Letters from Supporters
Thorough Analysis Supports "Yes" Vote on School Referendum
By Lawrie Kobza, Madison Metropolitan School Board Member
On November 7th, voters in the Madison Metropolitan School District will be asked to approve a referendum allowing the District to exceed its revenue cap to build a new school on the west side of Madison, finance more classroom space at Leopold School, and refinance a portion of the District’s long-term debt. The decision to put this referendum question to the voters was not made lightly. All members of the Madison Metropolitan School District's Board of Education appreciate that this is a significant question for the community.
Our community is, and always has been, committed to our children and our public schools. We want our children to be well-educated and prepared for the future. We engage in passionate discussions over how best to educate our students, and how to ensure that the community’s investment in education is sound. We are not satisfied with the status quo, and we are continually looking for our schools to do better.
The Board of Education shares this commitment. Board members, however, are also charged with the responsibility of gathering information, asking questions, and voting on the actions to accomplish these goals. The issues are often difficult, the stakes are high, and we take this responsibility very seriously.
After much thought and consideration, the Board voted unanimously to place this school referendum question on the November 7th ballot. I support this referendum for many reasons.
I believe that we need to build a new elementary school on the far west side of Madison. The facts show there will not be enough room in the elementary schools on the west side to accommodate the dramatic growth there. The District has projected that elementary schools in the Memorial attendance in total will be at 101% capacity in 2007-2008; 105% capacity in 2008-2009; 107% capacity in 2009-2010 and 111% capacity in 2010-2011. Recent student count information is consistent with these projections.
While we examined many alternatives for dealing with this growth, none of them eliminate the pressing need for a new school. Moving students from the Memorial attendance area into the West attendance area is not a viable alternative because those schools are currently at 94% capacity (with enrollment projected to increase). Although there is capacity in the elementary schools in the East attendance area, the inefficiency and cost of moving students from the far west side of Madison through the Isthmus makes that alternative unworkable. Programming changes at some or all of the elementary schools in the Memorial attendance area * such as expanding class sizes, or eliminating art and music rooms * could expand the number of students each elementary school could serve for the very short-term, but they could not provide nearly enough additional capacity to significantly delay the need for the new school.
If a new school is to be built, the Linden Park area on the westside of Madison is an excellent location for that school. It is located in a fast developing residential area approximately three miles from the nearest elementary school. It will be able to service a large attendance area, and will be located so that many students will be able to walk to school, helping to control bussing costs.
Also included in the November 7th referendum is approval to refinance debt previously incurred by the District for improvements to Leopold and Hawthorne schools, and the purchase of land and site improvements in the Sprecher subdivision on the far eastside of Madison. This portion of the referendum would allow the District to pay back this refinanced debt with money outside the revenue cap, allowing the District to spend an average of approximately $516,000 over the revenue cap in each of the next six years. This will give the District a small amount of flexibility in future years as it deals with revenue limits and budget cuts. In total, passage of the referendum would increase 2007 property taxes for an owner of average-priced home ($239,400) by $29.21
After studying the facts, possible alternatives, and the pros and cons of those various alternatives, I truly believe that a “yes” vote on the school referendum is the right decision for our community. Yet, this is not a decision the School Board or I can make. This is a decision that can only be made by the community through passage of the referendum. I am confident that after studying the issues and alternatives, as the School Board has, voters will agree that passing the referendum is in the best interest of our children, our schools and our community as a whole.