list of new hires. "From day one, we said we needed the community and our fellow businesses, especially local companies, to be a partner in this pro- cess," said Botcher. Waukesha County firms included in the released list were: From New Berlin: B&D Contractors and United States Alliance Fire Pro- tection, Inc.; From Waukesha: Boelter, LLC and JWC Building Specialties, Inc.; From Menomonee Falls: Choice Construction, Inc., Con-Cor Company, Duew Metal Products, Inc., Hurt Electric, Inc., LaForce, Inc. and Staff Electric Compa- ny, Inc.; From Sussex: E.R. Aber- nathy Industrial, Inc. and Tremmel Anderson Truck- ing, LLC.; From Pewaukee: Hetzel- Sanfilippo, Inc. and Klein Dickert Milwaukee, Inc.; from Brookfield: Hiram Power Electric, KMI Con- struction, LLC and PL Freeman Company, Inc.; From Lannon: Rams Con- tracting Ltd.; And from Oconomowoc: Valente Transport Inc. and Vizcaino Trucking, Inc. The new companies hired to work on the North- western Mutual Tower and Commons will perfor m jobs ranging from founda- tion, architecture and building automation, to plumbing, electrical and mechanical work. Construction of the Northwester n Mutual Tower and Commons is scheduled for completion by the end of 2017. The site is being prepared for verti- cal construction that is expected to begin in Febru- ary, when crews undertake a 24-hour concrete pour, the largest continuous pour conducted in the state of Wisconsin. Once completed, the pro- ject is expected to preserve 1,100 downtown jobs while adding 1,900 new ones. www.NorthwesternMutual.com/ BuildingMKE Elmbrook schools looks to boost enrollment amid private school competition Northwestern Mutual adds contractors for downtown tower project

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