As Potosi School District falls behind rising costs due to inflation, the board will have to make an important decision concerning the future of the school district. This spring the school board will have to choose between the two options, or choosing both possible referendums. This will provide our school with a large new addition or give our school the ability to continue operations for the time being.
The district will likely run a referendum sometime this spring, meaning it is right around the corner, and there are two types of referendums the district may choose between. One type of referendum is the operating referendum, which helps keep the school paying all its expenses, or a building referendum to improve facilities. The reason we need a referendum is due to a need for more state funding amid increasing costs.
According to Mr. Cohen, Potosi’s Superintendent, “In the last state budget, the state government decided not to give any additional money to schools.” Inflation today is at an all-time high, and no more money is being given to schools even though everything is getting more and more expensive. The only reason our school could sustain itself is because of some federal money given to the school after COVID, but unfortunately, all of that money has been spent. This is exactly why the school is considering running an operating referendum.
To be more specific on what type of situation our school is in, Potosi School District has a deficit of $401,737. The school board is currently looking at some options that will decrease this large deficit, including operating at a deficit or running an operating referendum. Schools not having enough money hasn’t just been an issue for Potosi; it has also been an issue for schools across Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s refusal to give schools money has resulted in an increase in operating referendums, and schools are running an all-time high of referendums - the most since at least 2000.
A building referendum is also an option our school board is considering, along with an operating referendum. A building referendum is when the school board votes on building a new section of the school. The last time our school did a building referendum for the auditorium, they ran a referendum to get some of the money, and donations from the community paid for the rest of the auditorium. While it would be nice to have an extra addition to the school building, there’s always a chance that a building referendum will not happen. This is all because of a federal grant our school is applying for.
In order for the school to do a building referendum, they will need to receive a federal grant, according to Mr Cohen. “We are very fortunate; we have applied the past two years for a federal grant to help us build a tornado shelter.” If we get the grant, this tornado shelter could house the entire community, and could alternatively be used as a gym for the elementary school, although the grant does not pay for all of the building projects. The federal grant doesn’t pay for everything; about 90% of expenses would be paid for by the grant, and the building referendum would pay for 10%.
Mr. Cohen mentioned some other building options during an interview. “We need to fix a lack of rooms in the elementary school; we’re full up right now, if we have any new students join we can’t split up another classroom. We need to do some work with our outdoor lighting on our playing fields; those are about done. One thing we’ve looked at is we’d like to improve the drop-off spots in the morning for the buses; it has become a safety issue for sure." These are all some alternative options that he suggested.
We will see some type of referendum sometime in the spring; it doesn’t matter if it’s an operating or a building referendum. If the school board does decide to vote on a referendum, the entire district will vote on the topic. This is an exciting future for the school if the building referendum is chosen, and everything will remain “business as usual” if an operating referendum is chosen.