By Superintendent Mitch Wainwright
What happens if the operating referendum for the Mineral Point Unified School District does not get enough support at the ballot box on November 5th? This is a question that has been asked at several of the meetings with community members I have been fortunate to attend this fall. The simple answer is, the School Board will vote again on a resolution to go back for another referendum in April. Under the current state funding formula, our financial needs are not going away, even with the budget reductions we have already made, and the additional ones we would need to make in the future.
The School District has taken several steps to reduce expenses. Staff members have not received pay raises, or received small ones, in recent years. The District has passed along additional costs for health insurance to the staff. We have also delayed curriculum updates and maintenance projects, cut technology purchases, and brought back the food service program into the District to reduce managerial costs, just to name a few. The District has even utilized as many grant opportunities as possible to help fund smaller projects.
Whenever school districts ask for permission to raise funds, they try to stay far away from having negative impacts on the students. Mineral Point is no different. Our District has made budget reductions that minimize the impact on student learning. Unfortunately, we cannot continue to make cuts without impacting programs or opportunities for our students. A failed referendum would simply mean coming back to the community again. If the dollar amount asked for is reduced, it means there will be a shorter turnaround before coming back for another referendum question in order to keep our educational opportunities the same as what we have now.
Attempting to cut our way to future balanced budgets, without referendum support, will undoubtedly impact class offerings, co-curricular offerings, athletics, staffing, and many other areas that have contributed to our successful schools. Hopefully, you recently received a newsletter that showcased some of the accomplishments of our students and staff. Mineral Point has provided students with opportunities to compete on a national stage, earn state championships, enter college at Ivy League institutions, and two and four year postsecondary programs in our own state and beyond. Our Youth Apprenticeship programs are growing at a fast rate, providing our students with hands-on work experiences who are graduating and moving directly into the workforce. Several of our students in recent years are proudly serving our United States Armed Forces. All of these accomplishments are to be celebrated. Our School District is providing as many opportunities as possible for our students to be successful, keeping doors open for whatever path they choose after graduation.
This would not be #PointerNation without the excellent support we receive from our very own community. It is a Point of Pride we all have.
As always, if you have questions about this referendum, or anything about our District, feel free to reach out at mitch.wainwright@mp.k12.wi.us or 608-987-0740.
Thank you for your engagement. It is my honor to serve as your school superintendent.