Within the next few weeks the people residing in the ROCORI School District have important decisions to make.
On one of the ballots voters will be asked to cast at the polls will be to elect three (3) school board members. This is an important election because school board members have a direct effect on nearly everything that happens in our school system. From hiring new teachers to operating budgets and teacher salary negotiations, the school board is the voters’ representation. They speak for us.
This year’s outpouring of candidates forced a first-ever primary election in our school system. Eleven candidates have been voted down to six. Of those six we will be asked to select three. This vote alone is important to all of us.
The other ballot at district polling places will be one with three referendum questions. The first is asking for approval of a $105 per pupil increase so the schools can fund technology.
The second is asking for approval of a $145 per pupil increase to fund capital outlay projects.
The third asks for approval of a $121.37 per pupil increase to fund ongoing student operations.
These issues will be explained in much more detail than we could even attempt, by Superintendent Scott Staska in his “Your Schools” article over the next few weeks. If all three questions are approved the school would receive a $371.37 per pupil unit increase in funding; each of the three questions have very specific applications. Each has its own merit.
School funding is a very complicated subject; one perhaps we shouldn’t go too deeply into, but we’ll attempt to explain some very basic points. School funding comes from a couple sources. The state sends the school district $4,783 per pupil unit – a pupil can account for points (pupil units) ranging from .557 per pupil to 1.3 per pupil. This is a complicated numbering system designed to assign points to each person (pupil) based on the effort and material required to teach each student. Part time kindergarten students require less time and material to teach than a junior or senior high school student does.
The other source of income comes from local levies (taxes paid by school district property owners). Our school district voters approved an operating referendum in 2001 in the amount of $128.63 (it began at approximately $126, but state formulas have allowed it to raise to the $128.63). This referendum was approved for a ten-year period.
Over the years the school system has seen the need to ask for more money for several different reasons. Technology requirements, building maintenance, etc. As stated earlier, those reasons will be explained much better by our Superintendent in his column within the pages of this newspaper. Each of the ballot questions are separate issues to allow us (the voters) the opportunity to say yes or no to one, two, or all three of the questions. Each question approved will man a tax increase (this too will be explained in information sent to area voters by the school district). Each question, if approved, will give the school authorization to levy for a five year period.
This is an important election year for our school district and its students. School board members are important to all of us, as is the funding of our school system. Be sure to read everything you can, and attend informational meetings about the referendum so you can make an educated decision, then be sure to vote on November 8th.
Have A Good Week!
Mike Austreng
Cold Spring Record Publisher
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