Letter to the editor:
On or before Tuesday, April 2, please exercise your right to vote. There are several important choices to make, including one on a three-year operational referendum for the School District of Fort Atkinson. In the fall of 2022, the district received support for making investments in maintaining the quality and safety of the school buildings. Now, the need remains to operate those schools with the same quality opportunities and services our students need to achieve their academic and personal potential.
Please consider the positive value our quality public schools bring to our area. They may attract and retain businesses of all sizes, and the families who work at those places and others in the area. This is our potential for growth in our local economy in the short term, as well as the long-term growth in our youth of today becoming our future leaders, skilled trades people, care takers, innovators, and so many other essential roles which strengthens our community. The stronger the community and the more growth, the more valuable our homes become and the more people who will share in the funding of our schools and other local services and quality of life amenities. Without strong public schools the reverse may happen.
As a past Board of Education member (2007-2017), I can assure you that the current and past Boards of Education have taken great efforts to plan and act with care in the fiscal stewardship that balances providing great value in the learning experiences offered to our youth while minimizing the resources asked for from our citizens. Every attempt is made to keep the tax mill levy rate stable, payoff debt early, realign resources to the most effective programming, utilize other limited funding sources like grants and one-time pandemic funds, and more, all while facing the same challenges of staffing that other organizations have and inflation that impacts us all.
As a life-long resident and local taxpayer for over 30 years, I realize that yes, your individual property tax bill and mine may show an increase or a decrease in any of the years of this referendum, as many factors make up your specific property’s assessed and estimated current market (or equalized) values, and many taxing entities make up the property tax bill. However, the stable tax rate or the “total ask” of all in the collective District’s tax base is all the District has control over to impact property taxes.
Wisconsin’s school funding is complicated and requires nearly all public schools to seek local funding via these operating referendum on a regular basis. Local control can be positive, as your dollars stay in the area rather than elsewhere in the state. Delaying this investment until the fall or for another year could have a significant impact on the ability of Fort Atkinson to continue the tradition of excellence in public education.
Please learn more about the referendum at www.fortschools.org/vote.
Thank you for your continued support of Fort Atkinson and its youth.
Rodger Thomann
Fort Atkinson
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