School Funding Amendment Makes Room for Southern Door

A school funding amendment proposed by Rep. Joel Kitchens could help Southern Door School. An amendment passed by the Wisconsin Assembly Feb. 14 could help Southern Door School District take advantage of a new law that increases the taxing authority of low-revenue school districts. Assembly Bill 835 originally exempted schools, like Southern Door, that had failed to pass a referendum within the last three years. Under the bill Southern Door could pursue another referendum, but if it failed it would have to wait another three years to take advantage of the new baseline revenue levels.

The amendment allows Southern Door, and the eight other districts in the same position, to ask their voters to allow them to take advantage of the new taxing authority. If that referendum were to fail, the school would not be penalized.

Southern Door Superintendent Patti Vickman said it’s not a perfect solution, but it is progress for the district.

“The amendment does give more flexibility to the conversations we can have with the board and our community,” she said.

Vickman said the original bill was unfair in that it retroactively punished the district for a failed referendum when voters were not aware of the implications their vote could have.