Editor’s note: The Banner’s policy is not to publish letters to the editor. We deemed it appropriate to publish the following submission expressing an individual’s views due to the fact that we previously posted an organization’s advocacy for the Whitewater Unified School District referendum. The Banner will provide the opportunity to the District Superintendent and/or School Board President to submit a response to this statement. Otherwise the Banner will not be publishing anything further, prior to the election, regarding the school referendum except for the material that the district previously distributed.
By Henri Kinson
The Whitewater School District last lost a referendum 25 years ago. The never-ending stream since has, unfortunately, generated an arrogant and daft board.
Start with the Covid shutdown. When discussing options, the district took a survey in which 75% of parents wanted some sort of in-person instruction. Showing less concern for its kids than any school in the area, Whitewater shut down anyway. Didn’t the board know that kids might leave and take their state money with them? Of course, but why should they care when they know that taxpayers will bail them out? Whitewater lost 200 kids and $10m in the process (and it now needs the referendum to make up for it).
What about academics? Everyone knew after the initial shutdown that kids weren’t learning anything. Since all the other districts were staying open, didn’t the board know that poor achievement would lead to fewer parents with an interest in academics moving to or staying in Whitewater? Yes, but why should they care when they know taxpayers will bail them out with a referendum? Whitewater’s test scores tanked, with its ACT scores falling to the bottom third in the state and the district now losing $2m every year to kids transferring out.
OK, but that’s only two (admittedly huge) knuckleheaded decisions, right? Hardly. Last year, the board got $3m in Covid money from the feds to spend pretty much however it liked. So it upgraded its football fields for $2m and put $1m away for pensions. Didn’t they know that it would be asking for money this year for stuff that really mattered? Of course, but why should they care when they know that taxpayers will bail them out with a referendum?
It’s not just dumb decisions that the never-ending money encourages, but arrogance as well. You needn’t look any farther than the referendum material itself to see what I’m talking about. Did the district ever mention the money it lost from the shutdown in the referendum materials it sent you? Why should it? Did it mention its plummeting test scores, or highest in the area spending and state aid it loses as a result? Ha! Did it mention why it paid $2m for a football field before it addressed the more important things in the referendum? Please. Has it ever suggested it was a mistake to callously dismiss three quarters of the parents and kids it’s supposedly here to serve by shutting its doors in their face? Never.
When Whitewater last lost a referendum, I remember hearing that people look for a reason to vote no. You certainly have several, from the parents, kids, and revenue it drove away, to the record spending and lost state aid, to the fields and pension goodies. The biggest, however, is the contempt the district shows towards us because we pass every referendum they send to us no matter how irresponsibly it acts. We must stop subsidizing such negligence, or we will continue to get it. Please vote no.
