Practically speaking, interest rates and construction costs are unlikely to be this low again – ever. It was the same when Whitefish Bay taxpayers put aside uncertainty during the Great Depression and built our existing elementary schools (1930) and the high school (1932). Seven decades of hard service later, these solid structures have saved village taxpayers a great deal of maintenance cost because an earlier generation was willing to reach into their pockets at a challenging time.

For a limited time, the project is eligible for tax-free bonds through the economic stimulus plan. The rules require approval of a spending referendum first, however. There are no guarantees that the community will benefit from the program. But one thing is certain: Tax free bond money will not be available indefinitely.

You should see for yourself, first hand. Take a tour. The district will schedule several before the election. See the bathrooms that still have their original 1930s fixtures. Walk the only corridor between the high school and its field house and see why students are driven outdoors in any weather to get to gym class on time. Look at the overloaded power strips in the elementary classrooms that were designed for a simpler era of technology. Stand in the orchestra room in the basement of the middle school, a cramped, converted locker room, and try to imagine how students can learn to play a violin in that setting. (Details in events)

Two years of study and discussion went into the proposals now laid before taxpayers. It wasn’t hasty. Nothing has been shoved into the proposals on the sly. All of it was debated by your neighbors who worked on the Facilities Study Committee. It was painstakingly reviewed and unanimously approved by the School Board you elected to monitor and direct our educational system. It was also discussed candidly by other community members at four listening sessions last summer. It’s a basic plan, absent frivolous and ambitious elements.

When would be the right time? How much more expensive will it be if we decide to wait? It really is true that often, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Also, our schools are largely funded by state aid, which is allocated based on the head count in our classrooms. Lose enrollment and our property tax contribution to operating costs goes up, raising tax bills in the future. Surrounding districts and private schools have been investing in better science labs, music classrooms, lavatories, you name it, for years. This plan addresses that. It brings us back closer to parity. And because the work is timed to the retirement of previous debt, the $9 million in maintenance and infrastructure work can be done without an increase in taxes.

For $13.6 million in new borrowing to build additions onto three schools, it comes to $250 on a $350,000 house. Rather spend it on your own home? Ask yourself, which would add more to your home’s value: $250 spent improving your house or $250 pooled with everyone else’s to greatly improve our schools? Let’s face it, our property values are higher in Whitefish Bay because a steady supply of young families want to move here to take advantage of our exceptional schools. And the future of the schools is in our hands at this election. In the end, the most important reason to do this is for the kids, who deserve the best possible education in a clean, modern environment with state of the art safety, security and technology.

Whenever possible, the Whitefish Bay School Board has channeled operating reserve money into capital projects in the range of $500,000 to $750,000 per year. Unfortunately, the board’s reserves are not sufficient for a multi-million dollar project. In addition, the district must maintain its reserves at a level that will deal with emergencies and unforeseen needs as well as pay salaries and other expenses between the start of each school year and the later arrival of tax dollars.

It is just one unfortunate consequence of the way the state aid formula is structured. Debt service is counted against capped school district spending. Many districts around Wisconsin that need to improve their buildings face this. It makes the work more expensive, but no less necessary. The mistake is letting legacy buildings decay and not improving them to accommodate changing curriculum needs just to avoid the penalty. Trying to dodge the bullet now can put a larger burden on taxpayers in the future if enrollment should decline (state aid is cut then as well) or the cost of the improvements should increase with inflation. The responsible thing to do is make good choices at the moment and not try to predict the course of volatile state aid in the future.

The bond referendum questions set maximum limits on the amount that may be borrowed ($9 million and $13.6 million). Should construction bids come in higher than expected, the project would have to be revised to cut expense. On the other hand, if bids on this work are lower than projected, the district would borrow the smaller amount, reducing the tax impact. x

Yes. But the District cannot afford to pay for such a large expenditure out of operating funds without making cuts in staffing and significantly increasing class sizes. It is possible that interest may not cost as much as estimated, since it is based on the highest probable rate the district would have to pay when bonds are issued. The improvement project or a portion of it might qualify for zero interest federally subsidized bonds, in which case the interest cost would decline precipitously toward zero.

Last year it was $12,378 (of which $5,553 is provided by the state). The per pupil cost is among the lowest for area schools with comparable test scores.  This figure is published every year in the Annual Bulletin, which is delivered to all homes in Whitefish Bay in late August. You may request a copy from the School District Office if you like.

Yes. Due to a sharp cutback in state aid after the budgeting process was completed, the Whitefish Bay School Board had to raise the levy this year by about 5%. The increase would have been 8% if the board had not voted to use funds from the retirement of debt service from prior building projects for current operating expenses.

No, the questions are independent of each other.  If a voter’s intent is to authorize all the work described, the voter must vote yes on each question.  Voting yes only on question two does not authorize the work described in question one.

Taxes on a $350,000 house would drop by about $125 a year, since the work proposed in question one has the same debt service cost as debt that is retiring soon. However, $117 million worth of 70-year-old school buildings would continue to decay, leaving the district in a bind. It would either have to go back to taxpayer with another referendum or pay for repairs piecemeal out of operating expenses, thereby harming the quality of the education it could offer in its classrooms.