Letter to the Editor: Superintendent Reminds Residents to Vote

Editor's Note: This letter was written by Dr. Rick Monroe, Superintendent at .

Over the past week, Nicolet School District administrators have been meeting with district residents in open informational sessions to discuss the April 5 referendum.  Questions and comments at the meetings indicate some common misperceptions about the financial status of the district and the reality of the Nicolet High School property tax rate.

In the past six years, the Nicolet property tax rate actually declined from $4.40 to $3.93 per $1,000 of equalized value. This is a 10.7 percent decrease in your Nicolet property tax rate, representing a drop of $117.50 on a $250,000 property.

In Wisconsin, revenue limits are primarily based upon resident student enrollment, which for Nicolet has been steadily declining for the past six years.  This has brought a substantial reduction in school funding.  Because school costs do not reduce proportionately to a drop in enrollment, the past six years have seen a growing gap between school revenue and school expenses, necessitating cuts in school educational programs, student activities and academic support services. In addition, over 25 teaching positions and another 20 support personnel positions have been eliminated, administrative positions  have been cut, and student fees have increased. 

Nicolet High School is seeking the referendum to enable our students to master 21st century skills, to protect and maintain educational programs and services, and to continue financial stability.  Six years of continuous, serious budget cuts have dramatically impacted Nicolet. Without a referendum, the consequence of making another $1 million in reductions to the school budget would be devastating.

 If voters approve the Nicolet referendum and if Gov. Walker’s budget proposal is passed, district property taxes would increase by $68.29 per $250,000 of property value for five years.

I hope this explanation clears up the misconceptions regarding the Nicolet School District financial status and property tax rate. For more information, please visit the Referendum Information page of the school website at http://www.nicolet.k12.wi.us/referendum.cfm. That page includes a link to Nicolet_Referendum@nicolet.k12.wi.us, where we welcome all questions and comments.

Please vote on April 5.

Yours in education,
Dr. Rick Monroe, Superintendent
Nicolet Union High School District