WC Wisconsin News

The Eau Claire School District is working hard to find the right words to ask voters for what the district needs.

Members of the Eau Claire School Board Referendum Committee are actively debating how much the board can ask for on the upcoming ballot in its bid to improve and increase conditions in the district, a Leader-Telegram report said this week. The referendum will be used in a significant renovation to South Middle School along with boosting extra curriculars throughout the schools.

“Give people every reason to say yes to this,” Tim Nordin, Eau Claire School Board president, said in the report. “Put the $9.3 million in the main question so you can say, ‘my school gets what they need.’ Let’s ask for what we need, let’s believe in our community.”

Committee members made the decision to move forward with the November ballot knowing that a failure this fall would allow for an amended version of the measure to appear on the ballot in April. A win in November would pave the way for the district to move forward on projects and include them in the 2022-23 budgets.

At the same time, board members are now considering whether they should include one or two questions on the referendum, the report said. Some have reasoned that two questions would allow for cheaper options for voters and give money in order of priority to schools, funding day-to-day operations first before any capital projects are undertaken. On the other hand, one central question would be easier to comprehend and be better for district funding.