How did we get here?

Curtiss Lindner

Loyal

Dear editor, On Nov. 8, 2022, The Loyal School District proposed a referendum on the fall ballot to remain operational for the next five years. The fall referendum was intended to keep the doors of the school open while still maintaining a high quality level of education for our children and a safe environment for them to learn in. The Nov. 8, 2022 referendum was not the same as the expansion (capital) referendum that was proposed on the April ballet earlier in 2022. This operational referendum was voted down by the district residents. This leads me to ask the question, “How did we get here?”

The primary reason for how we got here is that for six of the past eight years, the Wisconsin State Legislature has provided no new state funding on the revenue limit ($0 per-student increase, Department of Public Instruction, 2022). Another reason is that although the national average for enrollment has increased by 1.8 percent over the past 18 years, Wisconsin saw a 3.8 percent decline in enrollment (Cap Times 2022). Our rural Wisconsin communities are struggling to keep up.

Not surprisingly, these impacts have taken Wisconsin from 11th highest in perpupil spending in the country in 2002 all the way to 25th in 2020. This was the largest drop of any state over that time period (Wisconsin Public Radio, 2022).

While we stalled out in state funding, the costs of educating our students and simply keeping the lights on continue to increase. Amid a surge in inflation over the past two years, this has affected everyone’s pocketbooks, not just the school’s.

Now that we know how we got here, we ask, “Where do we go from here?” This is where the communities have to make the decision, do we invest in our schools to ensure that our children are provided at least the same if not better education than we had?

I am a graduate of Loyal High School. This school district gave me, like so many others, the foundation to choose to achieve a higher education, live and work in dif- ferent parts of the state and return home with my wife and three kids to raise them with the same values that I was raised with. This rural community has a lot to offer; please don’t give up on it. This rural school did not give up on this very average student, but saw potential and fostered it. Let’s not give up on this school, but take on the same responsibilities that the generations before us did to make sure we had a great education.

I know I’m not alone in valuing a high-quality education for our children. Unfortunately to achieve a high quality education, or any education for that fact, our rural schools, specifically the Loyal School District, need to be adequately funded. These are some core examples of what an operational referendum will go to support: -- Attract and retain high-quality educators and staff.

-- Maintain current programming. -- Address technology infrastructure needs.

-- Maintain safe buildings and facilities. -- Cover escalating utility costs. The Loyal School District will once again on April 4 ask our community for support. Should this referendum fail, Loyal School District administrators and the board will be faced with incredibly difficult decisions about the path forward, including reduced educational opportunities for our children in addition to losing high-quality staff and teachers. These adjustments will be seen and felt in our classrooms and throughout our community.

Voting is our constitutional right, but being an informed voter is our personal obligation. If you are unsure about what the April 4 referendum is all about, please reach out to your local school board representative or the Loyal School District administration. Please inform yourself so that you not only make the best decision for you, but the best decision for our community and children.

God bless America.