Dear Editor,
The fact that rural WI school districts have gone to operating referendum 152 times since April of 2021 is not because schools have begun mismanaging their budgets, are making frivolous choices on sports and technology, or have corrupt administrations. There are factual reasons why school budgets can not keep up with costs.
The per pupil state and federal funding has been uncoupled with the rate of rise of inflation, and there has been minimal increase in per pupil funding in the last decade. Doubtful that you are making the same hourly wage you did one decade ago.
There is declining rural enrollment which means less state per pupil funding. One would think fewer kids, fewer costs, however buildings need to be maintained, buses still need to be driven, and classrooms still need to be heated, even with fewer pupils. These are a school’s operations that still need funding.
Next of course is the school choice or voucher program issue. There is a diversion of Dodgeville and Ridgeway’s property tax dollars to a voucher program that rarely impacts our district’s students. Are you happy to fund kids in larger cities in WI to go to a private school of their choice rather than the local public school? This has created a situation where rural communities like Dodgeville and Ridgeway are contributing tax dollars to a system that primarily benefits students and schools elsewhere in the state.
Rural communities cannot simply rely on enrollment growth or a large commercial tax base to solve these problems. When state policy places greater financial responsibility on local taxpayers, communities such as Dodgeville and Ridgeway are put in the difficult position of repeatedly asking their residents to make up the difference. We should expect our state government to recognize the importance of rural public schools and develop a funding system that provides sustainable support rather than forcing communities to return to the ballot box whenever costs rise faster than state funding. Reminder, Wisconsin has had continuous Republican majorities in both chambers of the state legislature (the WI State Assembly and the WI State Senate) for 15 years.
All this said, here we are again, heading to the voting booths. First off, consider the above when you decide who to vote for in our local elections. Second, consider that growing communities are those with schools which can retain and recruit staff, fund technology, and continue to have programs and curricula that promote success. Lastly, in order to support Dodgeville/Ridgeway School District in these goals, we MUST vote YES on our fall referendum. I dread the alternative.
Rachel Keith Dodgeville, WI