Referendum may be on April ballot

Talk about it

A referendum regarding a long-range plan for the Ellsworth School District was proposed at the Ellsworth School Board meeting early this week.

School administrators recommended the board consider a referendum election on April 1 featuring ballot questions about facilities and operations, Supt. Dan Kaler said.

The first question would ask voters for authorization to sell bonds to finance the modernization of elementary schools and to make improvements to other district property.

The renovations would include Hillcrest and Prairie View elementary schools or building one new elementary school.

The second question would ask voters to grant authorization for a five-year operational referendum.

Board President Gerald Bristol said this would be an extension of the existing eight-year override, which is soon to expire.

A pre-kindergarten program also was discussed by the board. The proposed Ellsworth Panther Preschool would be located at the Lindgren Early Childhood School and be in partnership with the area Head Start program, Curriculum and Instruction Director Leona Johnson said.

A start-up grant funding $3,000 per child is available through the state, Johnson said, though no schedule for distributing the funds has been seen yet. She indicated the new offering would provide a mainstreaming component to special education students.

Over half of the public school districts in Wisconsin already have similar programs, the board was told. After next month, a registration would be held.

The board scheduled a public forum for 7 p.m. Jan. 28 at Ellsworth High School to gain feedback on this proposal.

Tags: education, ellsworth, school, district, referendum