THOROUGH ANALYSIS SUPPORTS "YES" VOTE ON SCHOOL REFERENDUM

On November 7th, voters will be asked to approve a referendum allowing the Madison Metropolitan School District to build a new school and exceed its revenue cap. After very careful consideration, the Board of Education unanimously decided to ask the question. I fully support this referendum and urge you to vote yes.

Our community is committed to our children and our public schools. We want our children to be well-educated and prepared for the future. We engage in passionate discussions over how best to educate our students, and how to ensure that the community’s investment in education is sound. We are not satisfied with the status quo, and we are continually looking for our schools to do better. The Board of Education shares this commitment. We take very seriously our responsibility to gather information, ask questions, and initiate actions to accomplish these goals.

We need to build a new elementary school on the far west side of Madison because there is simply not be enough room in our schools to accommodate the dramatic growth there. Projections, confirmed by student count information, are that elementary schools in the Memorial attendance in total will exceed capacity by 2007 and will be at 111% of capacity by 2010. Linden Park, a fast growing residential area about three miles from the nearest elementary school, is an excellent location for that school. It will service a large attendance area where many students will be able to walk to school, helping to control bussing costs.

No alternatives eliminate the pressing need for a new school. West attendance area schools are currently at 94% capacity (with enrollment projected to increase), so moving students there is not a viable option. Although there is some excess capacity in the East attendance area, the inefficiency and cost of moving students from the far west side of Madison through the Isthmus makes that alternative unworkable. Programming changes – such as expanding class sizes, or eliminating art and music rooms – could slightly expand school capacity, but could not provide nearly enough additional capacity to significantly delay the need for the new school.

Also included in the referendum is the refinancing of debt previously incurred for improvements to Leopold and Hawthorne schools, and the purchase of land on the far eastside of Madison. Refinancing debt with money outside the revenue cap will allowing the District to spend an average of approximately $516,000 over the revenue cap for the next six years, giving the District a small amount of flexibility as it deals with inevitable future budget cuts. In total, passage of the referendum would increase 2007 property taxes for an owner of average-priced home ($239,400) by $29.21

After studying the facts, I truly believe that a “yes” vote on the school referendum is the right decision for our community. I am confident that after studying the issues and alternatives, as the School Board has, voters will also agree that passing the referendum is in the best interest of our children, our schools and our community as a whole.

Posted by Lawrie Kobza at November 5, 2006 6:12 AM
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