About Mitch
My name is Mitch Gallagher, I work with data for a living as a Reporting Analyst. I am husband to April and Dad to 3 (two daughters, one son) and owner of Dave the dog. I have lived in Waukesha for five years. I live here, vote here and my kids go to school here.
My goal as a school board member is to bring data, clarity, and accountability to the conversation.
Why am I running for School Board?
Our families deserve better representation that is willing to ask hard questions and hold themselves accountable. I looked at our district's trends and saw a problem: enrollment is dropping, but costs are rising. I’m running to stop the "manage the decline" mindset. I want to build a district that competes for families and wins them back.
How will I represent those without kids in the schools?
The reality of Wisconsin school funding is that when a student leaves our district, the state aid leaves with them, but our fixed costs stay the same. That financial gap gets pushed onto your property tax bill. The only fiscally conservative way to lower taxes is to fill those empty seats with students. We need to promote our schools and become a destination district again by highlighting what makes us unique and proving that we are committed to academics while respecting the taxpayers.
I am not a politician. I’m a dad who knows how to read a spreadsheet. I don’t care about political points; I care about Return on Investment. If we spend millions on a new curriculum or program, I want to see the data that proves it’s actually helping kids read and do math.
Public Education shouldn’t simply be a system by which we manage students. It should look like a launchpad into our student’s future. It is a rigorous, high-standards environment where a student’s work ethic determines their future. We must ensure the framework is in place for students to demonstrate that work ethic and be successful. It’s important because every tax dollar we spend generates a compounding ROI. Strong schools attract new families to Waukesha while building our future neighbors. Strong public education ensures the next generation has the critical thinking skills, literacy and knowledge to keep Waukesha functioning and prosperous. We aren’t just supporting schools and students, we’re supporting the future of Waukesha itself.