The time to fix this is now. Our school districts are asked to do more every year — passing referendums, balancing budgets under state revenue caps, making harder calls about how our kids learn — and every family in MCPASD deserves a board elected without artificial restrictions on who can serve.
All 9 of MCPASD's school board seats are locked to specific geographic Areas — and this structure hasn't changed since the district was formed in 1963. In the six decades since, every other large Wisconsin district has evolved to a mixed or fully at-large model. We're the only one that hasn't. I'm proposing the model Verona already uses next door: a guaranteed anchor representative per Area, plus open district-wide seats any MCPASD resident can run for. Same board size. Voters still pick every seat — we're just widening who's allowed on the ballot.
Sign by Aug 23 → openseatsmcpasd.org · Vote at the Annual Meeting Sept 22.
What exactly does the petition do?
It opens 4 of the 9 seats to any qualified MCPASD resident, while keeping 5 tied to geographic Areas — one anchor seat per Area. Board size stays at 9. Voters still elect every seat. The change phases in as current terms naturally expire, starting April 2027.
When would I actually see different kinds of candidates on the ballot?
April 2027: two Area seats convert to open. Some neighbors who couldn't have run will be eligible for the first time.
April 2028: a third converts. April 2030: the fourth completes the transition. By the 2030 election you'd be voting for 4 board members district-wide plus 1 from your own Area anchor.
Why hasn't this been changed before?
It's never been put to a vote. Under Wisconsin school law (Wis. Stat. § 120.02(2)(a)) the only way to change apportionment in a common school district is a citizen petition signed by 500+ electors, followed by a vote at the district Annual Meeting. No board, no superintendent, no PAC can do it. The structure set in 1963 has held simply because no one had organized a petition until now.
How often has the district actually had a real election?
Not often. Every spring primary since 2021 has been cancelled for lack of opposition — six straight years. In April 2025, all three open seats had a single candidate; voters didn't actually choose anyone. It's not that nobody cares — qualified neighbors are out there. The structure just makes it impossible for most of them to run in any given year.
I personally know capable, civically-engaged neighbors who wanted to serve but couldn't, because they live a few blocks outside the Area where a seat was open. The cost isn't theoretical — it's specific people who didn't make the ballot.
I don't know what Area I live in.
You're not alone — most parents don't know off the top of their heads. MCPASD has a school-boundary lookup on their site if you want to find out.
But honestly: that's part of the point. The Area lines were drawn decades ago when neighborhoods felt more distinct. Today, with families moving more often and decisions touching the whole district, the Area you happen to live in shouldn't decide whether your qualified neighbor can serve on the board. The whole purpose of this petition is to make that information matter less — to remove an artificial restriction nobody is actively defending.
Why do you care about the school board?
The work is important and it's hard. The board picks the superintendent, approves the budget, decides whether to put a referendum on the ballot, and represents families to the district. With a likely upcoming referendum, state revenue-cap pressure, and ongoing growth, that's a lot to ask of nine volunteers. The deeper the bench of capable people available to step up, the better our schools are governed. Every parent has a stake in that.
Will my Area lose representation?
No. Every Area keeps a permanent anchor seat — one per Area, guaranteed. The petition adds four district-wide seats that any qualified resident can run for; each neighborhood's anchor representation stays intact, and the district as a whole has more ways to elect members focused on cross-district issues.
Does any current board member lose their seat?
No. Every current member finishes their full term. Conversion happens only at each seat's natural re-election point. Current members can run for either an Area anchor seat or an open seat — their path forward stays intact.
Is this partisan? Who funds it?
Neither. No PAC, no party, no outside organization. Parents fund printing and the domain themselves. Any contribution will be disclosed publicly. The proposal is about democratic structure — not policy direction or candidate preference.
How do I sign?
Download the petition sheet from the sign section above, print it, sign with a pen, and mail or drop off at 3795 Swoboda Road, Verona, WI. Wisconsin law requires a pen-and-paper signature with a circulator's certification — no legal online signature exists. One sheet holds 7 signatures.
What happens at the Sept 22 Annual Meeting?
The petition will be on the agenda. Any MCPASD elector physically present can vote — by show of hands or paper ballot, depending on how the meeting runs it. We expect to be at the District Services Center, 7106 South Avenue, Middleton, at 7:00 PM. Plan on ~30 minutes; bring photo ID.
About 30 people came in 2025. To pass the petition we need hundreds in the room. This is where it's won or lost — please plan to be there.
