Germantown Moves Forward with Leaving MATC

Good for them.

In case there was any doubt, the Germantown School Board last night took the steps necessary to being the process of attempting to secede from the Milwaukee Area Technical College District.

School board members voted again to direct the district’s attorney to draft a petition to file a secession petition with the state technical college board. The school board had come under fire from the village for dragging its feet on the issue.

So I’m curious… if I remember correctly, MATC has to approve the secession for it to happen.  Or maybe it was the legislature… I don’t remember.  In any case, if Germantown chooses to secede and other people refuse, what happens if Germantown just gives them the finger and stop paying?  What recourse would MATC have?

1. Got this from Germantown news, but I recall this being the gist of previous MJS articles:

   The School Board would have to file a petition to secede from the Milwaukee Area Technical College District with the Wisconsin Technical College System Board no later than Sept. 15. The state board has 90 days to hold a public hearing and make a decision.

   Anyone want to speculate what that decision will be?

   Posted by on July 29, 2008 at 2024 hrs




2. I found this interesting - a summary of legislative actions in the 2007-2008 that could have affected Technical Colleges in Wisconsin:
   http://www.districtboards.org/advocacy/billsofinterest.pdf

   This section has to do with elected Boards:  (the bold is mine)

   SB 253 and SB 258 – Mandating Elected Technical College District Boards

   ............................................

   The lack of movement on elected boards bills this session was primarily due to two factors. First, there was an overall loss of momentum among the small but vocal group of
   legislators and the outside groups promoting the concept with them. Second, there was no “trigger” event to generate wider interest as sparked the prior session’s bill. Trigger events in the past included blog postings that gained wider media attention or general media coverage of events or circumstances perceived to be unfavorable to the colleges

   Posted by on July 29, 2008 at 2036 hrs




3. As part of the state system, MATC District gets the state subsidy money for district technical colleges and distributes it to them.

   If Germantown gives MATC District the finger, Germantown gets no state funding at all.  Is this good for students in Germantown?

   Can Germantown support an independent technical college campus out of its own resources?

   Will Germantown TC graduates find employment without their degrees, diplomas and certificates being accredited as they were as part of the MATC and state systems?

   Will an accrediting body smile at Germantown’s effort to provide quality education at almost no monetary support levels?

   Is the answer to any of my questions “yes”? 

   I think not.

   Posted by on July 29, 2008 at 2153 hrs




4. Lloyd - I think you are missing the point that Germantown is leaving MATC to join a different TC system (Moraine or Waukesha)

   Frankly I think Moraine makes the most sense as there is a campus located in the county, whereas MATC is two counties away.

   MATC thinks they can just keep raising our taxes to the moon - well I’m glad that Germantown is at least trying to stand up to them. I doubt it will get approved anyway.

   Posted by on July 30, 2008 at 0636 hrs




5. If Germantown raises the middle finger, the MATC Board will move to take over governance of Germantown.

   You can expect the invasion in May or June, 2009, as the Board will not mobilize during cold weather.

   Look for a lot of old, fat, folks armed with pens.

   Posted by dad29 on July 30, 2008 at 0710 hrs




6. According to MJS Editorial 7/6/07 (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=629243):

   804 Germantown residents enrolled in Wisconsin Technical College system, only 229 enrolled at MATC.

   According to Mike Nichols 7/8/07(http://blogs.jsonline.com/nichols/archive/2007/0 7/08/Germantown_2700_s-generosity.aspx):

   MATC received more tax revenue from Ozaukee County taxpayers than did Ozaukee County Government.  The cost per student (for those 229) worked out to over $22,000 per student.

   If Germantown gives MATC District the finger, Germantown gets no state funding at all

   What the hell does that mean?  Got that ass-backwards - If Germantown gives MATC District the finger, MATC gets no Germantown taxpayer funding.

   Posted by on July 30, 2008 at 0815 hrs




7. Ahem Germantown is in Washington county not Ozaukee so your cost pers student would be a bit off…

   Good for Germantown on leaving. Moraine should welcome them with open arms.

   Posted by on July 30, 2008 at 1244 hrs




8. Sorry about the bad math/confusion - Mike Nichols had made the point that Germantown taxpayers were assessed $5,000,000+ in property taxes & that dividing that amount by 229 students = $22,000.  Dividing by 800 students is more like $6000+ per student.

   He had also made the separate point that Ozaukee County residents were paying more in property taxes to MATC than for their costs of Ozaukee County government (road maint., snow plowing, police protection, etc.).  I don’t know how accurate that is either.

   Posted by on July 30, 2008 at 1313 hrs