YES for West Bend School District

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Thank you to the West Bend School District community for your support of our public schools and your YES vote!
11/06/2024

Thank you to the West Bend School District community for your support of our public schools and your YES vote!

Go Vote YES tomorrow (Tuesday, November 5th). Vote YES for Safety. Vote YES for Accessibility. Vote YES for Efficienc...
11/05/2024

Go Vote YES tomorrow (Tuesday, November 5th).
Vote YES for Safety.
Vote YES for Accessibility.
Vote YES for Efficiency.
Vote YES to support the West Bend School District.

For more details on the referendum, please visit: wbsdreferendum2024.org

The time is now forWest Bend referendumTo the editor: I write this speaking for myself and on behalf of a group of 19 ot...
11/01/2024

The time is now for
West Bend referendum

To the editor: I write this speaking for myself and on behalf of a group of 19 other moms of current and former WBSD students. We are not native Benders, our families relocated to the area seeking a growing, friendly and safe community to raise our family and found that in Jackson/West Bend.

WSBD is a huge district, serving over 5,000 students daily, including our own children. Some may disagree, but we have loved having our children attend a large district which has provided them amazing educational and extracurricular opportunities that do not exist in neighboring districts and prepared them well for their future endeavors. Like many districts, WSBD is not immune to declining enrollment due to lower birth rates. But we must remember that there continue to be new families seeking the same opportunities we once did for their very own children. Vibrant, growing communities with equally vibrant and safe schools draw new families to our community, foster new business/ development and strengthen our community. A “no” vote tells those stakeholders our community is declining. A “yes” vote tells new families, businesses, and investors that our community is growing and reminds those current (and future) 5,000+ students and their families that we are dedicated to educating our youth in safe, efficient, accessible and vibrant environments that will prepare them and our community for the future.

Let’s focus on letting families, students and businesses know about the hidden gem that is Jackson/West Bend. Let’s support our shared future and not leave our schools, community, students and their families behind. Vote “yes” on Tuesday.

Christie Tews Jackson

West Bend schools lag in facilities, but we can fix itTo the editor: Have you visited another school district in the las...
10/31/2024

West Bend schools lag in facilities, but we can fix it

To the editor: Have you visited another school district in the last several years? Maybe to watch your child or grandchild play sports? If you have, you have undoubtedly noticed the difference in facility updates in nearby districts compared to here in West Bend. All of the other area districts have invested in their facilities to make them places you can be proud to send your children. These are buildings that attract families to our community. These investments tell families that this is a place where the community invests in your children.

West Bend has done marvelous things each time we, the community, have entrusted them with referendum money. Silverbrook and Badger are beautiful facilities that show the type of investment we are willing to make in our students. I am so excited to vote “yes” on November 5 so we can see that same type of investment at our elementary and high schools. Voting “yes” for the school referendum is how we can show that we are proud of our community and that we are committed to keeping West Bend a place that people flock to when deciding where they want to raise their family, put down roots, and open new businesses.

Ashley Hampel Jackson

Several benefits to investing in schoolsTo the editor: I am voting “yes” to the WBSD school referendum for several reaso...
10/30/2024

Several benefits to investing in schools

To the editor: I am voting “yes” to the WBSD school referendum for several reasons. Our kids deserve top-notch and safe places to learn, and I believe that the benefits of the district’s plan far outweigh any effect on taxes.

I encourage you to look at the long-term benefits of investing in our schools, such as attracting new families to our communities. This is the number one thing we can do to lower each resident’s individual tax burden. The tax levy is spread among our residents and businesses. The more residents and businesses we have in our community, the more people there are to shoulder the tax burden.

So how do we attract people and businesses to West Bend? How do we ensure people who already live here stay for years to come? That’s easy — vote “yes” on the West Bend Schools referendum.

Families flock to areas where the community invests in schools. In addition, businesses invest in stable and growing areas. Those businesses can then help carry the tax burden of our community. This strategy has been used by Cedarburg, Slinger, Kewaskum and Germantown. These districts have all passed a major referendum in past years, maintaining or improving their property values and making those communities desirable places to raise a family and do business. Vote “yes” to show we are supporting all students (not just our own), and are looking toward the future like our neighboring districts.

I am voting “yes” on November 5 and encourage you to do the same.

Cathy Daniels Jackson

Vote ‘yes’ for the safety of our childrenTo the editor: Walk into any other Ozaukee or Washington County school and you ...
10/29/2024

Vote ‘yes’ for the safety of our children

To the editor: Walk into any other Ozaukee or Washington County school and you will find secure entries that have been updated in the last few years. How has this been done? With referendum dollars. Many schools in our area have had their entrances completely rebuilt to ensure the kind of security our children need at their schools. That costs money.

The West Bend School District wants to do the same as part of their November 5 referendum. For too long, our community has not addressed these security upgrades at our elementary and high schools. A “yes” vote on November 5 is a vote in favor of safe and secure schools.

Casey Latz Jackson

What if the referendum doesn’t pass…What is the impact?If the referendum doesn’t pass, what maintenance needs won’t be a...
10/28/2024

What if the referendum doesn’t pass…What is the impact?

If the referendum doesn’t pass, what maintenance needs won’t be addressed?

Without the funding of the referendum, key projects like secure entry systems, HVAC replacements, and ADA compliance improvements will be delayed indefinitely. Funding for key projects must then come from the operating budget, which is already short on funding as addressed in previous pieces. While closing buildings helps reduce the immediate maintenance need, roughly $58 million of the referendum principal amount is targeted at the remaining buildings in use other than Jackson Elementary.

What happens with Jackson Elementary?

This is the greatest disappointment of all, as that building has been a point of great need for years. The district facilities study identified approximately $10 million in maintenance needs for the current Jackson Elementary campus through the 2027-28 school year. This is less than four years out, and when the district’s annual maintenance budget for the *entire* district is about $2 million, one can see the hard decisions that lie ahead if the referendum isn’t passed. Despite whatever maintenance is done on the current Jackson Elementary campus, the challenges of parking, safety pertaining to drop-off and pickup, and ADA compliance will remain.

What other downsides would we face?

Without referendum funding, the safety and amenities components of the project are put on hold. This includes adding secure entry sequences at each building and en-suite bathrooms at Green Tree, McLane, and Silverbrook that keep the youngest students within the classroom when bathroom breaks are needed.

For more information about the referendum, please visit: wbsdreferendum2024.org

Your support helps ensure our schools are safe, accessible, and efficient for all students! Vote YES!

Vote ‘yes’ on West Bend schools to reward their fiscal conservatismTo the editor: Only one K-12 district in the area has...
10/25/2024

Vote ‘yes’ on West Bend schools to reward their fiscal conservatism

To the editor: Only one K-12 district in the area has paid down all their debt before coming to voters to ask to invest in their buildings. We need to reward the West Bend School District for taking the fiscally responsible approach. They paid off all the upgrades made at Silverbrook and Badger before they talked about the next phase in their facilities planning.

Other districts are stacking new referendum debt on top of old debt, or only deciding to pay off their old debt only once they get approved for new debt. This is not true in West Bend. They did what we try to do as homeowners. They paid off their mortgage before thinking of how to reinvest in the buildings. Plus, they saved taxpayers millions by paying it off early and refinancing over the years.

We must reward this kind of fiscal conservatism, alive and well in our public schools. Join me in voting “yes” for the West Bend schools referendum on November 5.

Traci Wells Jackson

What if the referendum doesn’t pass…will buildings stay open?No, certain buildings will still close regardless of the re...
10/23/2024

What if the referendum doesn’t pass…will buildings stay open?

No, certain buildings will still close regardless of the referendum outcome. District administration has made the responsible decision to move forward with addressing buildings slated for closure in this referendum on a modified timeline.

When would my child’s building close?

Fair Park and Decorah would close at the end of the 2025-26 school year, with those grades transitioning to Silverbrook in the fall of 2026. To facilitate this change, Badger would shift to the middle school (grades 6-8) format in the fall of 2026.

Closing the Education Service Center, which hosts district administration operations and alternative learning programs, as well as the Rolfs early learning building, is projected for the end of the 2027-28 school year.

What happens with the buildings that are closed?

The district is exploring options with any building that closes, including leasing or sale of the property. If a property is sold, the school board must decide on how the proceeds of that sale are to be used. As a point of reference, past boards allocated money from the sale of Barton Elementary and land in Jackson to special accounts designated for future building projects. The current board may take action to apply these funds to the current needs facing the district regardless of the referendum outcome.

What happens with the teachers at buildings that close?

Staff adjustments have been made each year of the enrollment decline through retirements and non-renewal of certain contracts. Enrollment at the youngest levels is relatively stable, minimizing the need for further staff adjustments at these grades. Staff currently at buildings slated for closure will primarily transition to their new building, as district class size targets are not changing.

For more information about the referendum, please visit: wbsdreferendum2024.org

Your support helps ensure our schools are safe, accessible, and efficient for all students! Vote YES!

Invest in the future:Support West Bend school referendumTo the editor: A strong school system is vital for a thriving co...
10/20/2024

Invest in the future:
Support West Bend school referendum

To the editor: A strong school system is vital for a thriving community. The West Bend School District excels in offering diverse programming that prepares students for various options after graduation — military service, higher education, or entry into the workforce.

Past and present district leadership has carefully balanced maintaining facilities while prioritizing students’ classroom experience. However, we've reached a critical point. Many buildings are over 50 years old, with major systems like HVAC, lighting, and infrastructure needing replacement.

The time has come for district residents to once again invest in current and future students of the West Bend School District. This isn’t just about updating facilities, it’s about fulfilling our responsibility to the next generation and to our community’s future. It’s an investment that pays dividends in the form of well-prepared graduates, a more attractive community for new families and businesses to move into, and the continuation of West Bend’s tradition of excellence in education.

The choice before us is clear: We can either invest in our schools now, addressing critical needs and positioning our community for success, or we can defer these costs yet again, facing even higher costs and diminished educational experiences in the future. Let’s choose to invest in our shared future.

Please join me in voting “yes” for West Bend schools on Nov. 5.

Paul Fischer West Bend

West Bend schools referendum moves district forward To the editor: First off, I am a member of the West Bend School Boar...
10/19/2024

West Bend schools referendum moves district forward

To the editor: First off, I am a member of the West Bend School Board. The opinions expressed below are my personal opinions and are not those of the West Bend School Board or the West Bend School District and I have not been designated as a spokesperson for the School Board or the district.

On the November 5 general election ballot is a referendum question for the West Bend School District authorizing $106.25M of general obligation debt, plus an estimated $59.2M of interest. While this is a significant ask, it’s one that helps our district move forward on a number of issues.

First, I’ve heard complaints that past boards neglected our buildings and maintenance has been deferred. This referendum would help to make a dent in sorely needed maintenance items and remove highest-cost buildings from the district’s footprint. Second, declining birth rates and enrollment has caused excess capacity — this referendum will allow us to right-size our district which will save us tax dollars into the future. And finally, some may ask, why now? The West Bend School District is one of the few districts in the state that is debt-free, causing our mill rate to be significantly low. With an approved referendum, not only do we get an answer to our immediate capital, capacity, and maintenance needs, but we can do so with a tax mill rate still lower than any recent years.

As the former mayor of West Bend, and an experienced public-sector professional, I understand the impact of budgeting with real people’s tax dollars. We as a community want to see the best use of our dollars with a fiscally responsible lens. This referendum is a significant step in the right direction to move our school district forward. Please join me in voting “yes” for the West Bend School District referendum. Learn more by visiting wbsdreferendum2024.org

Chris Jenkins West Bend

"The existence of a good school is the cornerstone of an attractive and thriving community."Thank you to the Greater Jac...
10/18/2024

"The existence of a good school is the cornerstone of an attractive and thriving community."

Thank you to the Greater Jackson Business Alliance for supporting the community and encouraging a "YES" vote!

For more information about the referendum, please visit: wbsdreferendum2024.org

Your support helps ensure our schools are safe, accessible, and efficient for all students! Vote YES!

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