Dodgeville must vote YES on April 1st!

Dear Editor,

As someone who spent 33 years (24 in Dodgeville) as a public school teacher in Wisconsin, I firmly believe that our public schools are the bricks and mortar, the very foundation of every town in our state, and the cornerstone for the democratic principles of our country. Since 2011, the Wisconsin legislature has been committing an act of vandalism to our communities by not keeping school funding on pace with the rising costs necessary to provide a quality education for our students. This has led to a crisis for many of the schools in our state, especially in more rural areas, leading to a vast majority of districts needing to pass operational referenda. This crisis is only going to get worse with the cuts coming at us from the misguided policies of the current administration in Washington DC. I find this unacceptable.

Do we really want to see courses and programs for our students of the Dodgeville School District taken away? Do we really want to see teacher to student ratios get to the point where it is impossible to meet the educational needs of ALL students? Do we want to keep driving excellent teachers away from their chosen careers, because of the stress of larger class sizes and financial hardship? Do we want to have necessary equipment for the school to operate not be replaced or repaired because there is no money to pay for it? This is already happening and it’s only going to get much worse if we, as a community, don’t step up to help by passing the operational referendum that is on the ballot on April 1st.

My sons both received a high quality, well rounded education in the Dodgeville schools that has served them well as adults. I want future students to have the same opportunities they enjoyed as students here. The youth of the Dodgeville School District deserve to know that their community cares about their educational needs and future well being.  Please join me in voting YES for our kids.

Mark Ramthun, Dodgeville, WI