The Referendum Is Coming, The Referendum is Coming!!

These were the projected deficits for the next three years, if the RUSD administration had done nothing:

$9.2M
$11.9
$14.4

After the recent reductions/revenue enhancements, the projected deficit is $2.8 million for the first year, with a small surplus for each of the consecutive years.

This is good news for the taxpayer, right? Fiscal problems solved, let’s move on to another topic…Wait, you didn’t expect to let off that easy, didya? There are, what the RUSD financial team refers to as “add-ons” – money we need to include each and every year, which RUSD has not done in years, if ever.

$3.3M in facility upkeep
$1.5M technology upgrades
$200,000 for Safety and Security (in addition to a one-time charge of $200,000)

The financial team is urging to the district to seek a recurring referendum of $6.45M to cover this expenses. Recurring without an expiration or sunset date?

While I agree that our buildings are in dire repair, the technology in our classrooms and schools are about 15 years out-of-date, and we definitely need to have safer schools – I cannot and will not support a recurring referendum. Didn’t the Waukesha school board try that last year? Just keep giving us the money; we don’t want to tell you what it is for!

Instead, I will support a shorter-term (3 year) multi-year capital referendum that outlines exactly where the money will be going – I actually think that referendum might have a chance in passing…