04/05/2021
Recently there have been several posts by a few individuals on the local community pages regarding the upcoming Auditorium Referendum on April 6th which contain misinformation and half-truths, with no effort to back-up any of the claims made with actual facts and references. Here are ACTUAL facts and figures to combat all the misinformation being spread on social media, complete with references:
1) The $27 million referendum from November had a savings of $4,650,665 due to the low interest rates and where the district was able to lock in at. Reference: https://go.boarddocs.com/wi/whsd/Board.nsf/Public -policies
2) The cost to have builders come back to the site in three to five years will be roughly $2.25 million according to our superintendent and the builders of the new school addition. That amount will only increase with time.
3) Interest rates are currently at an all time low. There is a possibility of saving money on the $7.5 million with the low interest rates if it is approved now, before interest rates go up again. Reference: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.png?g=CUaD
4) Having a quality facility can only help improve teacher retention and recruitment. Our teacher retention rate is generally pretty good. At the Middle/High School level, many of our teachers have been employed here for 3 or more years, and that is not mentioning the large portion of our teachers that have been employed here for 15+ years. Information: 15+ years: 13 teachers, 3+ years: 13 teachers, 1+ years: 4 teachers, New to our district this year: 3 teachers. Reference: https://www.wisheights.k12.wi.us/staff-locations/wisconsin-heights-middle-high-school/ counting certified teachers.
5) Many scientific research studies have proven the fact that students who are involved in performing arts programs throughout their schooling have better outcomes in reading, writing, and math tests. So having a quality facility that can accommodate as many students as may be interested can only benefit the district and our communities. Reference: https://www.onlinecolleges.net/10-salient-studies-on-the-arts-in-education/
6) In fact, 91% of the current students who have participated in the fine arts programs at Wisconsin Heights High School during at least one point in their high school careers are listed on the Honor Rolls this past semester. So the fine arts DO help produce better students. Reference: https://www.nsarrow.com/articles/2020/12/17/wisconsin-heights-school-district-honor-roll
7) Our per student taxpayer funding is more than the areas around us due to the state funding formula. We are receiving less per student than all of the schools around us and less than many of the schools in Wisconsin due to the skewed state funding formula. I would encourage you to write to Governor Evers, The state legislature, and the new State Superintendent to encourage a change in the school funding formula. Reference: https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch and https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch
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8) Declining enrollment is NOT happening. We have been steadily climbing in enrollment since 2013/2014, when we bottomed out at 709. Any declining enrollment data from this year is skewed from the pandemic. Yes, it is a slow growth, but it is projected to continue. Reference:https://www.wisheights.k12.wi.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/WiscHeightsSD_2018-2027_rpt-1.pdf found on page 5.
9) The builders discussed building costs with the school board, and building costs for the auditorium are much different than for the new school addition since they are able to use precast walls and there are no windows, this cuts back on the cost of building materials. Reference: https://go.boarddocs.com/wi/whsd/Board.nsf/Public -policies If you watch the video of the meeting, there is a section where the board is listening to the builders and this question is brought up and discussed.
10) No matter what, the cap for this project is $7.5 million. The School District cannot borrow over that amount. With the savings from the interest rates of the November referendum, the difference of the savings from the projected $7.5 million cap is $2,849,335. The Wisconsin Heights Performing Arts Council (WiHPAC) is already consulting with the River Arts Council at the Sauk Prairie School District on ways to fundraise to help offset the cost. As mentioned many times in the past, the WiHPAC is actively pursuing many avenues to help fund the auditorium, but many grants that are available may only be considered once the process is voted on and begun. Visit http://wihpac.org to learn more or volunteer to help out.
