Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly

By Lauren Anderson Freeman Staff BROOKFIELD — All Elm- brook School District stu- dents would have to com- plete a personal finance course during their high school careers under a pos- sible change to graduation requirements. If the proposal is ulti- mately approved, it would put Brookfield East and Central high schools among a growing list of schools around the state stressing financial literacy with simi- lar graduation require- ments. Mike Sereno, Elmbrook's director of secondary instruction, said schools around the state have recog- nized the need for financial literacy education in recent years. As of 2013, 44 percent of Wisconsin school districts required a course in per- sonal financial literacy for graduation, according to the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. At that time, an additional 27 percent were considering adding such a requirement. And families see the value in teaching money management skills too, Sereno said, with enroll- ment in the schools' person- al finance courses increas- ing. Some of the topics cov- ered include credit, taxes, insurance, banking and personal budgeting. "It's a course that a lot of students are already taking and seeing the benefit of it," he said. "The fact that we've seen an increase in enrollment suggests that both students and families see it as a need as they pre- pare to live on their own." The district is proposing to require students to take either the current personal finance course or a finan- cial management course through the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh for graduation, beginning with the class of 2019. It would increase the required num- ber of high school credits from 24 to 24.5. At Pewaukee High School, students have the option for the first time this year of taking economics or personal finance to fulfill their graduation require- ment. Principal Marty Van Hulle said teachers from both courses have collabo- rated to ensure students in either class are covering similar fundamental per- sonal finance concepts. At Kettle Moraine High School, students can meet the personal finance requirement by completing a finance course through UW-Oshkosh or Waukesha County Technical College. KMHS Principal Jeff Wal- ters said money-manage- ment skills are needed more than ever for graduat- ing high school students in today's economy. "It's not like it was in 1995 or 2005," he said. "In addi- tion to all content knowl- edge that we share through our core classes, we are really looking at the whole child and what does college and career readiness look like when they leave us. We believe personal finance experience gives not only college readiness but offers career and life readiness as well." Waukesha School District administrators have dis- cussed the possibility, but haven't yet established an extra graduation require- ment related to personal finance. Currently, personal finance instruction is included in economics classes, which all students take, Director of Secondary Instruction Jody Landish said. The district's high schools also offer a person- al finance elective course. The Elmbrook School Board will review the change to graduation requirements at its Novem- ber meeting and likely take action on it in December. Email: landerson@conleynet.com Page 2B • Freeman Brookfield & Elm Grove NOVEMBER 2015 Brownstones Shopping Center 17550 W Bluemound Rd Ste A • Brookfield OPEN 7am - 2:30pm EVERYDAY 262-754-5900 STUFF YOUR STOCKINGS WITH GIFT CARDS! It pays to be nice, after all. At First Watch we know fresh is best. That's why our Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch creations are made using the finest ingredients around. Yeah, it's fresh. ™ Chicken Palermo Belgian Waffle 2 4 6 7 3 3 0 0 3 The Traditional Better than a sale, 14145 W. Greenfield Avenue, New Berlin | 262-649-3053 childrensorchard.com | Find us on Facebook! It's resale! New Berlin 2 4 5 7 7 3 0 0 5 The FREEMAN Waukesha County's Daily Newspaper Education Reporter Lauren Anderson To subscribe, call 262-542-2500 or go online at: gmtoday.com/subscribe about news in our schools. from Lauren Learn about news in our schools. from Lauren Learn By Lauren Anderson Freeman Staff BROOKFIELD — Facing increasing enrollment and space constraints at Swan- son Elementary School, the Elmbrook School District is seeking input from the com- munity on how to address those challenges. According to the Wiscon- sin Department of Public Instruction, the school has seen a nearly 23 percent rise in enrollment since 2011-12 — from 597 to 732 students in 2014-15. The growth in students has put increased pressure on the facilities, Principal Kori Hartman said. With an overcrowded cafeteria this year, the school has had to use an unused classroom space for lunch time. It can also feel tight in the gym, Hartman said, which hosts doubled-up classes three days a week. "We're seeing the impact of our high numbers in a lot of ways," Hartman said. In response to increased enrollment, she said the school increased the number of buses from 12 to 14, which — paired with more cars — has created traffic-related issues. Parking during events for school families presents challenges, as the school doesn't have enough spaces to accommodate the whole school. If enrollment continues increasing, Hartman said, the school could also be pressed for classroom space. Those are some of the con- siderations Hartman laid out for parents at a public forum related to Swanson's enroll- ment issues this week. Par- ents were asked to share their thoughts on the cur- rent enrollment trends and potential solutions to the issues. About 100 parents have done so, either at the forum or through an online form. That feedback will influence the work of a 15-person enrollment analysis commit- tee, which will ultimately offer a recommendation to the School Board. Hartman said it's impor- tant to hear parents' con- cerns and recommendations, particularly if the solution will involve redistricting the school. The committee has agreed to take into consideration several factors as it reviews options, including grandfa- thering of current Swanson families and consistent class sizes throughout the district. Swanson has the highest enrollment of the district's elementary schools, with Burleigh Elementary follow- ing close behind at 701 stu- dents, as of 2014-16. Brook- field Elementary has 573 stu- dents, while both Dixon and Tonawanda have about 380. Email: landerson@conleynet.com More schools requiring personal finance for graduation Freeman file photo Pewaukee High School students' checks for medical insurance sit on a table at a 2014 financial literacy event. Helps prepare students for college and beyond, say officials Elmbrook looking to address Swanson Elementary enrollment issues

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