(JUNEAU) Dodgeland School District voters will decide on April 7 whether to dig deeper to pay for their schools. A referendum will ask voters to exceed state-imposed spending limits by $700,000 a year for four years. Superintendent Todd Greco told Daily Dodge that would save the district from having to lay off two elementary teachers and two high school teachers.
“One of the challenges we face in a small school district like Dodgeland is sometimes when you reduce a faculty position, that ultimately eliminates a program. Not because we intend it to, but because there’s only one teacher in that area.”
Greco said if the referendum is rejected, there could be cuts to CTE (Career and Technology Education), business programs, advanced placement and agriculture classes, as well as middle school athletics.
Like so many rural Wisconsin school districts, Dodgeland’s budget woes stem from lower enrollment and less state aid. Small districts are also feeling the pinch of having to pay into Wisconsin’s private school voucher program. For Dodgeland taxpayers, that comes to almost $450,000 a year.
“What they think are going to Dodgeland when they see their tax bill, one out of every five of those dollars is actually going to the private school voucher program,” said Greco.
Greco said if the referendum passes, the district’s tax levy would increase from $3.9 million to $4.6 million.
The Dodgeland School District has more information about the referendum on its website. You can find it here.
