The caucus portion of the AP Government and AP Macroeconomics classes at Homestead allows students to propose revisions not only within the Mequon-Thiensville community, but also in the state legislature. Between the current AP Government and AP Macroeconomics classes, there are four groups of students who have constructed alternative ideas to current laws and amendments within the state.

Fighting for voucher accountability and monetary allocations throughout Wisconsin, one group, composed of Gaby Geiger, Jack Cavanaugh, Eddie Cheng, Fiona Grady, Jessica Kruger and Alexis Silver, juniors, and Teighlor McGee, senior, will present its proposal in front of Sen. Alberta Darling, Sen. Jim Ott and Sen. Dan Knodl, on June 8 at Homestead. These students want to make voucher schools responsible for their actions.

“Voucher schools get taxpayer money, but they are not held to the same standards as public schools are. Instead of taking away money from public schools, which support about 90 percent of students in the country, the state government should shift their focus to bettering the public school education, not giving students alternative schooling options. My caucus group is actively searching for a solution to this growing issue in our state,” Geiger said. With monetary allocations, they hope to take money away from voucher schools and put it toward public education funds.

Another proposal by AP Government students is to redistrict or modify the current voting districts. Right now, the state legislature draws voting districts; therefore, the ruling political party has the power to draw the voting lines in favor of their voters. “The current system is constitutional but it creates unfair safe seats,” Matt Gresham, junior, said “We want to use the Shortest-Splitline Algorithm to create equally populated areas so there is no way the districts can be a strong point for either party.”

A group composed of Elizabeth Huskin, Tessa Gebhardt, Molly Riebau, Jack Miller, Matt Heilmann, Maddie Powell and Josh Glasstein, juniors, and Michael Nelson and Julian Burk, seniors, has proposed a new vision for Thiensville, aiming to build an ice skating rink in the Village Park. “Cedarburg and Fox Point have their own local skating rinks, so why should the Mequon-Thiensville citizens have to travel all the way out there to skate?” Huskin said. With the lack of activities available in winter, this group of students hopes to pass the idea onto the local government and create a more lively community in Thiensville.

Another group is pressing to retain Chapter 220, also known as the Voluntary Student Transfer Program, as a way to bring kids from other cities into the Mequon-Thiensville School District. A random selection (lottery) process is used to assign seats. “The budget cut coming up is causing the beneficial program to be cut from our district,” Lauren Bartlett, junior, said. With the disposal of Chapter 220, MTSD will no longer be associated with students outside of the Mequon-Thiensville area.

The caucuses, advised by Mrs. Lueders, AP Government teacher, Mrs. Schlei, gifted and talented specialist, and Mr. Fugate, AP Macroeconomics teacher, have created an opportunity for AP students to become active in politics and within the community they inhabit.