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On March 9,2015,the appellants filed this appeal with the Secretary of the School <br /> District Boundary Appeal Board. On March 19,2015,the Secretary of the School District <br /> Boundary Appeal Board sent a notice of the appeal to the Wisconsin Heights School District,the <br /> Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, and other interested parties. The notice also stated <br /> that the Appeal Panel would hear the appeal on May 5,2015, at 9:30:00 AM at the Department <br /> of Public Instruction, GEF 3 -Room P41,Madison, Wisconsin. <br /> The Appeal Panel,consisting of the following members representing the various sized <br /> districts, was present at the hearing on May 5, 2015: <br /> N. David Kipp Wausaukee Small school district <br /> Therese Travia South Milwaukee Medium school district <br /> Theresa Miles Wausau Large school district <br /> Janice Zmrazek served as non-voting chair of the Appeal Panel. <br /> The Appeal Panel heard presentations of relevant information concerning how the <br /> reorganization proposed in File No. 2015-07 would impact the educational welfare of the <br /> children enrolled in the school districts affected by the appeal. It also reviewed the written <br /> record prepared for the appeal. <br /> DECISION AND ORDER <br /> The Appeal Panel has considered all information presented in this appeal and has applied <br /> the required legal standards for school district reorganization, including the criteria under sec. <br /> 117.15, Wis. Stats. By a 2-1 vote of its members,the Appeal Panel has granted the appeal, <br /> overturning the denial by the school board of the Wisconsin Heights School District. <br /> The Appeal Panel's reasons for Order No. 2015-07 are as follows: <br /> Criterion l: <br /> The geographical and topographical characteristics of the affected school districts, <br /> including the estimated travel time to and from school for pupils in the school districts. <br /> Distances that the families would have to travel between their work and school or child care in <br /> the Wisconsin Heights School District are significantly greater than between work and the <br /> Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District. Distance and travel time is particularly an issue <br /> during elementary and middle school years. <br /> Criterion 2: <br /> g:\reorg\appeals\orders ordermerge.doc 2 <br />