State Superintendent candidates met in December to discuss combining campaign efforts. Five school districts, including Green Bay, serve 165,000 public school kids in Wisconsin.

MADISON - On February 15, 2017 news reports broke that State Superintendent candidates John Humphries and Lowell Holtz met in December of 2016 to discuss the possibility of combining their campaign efforts in exchange for well compensated positions within the Department of Public Instruction following the spring election.

While the who said what details of those discussions appear to be in dispute between the two men, both provided documentation of their encounter to the Wisconsin State Journal that outlined the complete takeover of Wisconsin's 5 largest school districts.

• Green Bay Area Public Enrollment: 21,035 students
• Kenosha Enrollment: 22,357 students
• Madison Metropolitan Enrollment: 27,304 students
• Milwaukee Public Schools Enrollment: 75,766 students
• Racine Unified Enrollment:19,494 students

The new position outlined in Humphries' and Holtz's proposal would have or seek the following unprecedented authority:

• Unchecked power to break up the school districts
• Unilateral discretion to change the school boards when"deemed necessary"
• Complete rule making authority for the school districts

These five school districts combined serve 165,000 public school kids in Wisconsin. All five have elected school boards, chosen by Wisconsin voters, who are responsible for overseeing the districts.

The following is a statement from Tony Evers for State Superintendent Campaign Manager, Amanda Brink:

"Voters across Wisconsin will head to the polls on Tuesday for the spring primary. They deserve to know beforehand the details of Humphries and Holtz's plot to takeover our five largest school districts.

"This plan, if implemented, will impact almost 20 percent of the public school kids in Wisconsin, and would strip away parents and community member's rights to weigh in on their local districts.

"This is a massive power grab. It isn't a conversation that can be simply brushed aside. This is a proposal for a heavy handed, top-down approach struck through a backroom deal between a few unnamed business leaders and two politicians looking out for their own financial interests.

Wisconsinites deserve better. Our kids deserve better."

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Document provided by John Humphries

Document provided by Lowell Holtz