Referendum Information

It’s the people who make this district special. As a small, community-based district, we’re “small enough to care enough.” Our dedicated staff and teachers get to know each student and their families, parents are actively involved, and students love their schools so much they are disappointed on the last day of school.

 

We accomplish this while spending the least per pupil of any elementary school district in the county. Under the fiscally responsible leadership of our board and staff, we continue to maintain a balanced budget, reduce spending, use zero-based budgeting to evaluate our spending every year and ensure we are being as efficient as possible, and focus our funding into classrooms. As a result, our tax rates are the 5 th lowest in the county.

 

Our staff does a fantastic job making the most of what we have. They never complain that they have access to fewer resources and our students learn in older facilities than most other districts.

 

 

This adds to our current challenges. With the cost of education rising and our district receiving limited state and federal support, we will struggle to maintain competitive salaries with area districts, hurting our ability to hire and retain excellent teachers and staff during a nationwide staffing shortage.

 

Our infrastructure is also aging and beginning to hold our teachers and students back. Our middle school classrooms are too small, the building’s layout antiquated, and the facilities aging, with a gym that is slowly sinking into the ground. Mechanicals are so old we struggle to get parts for them, cabling is four generations old, and bathrooms are original to the buildings. Our community wants a more robust educational experience for their children, but we don’t have the resources to do so, and our facilities limit STEM, collaborative, and foreign language learning.

 

Despite our limited funding, we’ve found a way to succeed without having to go to taxpayers for additional support for over 30 years. We’ve managed our funds conservatively and stretched every dollar. But if we are going to meet the state’s mandate and make the improvements our residents are requesting, we will need additional funding.

 

Throughout 2024, our community collaborated on a plan for the future of our schools. Over 1,000 members of the community provided input and helped develop a consensus plan, one that allowed the district to meet the state’s mandate without having to use non-secure mobile classrooms and without having to increase class sizes. Hearing the community’s concerns over taxes, the district then worked to reduce the cost of the plan, saving taxpayers nearly 40%.

 

The referendums will allow the district to comply with the state’s mandate for full-day kindergarten without needing to use mobile classrooms and without having to increase class sizes at every level. This will increase academic and social emotional learning for early learners and potentially provide childcare savings for parents.

 

The referendums will allow us to fix our aging infrastructure by investing in infrastructure and mechanicals, leading to safer and updated schools. This includes a new secure entry at Westfield, classroom carpet and casework replacement at Dujardin and Erickson, mechanical systems replacement and upgrades at Dujardin and Westfield, and improved ADA Accessible bathrooms, new security systems, and technology network cabling at all schools. It also includes a new gym at Westfield, expanded gyms optimized into multipurpose spaces at all schools, and modernized cafeterias to better accommodate all students.

 

The referendums will also give our students the 21st century learning environments they deserve. We will be able to hire additional teachers and support staff and better support our current staff to educate and support all students. We will be able to add classrooms to accommodate growth while remodeling and increasing space in current classrooms, as well as adding 21 st century learning spaces with better technology and hands on learning. And we will be able to provide optimized student resource and support spaces, including improved special education, leading to healthier students with stronger social and emotional skills.

 

Investing in our schools would give our students and staff safer, more secure, and sustainable learning environments. Our kids and teachers would be able to thrive, with high level learning opportunities and students encouraged to create and collaborate. And we’d be able to provide more meaningful and positive community service projects to connect our students to our community.

 

Both referendums are required in order to achieve these improvements. The $29.7 million bond question funds the infrastructure work needed to add classrooms, fix our aging infrastructure, and improve learning environments—without this, we will have to use mobile classrooms for full-day kindergarten. The $2 million limiting rate question funds our teachers and support staff to operate full-day kindergarten and educate students at every level—without this, we will have to increase class sizes to comply with the state’s mandate.