Writes in opposition to spending by Medford school district

I am writing a response to the person who composed the questionnaire that was written in the Star News Shopper titled Medford Area Public School District Infrastructure Survey. On January 4, 2024 on the 5 p.m. news, the headline on WSAW channel 7 reads “Medford increases property taxes and more and the district is giving its reasons.” An interview with Pat Sullivan [spoke about the increase.] [His] statement did not build a trustworthy relationship between district administrator, school board and the taxpayers. It further reassured what the taxpayers were thinking all along. We are the taxpayers (money) and they are district superintendent and school board with unrealistic requests not realizing what a common worker has to go through to make ends meet.

Just because we have a different administrator doesn’t erase the fact that there is a wide divide and mistrust between the Medford school board, district administrator and taxpayers. Without any explanation as to who is requesting this survey or an apology to the taxpayers because of past administration actions, this survey just pops up on the back page of The Shopper Medford WI on July 2, 2024, as if nothing has happened in the past.

The first sentence, presurvey, “For many years, the Medford School Board has been discussing updating and remodeling our school buildings,” reinforces the fact whoever drafted this has the mindset that if you ignore what has happened in the past maybe it will go away. I think you left out a few details. There were more than discussions about remodeling our school buildings. Just to refresh your memory, there were three failed referendums paid for by the taxpayers, a substantial property tax increase for the Medford School District property owners in 2023, and a 2-million-dollar office addition built in the name of safety. What gives the taxpayers any reason to think differently than what we have in the past? What is the administrator and school board trying to pull on us now? Another ballooned referendum asking for wants and not needs and a questionnaire skewed by the phrases, support local industry and manufacturing, create functional bathrooms, provide equal opportunities, and support local industries and entrepreneurship education. This sounds like more of what we had in the past. Start with building maintenance and end up, according to the survey, new shop edition, 2 new classrooms at MAES, 8 new classrooms at MASH. This sounds like more than maintenance.

The first paragraph looks like a request specifically for renovation and large maintenance projects. Then it is restated as renovations and improvements. Then the 2nd paragraph it is stated as necessary upgrades and repairing aging infrastructure. So, what are you asking for? The questionnaire clearly is not focused on the introduction of what this referendum would be addressing.

In today’s tenacious economy, high inflation, and the additional 2023 property tax increase taxpayers are burdened with, it would be a mistake to try and pursue a referendum with anything more than infrastructure maintenance needed to the facilities.

I will sign this letter, unlike the survey.

— Greg Heier, Medford