Parent-led · Wis. Stat. § 120.02(2)(a)

4 school board seats. Any MCPASD resident can run.

Every one of MCPASD's 9 school board seats is tied to a specific geographic Area — which limits who can run when a seat opens. This petition opens 4 of the 9 to any district resident, while keeping 5 geographic so every Area still has a guaranteed anchor seat. Same board size. Deeper bench. Current board members keep their path forward; the community gains more ways for great neighbors to serve.

Sign the petition → Show up Sept 22
📝
Sign by
Sun · Aug 23, 2026
📬
Petition filed by
Mon · Aug 24, 2026
🗳️
Annual Meeting vote
Tue · Sept 22 · 7 PM
Why this matters

One vote shapes everything: who runs MCPASD

The school board doesn't run the district day-to-day — but what they do is consequential: they hire, support, and review the superintendent (the person who does run it), they approve the budget and referendums the administration brings forward, and they represent families to the district — pushing for what neighborhoods need, raising concerns parents bring to them, and making the final call when something has to give. The people doing this work today have earned our gratitude — and they deserve a system that brings the deepest possible community bench alongside them when new seats open.

What the board actually does

  • Hires, supports, and evaluates the superintendent — the single most important lever they pull
  • Represents families and neighborhoods — fields concerns from parents and pushes for what their constituents need
  • Approves the annual budget the administration builds, under Wisconsin's revenue caps
  • Decides whether to put referendums on the ballot (most recently a $24.9M operational referendum in 2022)
  • Adopts the policies the administration proposes — curriculum, advanced learning, discipline, calendar
  • Sets long-term direction and approves capital projects as the district keeps growing
  • Shows up for teachers and staff at contract time

More candidates, not different ones

This is about expanding the pool, not replacing the people in it. Current board members keep their path forward — they can run for either an area anchor seat or an open seat. Their supporters get more ways to back them, not fewer. What changes is that when a future seat opens up, the strongest community-minded resident in our district can step forward — regardless of which street they live on.

Our teachers are extraordinary. They deserve our deepest bench.

From the elementary classrooms to Middleton High, MCPASD teachers do work families notice every single day. The board's biggest decision — who leads the district — moves better when the deciding nine are drawn from a district-wide pool of neighbors who care. Every superintendent hire, every referendum, every retirement that opens a seat is easier when the broadest possible community is on deck.

Verona already does this. So does most of Wisconsin.

Verona — the district right next door — runs 3 geographic seats and 4 at-large, exactly the hybrid model proposed here. Madison, Sun Prairie, Appleton, Waukesha, and Kenosha all elect their boards at-large. MCPASD is the outlier in the state. This change keeps what works (an anchor seat per attendance area) and adds what's missing (a district-wide pool that the next great trustee can come from).

9
Board seats, unchanged
~7,000
Students & growing
5
Area anchors preserved
4
Seats open to any resident
How seats work today

Voters elect every seat. The Area boundary picks who's on the ballot.

Every one of MCPASD's 9 board seats is tied to one of five geographic Areas — and a candidate must live inside that Area to run for that seat. This apportionment has been in place for at least 30 years, set when MCPASD was much smaller and neighborhoods felt more geographically distinct. Today, with families moving more often and decisions reaching across the whole district, the structure ends up screening out qualified neighbors — and the district loses good candidates before voters ever get a chance to consider them.

7of 7

Peer WI districts already moved on

Verona, Madison, Sun Prairie, Appleton, Oregon, Waukesha, Kenosha — every other large Wisconsin district uses a hybrid or at-large model. MCPASD is the only one still all-geographic.

30+yrs

Same structure since the '90s

The geographic-Area apportionment was set when MCPASD was a much smaller district. We've added thousands of students and many new subdivisions since — but the seat map hasn't changed.

9of 9

Still elected by district voters

This doesn't change who gets to vote or who can win. The whole district still elects every board member. It just opens 4 of the 9 ballots to a wider pool of qualified candidates.

A qualified neighbor four houses on the wrong side of an Area line can't run for an open seat they'd otherwise fill — even when no one else has stepped forward to run for it. That's the structural quirk we're trying to fix; voters still get the final say.

The fix

Open 4 of the 9 seats. Keep the board the same size.

We're not adding seats or removing anyone. The board stays at 9. We're changing how the 9 are allocated — keeping geographic representation while opening the door for more people to run.

Today
Lopsided. 9 of 9 locked.
Area ISpringfield
1
Area IICross Plains
2
Area IIIWest Middleton
1
Area IVMiddleton + Westport
4
Area VCentral
1
Under the petition
5 geographic + 4 open. Equal voice.
Area ISpringfield
1
Area IICross Plains
1
Area IIIWest Middleton
1
Area IVMiddleton + Westport
1
Area VCentral
1
At-largeAnywhere in MCPASD
4

What it does

  • Keeps 5 geographic seats — one per Area, so every Area still has a guaranteed voice
  • Opens 4 at-large seats any district resident can run for, regardless of address
  • Gives voters real choices — more candidates, fewer uncontested races
  • Follows Wisconsin statute step-by-step — attorney-reviewed (Wis. Stat. § 120.02(2)(a))

What it doesn't do

  • Add or remove any seats — the board stays at 9
  • Displace any currently serving board member or shorten a term
  • Change who votes — all district electors still vote on every seat
  • Take effect overnight — gradual conversion at natural re-election, starting Spring 2027
The plan

A phased rollout, not a board overhaul

The board stays at 9 seats. Each "extra" geographic seat — every Area beyond its one-per-zone anchor — converts to an open district-wide seat only as it comes up for re-election. No incumbent is forced out. No area loses its anchor.

2027
First open seats

The Area II and Area IV seats on the ballot convert. Two open seats live. Area II already has Kells as its anchor; Area IV has three other members. 2 of 4 open seats in place.

2028
+1 more open

The next Area IV "extra" converts. Area I and Area III seats stay as their permanent anchors. 3 of 4 open seats in place.

2030
Full hybrid in place

The final Area IV "extra" converts; one Area IV seat is preserved as the permanent anchor. 5 area seats + 4 open = 9 total.

MCPASD School Board — From Area Seats to Open Seats: a year-by-year phased transition diagram showing every seat's status from 2025 through 2031+, and a comparison to how other large Wisconsin districts structure their boards.

The year-by-year transition, on one page

Download the full handout — a one-page visual showing every seat by name, when each comes up for re-election, and exactly when it converts. Same handout we hand out at meetings; share it with neighbors who want to see the mechanics.

Download handout (PDF, 50 KB)
Wisconsin context

MCPASD is the only large Wisconsin district with all-geographic seats

Every other large Wisconsin school district has either moved to fully at-large seats — where any qualified resident can run for any seat — or uses a hybrid model where candidates live in an area but the whole district votes. We're an outlier. The proposed model mirrors Verona's: a small number of geographic anchors plus open seats any resident can run for.

District Enrollment Seats Structure
MCPASD (Middleton) ~7,000 9 All geographic areas — proposed for reform
Verona Area SD ~5,800 7 3 geographic + 4 at-large  ← proposed model
Oregon School District ~4,100 7 Geographic (candidates must reside in area), elected at-large
Madison MMSD ~25,000 7 All at-large, numbered seats (state statute required)
Appleton Area SD ~15,000 7 All at-large
Sun Prairie Area SD ~8,400 7 All at-large
Waukesha SD ~11,800 9 All at-large
Kenosha Unified SD ~21,000 9 All at-large

Sources: Ballotpedia, district websites. Enrollment figures approximate. Milwaukee Public Schools excluded — first-class city districts operate under different governance rules.

How it works

Two things we need from you

Wisconsin's petition process has two steps. Both matter.

1

Sign the petition by Aug 23

Phase 1 · now → Aug 23, 2026

We need at least 500 signatures from qualified MCPASD electors (Wis. Stat. § 120.02(2)(a)). We're aiming for 550 to cushion against invalid signatures.

Sign now →
2

Show up Sept 22, 7 PM

Phase 2 · the actual vote

MCPASD is a common school district, so the vote happens at the Annual Meeting — only electors physically present can vote. About 30 people came in 2025. We need hundreds.

Tue Sept 22, 2026 · 7:00 PM
District Services Center
7106 South Avenue, Middleton

Sign the petition

Three steps — all from home

Wisconsin law only counts a pen-and-paper signature on an official sheet — no legal online signature exists. Download, print, sign, and mail back. One sheet holds 7 signatures, so you and six neighbors can sign on the same page.

Print & sign

Get a petition sheet

Download, print, sign with a pen, have your circulator complete the certification at the bottom, and return to a drop-off location. One sheet holds 7 signatures.

📄 Official petition sheet

PDF · Counsel-reviewed · Circulator certification per Wis. Stat. § 8.40 included.

✍️ Become a circulator

Collect signatures from your own neighbors — a 10-minute training and we hand you a packet of sheets.

Where to return signed sheets

  • 3795 Swoboda Road, Verona, WI — drop in the mailbox anytime, or mail to the same address.

Questions? chase.chasephillips@gmail.com

In person

Find us in the community

It's easier to sign a paper sheet at an event than to wait for one in the mail. Come say hi.

Tue
★
Weekly

Downtown Middleton Farmers Market

Capital Brewery TAP · 2–7pm · when a volunteer is staffing
If staffed
Thu
★
Weekly

Greenway Station Farmers Market

Greenway Station · 8am–1pm · when a volunteer is staffing
If staffed
Jul
4
Sat

Middleton 4th of July Celebration

Breakfast → fireworks at dusk
Flagship
Aug
23
Sun

🎯 Signature deadline — last day to sign

Petition filed Mon Aug 24 at District Services Center
Deadline
Aug
29
Sat

Good Neighbor Festival + Parade

Aug 28–30 · pre-vote rally for the Sept 22 meeting
Flagship
Sep
22
Tue

🗳️ MCPASD Annual Meeting — THE VOTE

District Services Center, 7106 South Ave · 7:00 PM
The Vote
Suggest an event

Where else should we be?

No event near you? Tell us where neighbors gather — a coffee shop, soccer field, block party, church coffee hour — and we'll get a circulator and sheets there. Anonymous is fine; leave email if you want a heads-up when it's scheduled.

We're not changing who serves — we're widening who can. The next great trustee, and the superintendent they'll help choose, shouldn't be ruled out by which Area line their house sits inside.
— The Open Seats MCPASD organizing team
Get involved

Volunteer with us

Circulators are neighbors who collect signatures from other neighbors — the single highest-leverage thing you can do. We train you in 10 minutes.

Spread the word

Share with your network

The fastest way to 550 signatures is for every signer to text 3 neighbors. Click to share:

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does this add seats to the board?

No. The board has 9 seats today and will still have 9. The petition changes how the seats are allocated — keeping 5 tied to geographic Areas and converting 4 into open at-large seats any district resident can run for.

Why open the seats — what's wrong with all-geographic?

When every seat is locked to an Area, most residents can't run in most years. A qualified neighbor whose home is just outside the Area with an open seat is barred from running. The result is too many uncontested elections — in April 2025, all three open seats had only one candidate. Four open seats give voters real choices.

Wait — the vote is at a meeting, not on a ballot?

Correct. MCPASD is a common school district, and under Wis. Stat. § 120.02(2)(a) apportionment changes are voted on at the district's Annual Meeting. Only electors physically present vote. It's Tue Sept 22, 2026 at 7:00 PM at the District Services Center, 7106 South Ave, Middleton.

How many signatures do you need, and why 500?

500 elector signatures, per Wis. Stat. § 120.02(2)(a). The 500 threshold applies because MCPASD contains territory in Madison, a 2nd-class city. The petition must be filed at least 30 days before the Annual Meeting — deadline Sun Aug 23, 2026. We aim for 550 to cushion against invalid signatures.

Does any current board member lose their seat?

No. Conversion happens gradually at each seat's natural re-election point, starting with the Spring 2027 election. Every current member serves out their full term.

Will my Area lose its representation?

No. Every Area keeps one guaranteed geographic seat. Today some Areas have one seat and Area IV has four — the petition makes geographic representation equal (one per Area) and adds four seats open to everyone.

Is this partisan? Who funds it?

Neither partisan nor funded. It's a structural governance change — no PAC, no organization, no outside money. Parents fund printing and the domain themselves. Any contribution will be disclosed publicly.

I don't live in MCPASD — how can I help?

You can't sign, but you can share with friends who do, help with press/social media, or chip in for printing. Use the volunteer form above.

Two things from you. That's it.

Sign by Aug 23. Show up Sept 22.
That's how we open the ballot.

Sign now → Email us
Sign the petition →