The 30-second pitch
Hi — I'm collecting signatures for a parent-led petition to open up 4 of MCPASD's 9 school board seats so any qualified district resident can run, not just the people who happen to live in a specific Area. The board stays the same size. Voters still pick every seat. It catches us up with Verona, Madison, and every other large Wisconsin district. Would you sign?
The 10-second one-liner
It's a petition to open 4 school board seats to any district resident — same board size, voters still decide.
What you're collecting
A signature, printed name, address (inside MCPASD), and date on the official petition sheet. Signer must be an MCPASD elector — registered to vote in the district, age 18+. One signature per resident.
What to bring
- The petition sheet (clipboard + pen)
- Spare pens (people forget)
- Half-sheet flyer (give 1-2 to anyone who pauses but doesn't sign — they may come back)
- Business cards (for the "send it to me, I'll think about it" people)
- Tabletop placard if you're at a fixed location
- Your driver's license (in case anyone asks who you are)
When you fill in the certificate
At the bottom of each sheet there's a circulator's certification (Wis. Stat. § 8.40). Fill it out when the sheet is full (or at end of day). You are certifying you personally saw each person sign and that they were a qualified MCPASD elector. Don't skip this — sheets without a certification are invalid.
Common objections
"Are you saying the current board is bad?"
Not at all. The current board members work hard at really difficult work — referendums, budgets under state revenue caps, supporting our teachers. This is about widening the pool of people eligible to run in future elections. Current members can run for either an Area anchor seat or an open seat. Their path forward stays intact.
"Won't my Area lose representation?"
Every Area keeps a permanent anchor seat. Five anchors, plus four open seats elected by the whole district. Same board size as today.
"Will it change who can vote?"
No. Voters still elect every seat. The whole district votes on every Area anchor seat too. This only changes who's allowed on the ballot.
"Why now?"
The all-geographic structure has been in place since the '90s. MCPASD has nearly doubled in size since then. Every other large Wisconsin district has moved to hybrid or at-large. We're catching up.
"How do I know it's legal?"
It's authorized under Wisconsin Statute § 120.02(2)(a). Petition has been counsel-reviewed. We file before Aug 23. The vote happens at the MCPASD Annual Meeting on Sept 22 at 7 PM — only electors in the room can vote.
"I don't have time."
Signing takes 30 seconds. It's the most leverage you'll get out of half a minute this year.
"Send it to me, I'll think about it."
Hand them a business card or flyer. Say: "Take a look at openseatsmcpasd.org — there's a one-page handout that explains the phased rollout. If you want to sign later, download the sheet and mail it to Chase at 3795 Swoboda Road in Verona."