Letter to the editor:
It was my privilege to serve as Superintendent of Schools in Fort Atkinson from 1999-2013. In those fourteen years it was an honor to be a part of a school district where the families, businesses, and community were so supportive of education.
Why is our district and virtually every other district in the state of Wisconsin constantly coming back to their communities seeking referendum support? Well, the answer is pretty simple: Wisconsin public school funding had not kept up with the rate of inflation.
Back in 2006, it became apparent that given the way public schools were being funded, we would have to go back to our citizenry every three years requesting permission to exceed the revenue limits. I will always be grateful that the families and citizens of the Fort Atkinson School District always came through giving us what we needed to maintain our status as a beacon district in the state of Wisconsin, where we could attract and retain high quality teachers and offer programs and services that met the varied needs of our youth.
As an honest disclosure, I did not enjoy those many months we had to dedicate toward referendum campaigns, it was a distraction. However, to the credit of our great teachers and staff, we never lost sight of our mission in making sure our students’ academic and socio-emotional needs always came first.
Our students need to come first. On April 2, vote ‘yes.’
Dr. James Fitzpatrick
Fort Atkinson
File photo/Kim McDarison.
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