From Municipal Schools to

Full-Fledged Districts

In 1985, Dr. Kathleen A. Paris published A Political History of Vocational, Technical and Adult Education in Wisconsin,1 which carefully reviews the political history of the Wisconsin Vocational, Technical and Adult Education System2, or “VTAE.”  Her work provides an appropriate political backdrop to the years in which municipal vocational schools became area-wide college districts.  These were the years just preceding - and the legislative actions that allowed for - the District Boards Association’s formation:

“The most significant state legislation since 1911 was passed in 1965.  Through the 50’s and into the 60’s, local vocational and adult schools had faced a struggle in trying to provide occupational training with only a municipal tax base to draw upon.  Early in the 60's, the Directors’ Association (predecessor of today’s WTCS Presidents Association) had gone on record unanimously endorsing the concept of area, rather than city districts.  Privately, the small schools were opposed, but could exert no influence due to increased state control through funding and program approval prerogatives.  The State had been legislatively inching towards area consolidation.  In 1964, Chapter 414 enabled county boards to form VTAE districts.  That year, five districts in the Fox River Valley were interested in forming a VTAE district.  Their interest resulted in Chapter 418, which enabled two or more contiguous school districts to form a VTAE district.

In 1959, the State Board staff had proposed district organization on the basis of the ten Congressional Districts.  (Congressional Districts, of course, are based on population.)  But disagreements among the staff and among the directors as to the configuration caused continual changes and alterations in the proposal.  (Eventually it would be left to an interagency committee designated by the governor to come up with a district design.)

Due to the opposition of the smaller schools, C.L. Greiber (VTAE State Director 1944-1970) had not included mandatory redistricting as part of the 1965-67 budget bill.  He preferred to leave the door open for voluntary area

Preface—The 1960’s