Letter to the Editor: Door County LWV Supports All School Referendums

The Door County League of Women Voters urges residents of the school districts of Gibraltar, Sevastopol and Southern Door to support their school’s educational programs.

Since 1927 the League of Women Voters at the national, state and local levels has studied and promoted improvement of public education. The League supports a system of school funding which:  includes an educational aids formula that primarily equalizes taxing rates and spending per student; ensures that a child’s opportunity for a good education is not limited by the fiscal ability of the local district; and promotes equality in educational opportunity for all Wisconsin students.

In 1993 the state instituted revenue caps limiting how much a school district could increase its total revenues each year.  In all five of the public schools in Door County, referendums are now required to raise property taxes to maintain school services. Schools struggle to give students the opportunities to learn that they deserve. Districts have eliminated teacher and staff positions; curtailed class offerings, programs, and resources; and postponed building maintenance. Fund balances are disappearing; many schools in Wisconsin are in desperate financial straits.  

What can you do?

1. For information about their referendums, go to the district websites of Gibraltar (gibraltar.k12.wi.us/), Sevastopol (sevastopol.k12.wi.us/), and Southern Door School District (southerndoor.k12.wi.us/). Each district has two ballot questions.
2. To meet the identified needs of the Gibraltar, Sevastopol, Southern Door School Districts, voters can support the school referendums on the November ballot.
3. To obtain a long-term solution, all Wisconsin residents should encourage their legislators to continue work on a revised system to fund Wisconsin’s public schools.

Please support quality education for the young people in Door County.

Lisa Barnaby, Sandy Brown, Barb Graul, Charlynn Hansen, Susan Kohout, Pat Scieszinski, Shirley Senarighi, Dawn VandeVoort

Door County League of Women Voters Leadership Team