About the Referendum
ECASD prepares to ask public for $55 million
Thom Fountain, photos by Andrea Paulseth |
While debates still rage in Madison over state funding for education and teachers, a similar struggle is being fought here in Eau Claire (and likely will be directly influenced by the hubbub in Madison).
On April 5, Eau Claire residents will be voting on two school referendums asking for about $55 million to renovate and repair four schools and to centralize the early learning center by purchasing a new building. The school district held an open forum on Feb. 23 to answer questions about the referendum.
Paul Gandrud, a strong supporter of the referendum and member of the Promote the Vote organization trying to inform the public, said he’s concerned of the consequences if it is voted down. “I’ve got two kids in the district and I want them to have the same advantages that I had growing up,” Gandrud said. “They keep cutting, keep cutting, keep cutting, and eventually something’s got to give.”
But not everyone is keen on the request. Though none of the residents in vocal opposition of the referendum felt comfortable giving their names, their argument was clear: The school district should be able to operate sufficiently on the funds residents currently give them. This is a sentiment echoed on the local anti-referendum website, going further to say it’s a matter of the teacher’s union needing to make financial sacrifices.
Proponents, meanwhile, say this particular referendum is not about sustaining the status quo, but instead covering big one-time expenses. However this isn’t the first referendum proposed for the district (recent ones have failed), and this won’t be the last, either. Wendy Sue Johnson, a school board member at the meeting, said this would provide the needs the schools have now, but there will be more to address in the future such as operational costs (which are constantly on the rise) and other school repairs (including South Middle School).
would go toward situations like this one
at Sherman Elementary, where they’ve
had to make a classroom within the gym.
The first part of the current referendum, which accounts for $51.85 million, would improve Robbins, Putnam Heights, and Sherman elementary schools, plus DeLong Middle School. DeLong would get the largest cut if it passes, receiving almost $25 million for improvements. The 40-year-old school uses portable walls put in place when it was built and has been suffering with a faltering boiler for years.
The elementary schools all face problems with overcrowding and this would add space for out-of-classroom work and offices. At Robbins, the nurses’ station is a major concern due to a lack of privacy for students who have special needs.
“By the time they’re nine or 10, they don’t really want their peers being physically taken care of or being tube fed,” Putnam Heights Principal Kim Koller said. “So, again, when we have kids who are sick and waiting for mom and dad to come home … and we have someone who needs a medical procedure like being tube fed we have no way to do it without other people seeing it.”
The second part of the referendum asks voters for a centralized early learning center. Superintendent Ronald Heilmann said the district is looking at purchasing a school to hold the center. Heilmann said it would be a “turn-key” deal, meaning they would be able to purchase the building and begin to move in the next day with little or no renovations.
With this additional space, however, comes a need for more staff. Heilmann said the district would most likely need to hire teachers to keep up with the projected rise in enrollment and custodial staff to maintain new additions.
If you have questions, there’s another forum at 6pm on March 29 at DeLong. More info on the referendum, including a breakdown of the exact spending, is available on the district’s website www.ecasd.k12.wi.us/coa_referendum.cfm. Also refer to Promote-theVote.com and EauClaireReferendum.com for each side of the current debate.
