And heres another informative and persuasive letter from Wednesdays Daily Union. This one is from our recently retired Superintendent, Dr. Jim Fitzpatrick. BALANCE OF EXCELLENCE The community of Fort Atkinson has earned a great reputation in this state and nationally for supporting finer education. In our mission we pledge to provide programs, services, and opportunities so that ALL students can realize their academic and personal potential. The emphasis is on ALL STUDENTS. In the Fort Atkinson Learning Community we have never settled on striving to be good in just some areas. The needs of families and the students that are enrolled in our schools vary greatly. Over many years the Board of Education with great prudence and understanding of the needs of children, while cognizant of fiscal constraints in always looking ahead, has approved and established an educational plan consisting of strong academic and co-curricular programs, and necessary pupil services in meeting the needs of ALL children. Fort Atkinson like all districts in this state faces a great challenge in maintaining its programs and services to children while complying with unfunded state mandates. Our annual allowable revenue increase has been less than two-percent failing to keep up with inflation. Estimates indicate that allowable revenue increases by 2014-2015 will be less than one-percent. Unfortunately supplies, utilities and other operating expenses keep rising. Thus the burden for maintaining programs and services falls more directly upon local community citizens as the state assumes less responsibility for funding its public schools. In the last referendum the Community Taskforce at that time knew the district would have to come back to the taxpayers in three years. There also was awareness that for the 2011 referendum to pass, the district also would have to make recurring cuts of $630,000. This was the shared sacrifice the Board of Education knew it must demonstrate to the tax payers and they made some very difficult decisions. In the fall of 2012, Mr. Demerath, Director of Finance, in looking forward to 2014 where we knew the referendum “ask” would have to be much greater, advised the Board of Education to make a prepayment on its outstanding debt. By doing this, the Board would then be in a position to ask for what is now the proposed referendum request of $1.75 million over the next three years with NO TAX INCREASE! The Board prudently went ahead and made the pre-payment on the outstanding debt. The financing of public education remains a nebulous uncertainty as we look ahead to the future. One thing that is not an uncertainty is the knowledge that strong schools are at the underpinning of strong communities. Let’s keep the balanced excellence and opportunities we have established over many years in fulfilling our District mission and remaining a Beacon District in this state. Vote YES on April 1. Dr. James Fitzpatrick Retired Superintendent (1999-2013)
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 15:46:20 +0000
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