Letter to the editor:
On Tuesday, April 2, residents of the School District of Fort Atkinson will vote on an operational referendum question. If it’s approved, the district will be able to exceed its revenue limit by $6.5 million per year for the next three years.
Throughout this process, we have been incredibly grateful for the engagement of our community in the future of our schools. This has taken place through our recent community information sessions, school events and civic organization meetings. We are grateful for the thoughtful questions we’ve received, and the productive conversations we have had with families and community members over the past several months.
This operational referendum is different from the one proposed last spring, as funds would be approved only for three years and would be non-recurring beyond that point. It’s important to note that there would be no impact on the property tax levy rate of $9.61 per $1,000 of assessed property value in our community.
Like many Wisconsin school districts, we face significant financial challenges that are largely the result of three factors outside our control. These include the sunset of the district’s 2020 operational referendum and a funding deficit for public education from the State Legislature in recent years. And, like many districts, we have felt the effects of rapidly increasing expenses and inflation across all areas of our operations.
With a continued priority for student safety and wellbeing, the district would leverage approved referendum funds to avoid further cuts to programs, services, and staffing, maintain current programs and course offerings, and retain our high-quality teachers and staff.
Clear, accurate, and transparent communication has been our priority throughout this process. The district and board have established a webpage, at www.fortschools.org/vote, where our community can learn more about the district’s needs and the proposed solution, along with answers to frequently asked questions. The page also includes a new video message from the school board.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2. Eligible voters may register at the polls, if needed. More information on voting and polling locations is available at myvote.wi.gov.
As always, we appreciate the engagement of our community into the future of the School District of Fort Atkinson and the students we serve.
Kory Knickrehm,
President of the Fort Atkinson School Board
File photo/Kim McDarison.
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