Four RUSD Referendum Information Sessions Planned for Caledonia

Caledonians will have the opportunity to learn first-hand about the April 5 Racine Unified School District referendum at four public information sessions.

Three programs are Listening and Linking sessions hosted by the RUSD Board of Education communications committee. Board members and district administrators will outline the referendum’s impact on the schools and answer questions. The fourth program is a forum at the Siena Center featuring School Board members and administrators.

Here’s the schedule:

• Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Linking and Listening session, Wind Point Elementary School gym, 290 Jonsue Lane.
• Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. referendum informational meeting, Siena Center, 5635 Erie St. Co-sponsored by AAUW-Racine, Phi Delta Kappa and the Siena Center.
• Tuesday, March 1, 6 p.m., Listening and Linking session, North Park Elementary School, 4748 Elizabeth St.
• Tuesday, March 8, 5:30 p.m., Listening and Linking session, Olympia Brown Elementary School, 5915 Erie St.

 Voters will be asked to consider three referendum questions that would raise property taxes by a total of $128.5 million. Here’s a recap:

• $83.5 million—in general obligation bonds to replace five elementary school buildings (Wind Point and Olympia Brown in Caledonia; Knapp, Roosevelt and Stephen Bull Fine Arts in Racine) and remodel five other elementary schools (North Park in Caledonia, Schulte in Sturtevant, West Ridge in Mount Pleasant and Jerstad-Agerholm and Mitchell in Racine.) The new and remodeled schools would accommodate smaller class sizes for kindergarten and first grade.

• $35 million—in total additional spending beginning in 2011-12 and running through 2017-18. The money would pay for teachers and other staff at the new and remodeled schools as well as cover salaries covered by federal stimulus funds that expire end of the 2010-11 fiscal year.

• $10 million—in total additional spending starting in 2011-12 and running through 2020-21. This spending adds $1 million per year annually to the RUSD general fund balance and would renew a referendum question that voters approved 10 years ago.