This fall voters are being asked to approve additional funds to help cover operating expenses of the Eau Claire Area School District for the next four years. To better understand this request, it is important to understand the basics of school finance. The vast majority of a school district’s money comes from two sources: state aid and local property taxes. A formula is used to determine how much state aid each district receives as well as how much money can be raised through local property tax. There also is a provision that allows districts to ask their citizens for additional money through a referendum.
In 2010, the State of Wisconsin stopped adjusting the funding formula for inflation. Since that time, the state has consistently not added enough money to the formula to keep up with inflation and the cost of educating our children. This significant change has forced many school districts to use referendums to raise money to pay for basic educational services. These types of referendums are now a common occurrence within the state. During the past year over one-third of Wisconsin school districts (151 out of 421) have gone to a referendum to ask for additional money to help cover operational expenses needed to educate their students.
Eau Claire Area School District voters will be asked as part of the Nov. 5 election to approve $18 million for each of the next four years to help cover existing operational expenses. The money will not be used to expand educational services but will be used to help maintain programs that currently exist while addressing the current budget deficit. Approval of this referendum will increase tax bills by $99 per $100,000 of assessed evaluation.
Extensive material has been prepared to allow citizens to learn about the impact of this referendum, school funding in general, and why passage of this referendum is so important. Go to the ECASD web page (www.ecasd.us/District/Home) to access this information or call (715) 852-3000 with your questions.
I strongly encourage you to support our schools by voting “yes” for the School Operational Referendum on Nov. 5.
Tom Fiedler is a retired school administrator who lives in Eau Claire.
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