Northern Wisconsin school district to close due to debts...

[TheMightyFavog]

http://www.wbay.com/global/story.asp?s=8563170

The Wausaukee School District is moving ahead on a plan to dissolve by July of 2009.

It comes after two failed referendums. The most recent this past Tuesday where 1107 votes were cast. 544 people voted to approve more money for the district. But 563 voted no, a difference of only 19 votes.

(snip)

School Board President Dennis Taylor says, "the choice is not ours. The choice is the taxpayers of this community. The community has to decide if they're willing to spend an extra $180, in some cases $150 a year to keep a school open in this community."

(snip)

If the Wausaukee School District dissolves, it's students would attend one of five neighboring school districts: Crivitz, Pembine, Marinette, Wabeno, or Goodman - Armstrong Creek.



To get a better idea of the kind of distances the kids would be traveling to get to school if Wausaukee dissolves, here's a map that gives you a rough idea of how the school districts are laid out in Marinette County.

http://www.baylakerpc.org/MARINETTE/CountyPlan/Maps/Map_9_4_School_Districts.pdf

As you can see, going by area, the Wausaukee School district is the largest in the entire county, meaning that the neighboring school districts are going to have to pick up a hefty tab for busing these kids to school considering what diesel's going for these days. Heck, the trip for some of those who would be going to the Marinette schools would be over 20 miles!

[kestrel91316]

1. But hey, what REALLY matters is that they still didn't raise taxes,

we're still winning the Waronterra(TM), and the gays still can't marry (in WI). Gotta keep those priorities straight.

[elocs]

2. I've seen it before here in Wisconsin (I'm sure it's true elsewhere, too).

School referendums to put a new roof on a school, but it gets voted down. Kids meeting in trailers because there is not enough room in the school, but yet the referendum to add on or to build a new school fails. What are we telling our children? That they are not important enough to us, that their education is not that important, that there will always be enough money for bullets and bombs, but not for schools. There are people who have the attitude that why should they pay for schools when they have no children attending them, forgetting that there were those who said the same when their children were in school.

But if you want the world to stop, then simply say that all sports will be eliminated due to a lack of funds for education. Then money will be found in a big hurry. After all, Americans have their priorities in place.

[Thothmes]

3. Sorta indicative of how the local citizens value the education

of their children.