Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the referendum for?
- Why are these three proposals being presented as a single question?
- Who decided this is what the community needs?
- Did the citizen task force look at other options?
- Isn't there room in some other schools that could be used?
- How will the operating expenses for the new school be paid for?
- Please explain the Leopold school part of the referendum question.
- How much will this cost me as a taxpayer?
- Why does the district want to refinance existing debt?
- What happens if the referendum does not pass?
- I don't have any school age children, why should I care?
- Why can't the developers who profit from new housing be made to pay for the new facilities?
- What can be done about high property tax bills?
- Where do I vote, how do I register?
What is the referendum for?
Funding the construction of a new elementary school, refinancing a new addition and remodeling to Leopold Elementary School and refinancing additional existing debts for past land purchases and building projects.
Why are these three proposals being presented as a single question?
All measures are about building and finance and the majority of the board considered them as a single plan.
Who decided this is what the community needs?
Ultimately the voters will decide with their referendum votes. The plan that you will vote on originated with a citizen task force representing the West/Memorial attendance areas. The Board of Education unanimously favored submitting this to the voters.
Did the citizen task force look at other options?
The West/Memorial Task Force spent 5 months looking at a variety of options to address overcrowding in the Memorial and West attendance areas. Options evaluated included boundary changes, pairing of schools, use of other buildings, out-posting grades to middle schools and portable classrooms. None of these options provide a long-term solution which addresses the community values of keeping geographically and historically defined neighborhoods together and keeping bus rides under 45 minutes.
Isn't there room in some other schools that could be used?
The Memorial/West Task Force explored this and found that the available district buildings were small, far from the areas of growth, and used for other important functions.
There is some classroom space on the East Side but not nearly enough to accommodate recent and projected West Side growth; furthermore this space is needed for the predicted increase in enrollments in the East and LaFollette areas. The two citizen task forces (representing the West/Memorial and East attendance areas) concluded that classroom space is insufficient and that any plan that did not involve building would be temporary and inefficient. As Madison continues to prosper there will be young families with children who will fill existing space without disrupting neighborhoods or requiring costly bus rides. Building a new school is sound long term planning for the entire district.
How will the operating expenses for the new school be paid for?
Operating expenses for the new school will be allocated by the Board of Education as part of the annual budget process. Some items, such as teacher salaries, will have to be budgeted whether a new school is built or not. The overhead for each elementary school is about $500,000 annually. This expense will be partially offset by savings in transportation costs.
Please explain the Leopold school part of the referendum question.
Leopold Elementary School is at 108% of capacity and the enrollment is continuing to grow. Capacity stresses in the school have resulted in lunch starting at 10:30 am, windowless classrooms and Strings class in the stairwell. In May, the Board of Education voted to construct an addition and remodel existing space. The addition is primarily a larger cafeteria/multi-use space, the internal remodeling makes classroom space from the former library and cafeteria spaces. This is a different plan than the one that was on the ballot in 2005. Funding for this project is currently coming out of the operating budget. The referendum question is for refinancing the loan for this Leopold addition. If the referendum passes, the project will no longer be funded under the revenue cap, relieving some of the pressure and reducing the amount of money that will have to be cut from the Operating budget in future years.
How much will this cost me as a taxpayer?
For a $239,400 home, this will mean an extra $29.21 for the first six years, and less thereafter. This $29.21 amount is the net impact after figuring in the negative aid costs to the district taxpayers as a result of the state equalization aid formula. All of these figures are based on the assumption that the tax base is constant. New development will reduce the costs to existing taxpayers. From 1996 to 2006 the school property taxes on the averaged-priced home in Madison increased less than 1% ($14), while that home's value increase 80%.
Why does the district want to refinance existing debt?
By refinancing existing debt, the District lowers the interest rates and saves $97,000 in interest. This action also relieves some pressure under the revenue cap and reduces the amount of money that will have to be cut from the Operating budget in future years.
What happens if the referendum does not pass?
The district and the families it serves will feel the effects of increased strains. A growing neighborhood will continue to lack the benefits of a nearby school. In the near future the district will be forced to undertake the difficult process of radically adjusting school assignments resulting in hundreds of elementary school students being reassigned and existing ties between neighborhoods and schools being altered. More students will be taking longer bus rides. The district estimates that increased transportation costs will be $90,000 a year. There is no way to calculate the other costs of the disruptions that children and families will experience.
The Board has adopted a plan to deal with enrollment growth if the referendum to build a new school should fail (view it on the website, www.mmsd.org click on 2006 Referendum) begins with boundary changes and after a few years, substantial programmatic changes such as reduction or elimination of SAGE (small class sizes), cafeteria space and other common spaces converted to classrooms, art and music (known as "specials") may go "on a cart" rather than in dedicated classrooms. The refinance measures offer some relief for the general operating budget, without them more cuts or reallocations will be necessary.
I don't have any school age children, why should I care?
Good schools are central to a thriving community. Good schools = good home values = good investment. As Madison's Mayor recently stated, ". . . good schools are vital ingredients in healthy neighborhoods." A strong school system is a critical factor in maintaining or increasing property values and in drawing new businesses to Madison which bring money and opportunities to the area. Strong schools keep students engaged in learning and involved in the school community. Madison is a wonderful community in which to live and studies have shown that Madison schools consistently rank as one of the top reasons why people want to live here.
Why can't the developers who profit from new housing be made to pay for the new facilities?
State law prohibits these arrangements.
What can be done about high property tax bills?
Present laws make it difficult for school districts to meet their mandated requirements. We need to reform the way schools are funded and shift the tax burden to a more equitable base. When you vote in November find out where the candidates stand on school finance and vote for those who support fixing this broken system.
Where do I vote, how do I register?
For information visit http://wicip.org/lwvdc/voting.html, or call the League of Women Voters at: 608.232.9447.
The Consortium for Public School Research advises other districts to look to Madison to learn how to effectively address the needs of a changing student body and a changing society and "double student achievement".