Dodge County School District Officials Detail Referendum

(Juneau) Officials with the Dodgeland School District recently joined WBEV’s Community Comment to detail their proposed referendum in advance of the April election. The $17-million-dollar question would address building-wide infrastructure updates and site improvements, renovate the tech-ed classes as well as the cafeteria and commons area and add secure entrances. The elementary and district offices would also be upgraded as well. District officials says their goal is to improve their educational spaces, overall safety and infrastructure of their campus. This year the district will finish paying off the loan associated with building the Dodgeland campus in 2000. Meaning if the referendum is approved, there would still be a projected 40-cent drop in the mill rate. Jeff Caine is a member of the Dodgeland Personnel and Building Committees. He says this is a unique opportunity for the district where existing debt is dropping off, they can add new debt with the referendum and still have taxes drop while improving the school’s learning environment. School Board President Dave Beal says it is important to prepare the building for the next generation of students and also increase safety. If the question is not approved the mill rate would see a reduction of $2.60 after two years. The referendum would be financed over a 20-year period at an estimated interest rate of 4.25-percent.