News
Failed SPAPSD referendum
The Pointer
ajuhn217@uwsp.edu
The residents of Stevens Point voted down the school board referendum to exceed revenue limits by more the $23 million for the next three years for music and sport programs in the local area school district.
Approximately $8 million will have to be cut. This is 10 percent of the budget.
The results were close, tallying at 4,620 yes votes and 5,469 votes against.
Leaders of the Stevens Point Area Public School District are now working on making decisions on what to do once the current referendum expires at the end of June 2010.
“The options that are available to the school district really haven’t changed. We are still confronted with a deficit next year of $8 million and we will have to address it,” said Dr. Steven Johnson, the superintendent of the SPAPSD.
“Whether it comes in the form of cost reductions, or the possibility of another referendum, or if we use a portion of our fund balance or some combination of all three. That’s something the board of education will have to decide,” said Johnson.
According to the referendum portion of the SPAPSD Web site, because it failed, schools may be facing larger class sizes, limited elective course choices, reductions in extra-curricular activities and less custodial, maintenance and operational services.
The University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point may also be affected by this decision.
Andy Letson, Student Government Association senator, said it was a shame the referendum didn’t pass.
“I think that it was expected that it would fail. It’s a shame that it did not pass because I think it’s going to have an adverse effect on the quality of education in the greater Stevens Point area,” said Letson.
One of the reasons Letson explained is how it would affect UWSP, concerned the families of faculty.
“When we have faculty who are looking to start a job at this university, they have good schools for their kids to go to,” said Letson. “If we don’t have quality education then good faculty would be more likely to leave or to not even take a job here in the first place. “
Maggie Beeber, UWSP school of education advisor, said the job market will be affected for education students because there are expected to be 50 layoffs within the school district.
“I know the students in the arts are really worried because that is one area they are looking at is music, art.”
The availability of student teaching positions for education majors will also probably be affected.
