By Superintendent Mitch Wainwright
The Mineral Point Unified School District cares deeply about providing the best education we can for every child who enters through our doors. Our dedicated staff works hard each day to ensure that our students have every opportunity to grow and follow their dreams. This is more difficult every year when costs continue to rise and school districts do not get additional revenue limit authority to help offset rising expenditures.
For the longest time, the state of Wisconsin has tied additional revenue limit authority to inflation. When inflation rose by two percent, revenue limit authority would rise by two percent. Ten years ago the state broke away from that system of school funding and made it a per-pupil dollar amount. During the last ten years, the state has not provided any additional funding for six of those years. While inflation was hitting everyone, schools received no additional help from the state for on-going expenses six of the last ten years.
Over the last three years, inflation has risen by 16.82%. The cost of buying fuel, food, electricity, and just about everything else has risen for each and every home. It has also hit the school district. We are spending 18% more on our water bill each month, 9% more on electricity, 7% more on gas for buses and school vehicles, 7% more on natural gas for heating, and 10% more on food to feed our students. Just like at home, we see our costs increase. Unfortunately, without additional support from Madison, the District has had to shuffle priorities to continue providing the best education possible and is now having to come to voters and ask for help.
For the last state budget, the claim was made that it was a “historic investment” in education. The key word missing is “public” education. Public schools received an additional $325 per pupil the last two years. However, the state budget also expanded private school vouchers by up to almost $3,000 per student, or nearly ten times more, than what public schools received. Other money went directly to the taxpayers but was presented as school funding. You may have heard the term Equalized Aid. This is money directly sent to each taxpayer on their property tax bill. If you look closely at your tax bill, there will be a small box on the form that states it is for the School Levy Tax Credit. That dollar amount is your personal equalized aid payment that reduces your property tax burden. Lawmakers in Madison will claim that it is additional funding for schools, but that money never comes to the school to help with expenses. It is only applied to your property tax bill.
Our operational referendum question is seeking additional funding to help us backfill the deficit we will experience this school year, and help maintain our current level of staffing and programs. We are dedicated to fiscal responsibility as a District, but want to continue providing all of our students with the opportunity to follow their dreams.
As the November election approaches, we will be having another Referendum Community Information Meeting Wednesday, October 23 at 6 pm in the middle/high school cafeteria at 705 Ross Street (content will be very similar to the September 18 meeting). More information, including frequently asked questions, can be found on our website: https://mineralpointschools.
If you have additional questions, please reach out at 608-987-0740 or mitch.wainwright@mp.k12.wi.us.
Thank you for your continued engagement.