Next month, voters in Manitowoc will be asked to approve a $61.7 million referendum for the Manitowoc Public School District.
If approved, the District would be allowed to spend that much money above the state-imposed revenue cap over the next five years.
As we have previously reported, the district is citing inflationary increases, but while on WOMT’s Jim and Rick Show last week, Superintendent James Feil also noted that it’s a revenue issue.
“The state, in 1993, imposed revenue limits on school districts. At that time, they also went with the understanding that they would increase that by inflationary amounts,” Feil explained. “Well, they stopped doing that, and essentially what happened when they stopped increasing that, that put more burden on schools to go back to their taxpayers for the additional money to balance budgets.”
Host Jim Medley noted that this is the fourth time in the past eight years the District has asked for more money from the tax payers and asked Feil when they will pass a budget they can stick to.
Feil noted that it wouldn’t be an issue for a large majority of School Districts in the state if the state would actually raise that ceiling.
“80% of the school districts in the state are having to seek additional revenue to pay for these ongoing costs,” he revealed. “So, it’s not that we are adding more money, it’s just that the state is not keeping up with those inflationary amounts.”
Feil put it all into perspective while staying in Manitowoc County.
“Right now, Manitowoc’s students are being short-changed based on their zip code. For example, in our county, there are five or six school districts. We are the lowest funded within that,” he explained. “If we had the amounts of those above us, we would be $7 million to $17 million more.”
He noted that amount would actually cover most if not all of the disparity the referendum would cover.
He also praised the district, saying “We are getting, probably, one of the greatest returns for the tax dollars being spent.”
You can hear the full interview by going to TheJimAndRickShow.com.
