% LA CROSSE.
% >> PUBLIC EDUCATION IS A BIG
% ISSUE NOT JUST IN TERMS OF
% CANDIDATES.%ACCORDING TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF
% PUBLIC INSTRUCTION 58 DIFFERENT
% SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE
% REFERENDUMS ON THE NOVEMBER
% BALLOTS ASKING VOTERS TO
% APPROVE NEW BUILDINGS AND
% EXCEEDING THE LEVY LIMIT TO
% FUND OPERATIONS.
% APPLETON IS ONE OF THOSE
% DISTRICTS AND WE'RE JOINED BY
% THE SUPERINTENDENT THERE.%TH
ANKS FOR BEING HERE.
% >> MY PLEASURE, THANK YOU FOR
% HAVING ME HERE.
% YOU ASK VOTERS TWO QUESTIONS.
% FIRST $129 MILLION FOR A NEW
% ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND OTHER
% UPGRADES BUT ALSO ASKING FOR 5
% MILLION A YEAR ABOVE THE LEVY
% LIMIT.%WHAT WILL IT GET YOU I
N TERMS
% OF STAFFING?
% >> SO THERE ARE THREE PARTS TO
% THE 5 MILLION.
% 2.2 MILLION FOR ADDITIONAL
% STAFFING AT THE KINDERGARTEN,
% FIRST AND SECOND GRADE LEVEL.
% THAT CAME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC.
% WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FALL OF
% 2020 IS WE WERE LOOKING TO KEEP
% STUDENTS IN PERSON BUT SAFELY
% DISTANCED WITHIN CLASSROOMS.
% WE COULDN'T DO THAT WITH OUR
% NORMAL STAFFING WHERE WE HAD 25
% TO 1.
% AND SO WE REDUCED CLASS SIZES
% TO 21.
% WHAT OUR TEACHERS AND
% PRINCIPALS FOUND OUT THEY WERE
% ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF
% STUDENTS MUCH BETTER, AS YOU
% CAN IMAGINE, WITH 20 STUDENTS
% IN A CLASSROOM, ESPECIALLY
% AROUND THOSE GRADES WHERE WE'RE
% TEACHING EARLY READING AND
% WRITING SKILLS.%AND SO CAME
OUT OF THE PANDEMIC
% WITH SMALL CLASS SIZES WE'RE
% ASKING OUR COMMUNITIES TO
% SUPPORT PAIRED DOWN 1 AND 2
% GRADE CLASSES STEMMED DOWN.
% STEM STAFFING.
% WE NEED TO MODERNIZE OUR
% CURRICULUM AROUND THAT.
% WE'VE FALLEN BEHIND AND WE WANT
% TO ADD ACTUAL STEM CLASSES AT
% THE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE LEVEL.
% THE FINAL PIECE TO THAT 1.6
% MILLION IS TO OPERATE OUR NEW
% SPACES.
% IF WE PASS THE CAPITAL PROJECT
% PART WE'RE LOOKING AT COSTS
% AROUND HEATING, COOLING,
% UTILITIES, MAINTENANCE AND
% CLEANING AND THEN A LITTLE BIT
% OF STAFFING THAT WILL GO WITH
% MOVING SIXTH GRADERS TO THE
% MIDDLE SCHOOL.
% PUT IT TOGETHER IN A $5 MILLION
% QUESTION.
% >> FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS
% REPUBLICANS HAVE NOT INCREASED
% THE AMOUNT OF MONEY GOING TO
% SCHOOLS THROUGH THE BUDGET
% SAYING THAT THE FEDERAL ESSER
% FUNDS SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO HE
% LEAVE YAT THAT.
% IF THERE WAS AN INCREASE WOULD
% YOU STILL NEED THE $5 MILLION
% OR A DIRECT RESPONSE TO THE
% SHORTFALL FROM THE STATE?
% >> THEY PLAY TOGETHER.
% HAD WE GOTTEN THAT INCREASE,
% THAT WOULD HAVE GONE TOWARDS
% MORE OF OUR OPERATIONS.
% AND SO THIS IS OPERATIONAL.
% SO SOME OF THAT MAY HAVE BEEN
% ABLE TO OFFSET THE $5 MILLION.
% OUR REALITY IS WE HAVE INNRAISH
% NEAR INCREASES.
% BUSING COSTS AND HEALTH
% INSURANCE INCREASES WANTING TO
% BE ABLE TO GIVE A 2%
% COMPENSATION INCREASE TO OUR
% EMPLOYEES, WE PUT ALL OF THAT
% TOGETHER AND WE NEED 4 TO 5
% MILLION IN NEW REVENUE EVERY
% YEAR JUST TO COVER OUR
% OPERATIONAL INCREASES AND
% INFLATION COSTS.
% WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT LAST YEAR
% AND NOT HAVING IT THIS YEAR.
% CHALLENGING FOR US TO MEET THE
% OPERATIONAL INCREASES THAT ALL
% BUSINESSES OR EMPLOYERS IN
% GENERAL SEE.
% SO YEAH, A CHALLENGE FOR US.
% >> ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT ALONG
% WITH THE REFERENDA WILL BE THE
% RACE FOR GOVERNOR WITH TWO
% DIFFERENT VISIONS FOR A FUTURE
% OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
% GOVERNOR EVERS WANTS TO PUT
% MORE MONEY INTO EDUCATION AND
% TIM MICHELS WANTS SCHOOL CHOICE.
% >> WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS PUT
% OUR REFERENDA ON A BALLOT SO
% THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, WHEN A
% LARGE NUMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY
% WOULD TURN OUT FOR THE ELECTION.
% WE FELT IT WAS THE MOST
% TRANSPARENT WAY TO GO ABOUT A
% REFERENDUM.%WE COULD HAVE GO
NE HERE IN
% AUGUST OR FEBRUARY.
% THOSE ARE NOT LARGE ELECTIONS.
% WE WANT TO PUT IT ON THE
% BIGGEST ELECTION THIS YEAR JUST
% TO GET THE MOST COMMUNITY
% MEMBERS OUT AND BE ABLE TO VOTE
% WHETHER THEY VOTE YES OR NO, WE
% WANT THEM TO BE INFORMED AND
% MAKE THE BEST DECISION FOR
% THEMSELVES AND THINK HAVING
% THAT BIG ELECTION FOR THE
% GOVERNOR RACE IS GOING TO
% HAPPEN.%>> HOW MUCH DO YOU T
HINK THE
% TWO DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHY OF THE
% CANDIDATES WILL IMPACT VOTERS?
% WILL THEY SEE THE DISCREPANCIES
% AND MAKE A DECISION ON ALL
% THESE QUESTIONS TOGETHER?
% >> YOU KNOW, THAT WILL BE
% INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
% CERTAINLY THE APPLETON
% COMMUNITY HAS SUPPORTED PUBLIC %
EDUCATION FOR GENERATIONS AND %
WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT % CONTINUES.
% AND WE FEEL LIKE THE COST OF
% OUR REFERENDUM IS VERY
% REASONABLE.
% IT WILL BE AROUND $20 ON
% $120,000 OF PROPERTY ANNUALLY.
% THAT'S BEING REASONABLE AND SO
% WE HOPE THAT EVEN IF THEY ARE
% LOOKING AT PROPERTY TAXES AND
% CONCERNS ABOUT THOSE TAXES, YOU
% FEEL LIKE IT'S WORTH THAT
% INVESTMENT INTO OUR EDUCATION.
% SO WE THINK THAT WE MAY GET
% VOTERS FROM BOTH DEMOCRAT AND
% REPUBLICAN SIDES THAT SUPPORT
% OUR REFERENDUM.
% >> ALL RIGHT.
% SUPERINTENDENT GREG HARTJES.