Tuesday is Election Day and one area school district has a referendum on the ballot.
Student enrollment across Wisconsin – across the nation – is declining, though in the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District numbers are increasing, according Superintendent Michelle Butler.
“It’s slow growth. We’re not seeing a hundred new students each year. They trickle in; and they trickle in throughout the school year. And what’s happened is our elementaries, in particular, have seen that growth, and we’re out of space.”
Butler says while the regular budget is able to handle a number of maintenance projects – roofs, blacktopping, and repairs to name a few…
“But to do the large projects – where you’re adding on space, where you’re adding on classrooms, a whole new gymnasium at Trempealeau Elementary – we can’t fit that in our budget.”
Tuesday’s referendum asks voters to consider just under 45-millions dollars in capital improvements across the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District
“We have safety needs. We have space needs. We have a lot of projects for maintenance that need to be done; and we can’t do it with our regular budget. So, to get all of this work done, we’re asking the public to let us know…yes or no, if they support that work.”
If approved by voters, the referendum would have an estimated 8-dollars per month – or about 96-dollars per year – increase over current tax rates for every 100-thousand-dollars worth of property value. Polls are open from 7:00am to 8:00pm Tuesday.
More referendum information can be found at https://getschools.referendumfacts.org/
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