In a rare move with serious consequences, officials in the Village of Germantown are seeking to redraw the boundaries of two technical colleges. The Germantown School District is currently a part of the Milwaukee Area Technical Colleges; Germantown officials are petitioning to move to Moraine Park Technical College.

Apparently upset over recent growth in MATC’s property tax rate, Germantown officials have gone in search of a district with a lower rate. Moving the Germantown School District to Moraine Park, whose southeastern boarder is contiguous to the Germantown School District, would save the owner of a $250,000 home approximately $100 per year.

There are two significant problems with Germantown’s succession petition.

First is financial. In 2006-07, residents of the Germantown School District accounted for $5.1 million of MATC’s property tax revenues, nearly 4% of MATC’s $132.7 million property tax levy. The loss of over $5 million would be a significant blow to the financial health of MATC.

Second, Germantown’s succession could set of a chain reaction. Communities on technical college boarders, emboldened by Germantown’s experience, could begin their own search for contiguous technical college districts with the lower tax rate. To some degree, this has already begun. Cedarburg, another Milwaukee suburb has begun exploring succession from MATC.

Even worse, one could envision boarder communities playing one district off against another – “limit your property tax increase to X or we’ll petition to leave the district.” Hopefully, this scenario would be unlikely. However, it is possible; and it would be especially dangerous to the technical colleges in an era when limited state support has forced increased reliance on the property tax.

MATC has served communities in Washington and Ozaukee counties well over the years. The college’s Mequon campus has expanded programming and now offers a free standing, self-contained nursing program. A similar program is planned for Graphic Arts. Such self-contained programs allow students to complete their entire degree at the Mequon campus. Mequon campus representatives are also actively engaged in the communities they serve.

Ultimately, the decision to redraw boundaries of MATC-Milwaukee and Moraine Park must be approved by the Wisconsin Technical College State Board. According to state regulations, the WTCS State Board must decide such petitions based on three factors: the financial impact on the two technical college districts involved; the education needs of students in the two districts; and any other information that the board receives, including comments made at a mandatory public hearing.

he WTCS State Board last considered a request to redraw technical college boundaries in 2004, when the Colby School District petitioned to leave Northcentral Technical College and join Chippewa Valley Technical College. The WTCS State Board rejected the petition, citing the adverse financial impact on students and taxpayers remaining with Northcentral.