From Jim Curran
Monroe
To the Editor:
I am writing in strong support of the Monroe School District’s upcoming operating referendum, which would invest $2.75 million per year for the next four years in our local schools.
I grew up in Monroe and graduated from Monroe High School in 2001. The education I received here shaped my future and opened doors that changed my life.
After college, I joined Teach For America and taught fourth grade in a low-income school. There, I saw how deeply resources, stability, and community support shape a child’s future. In my work over the past 20 years, I’ve seen some of the best schools in the country and some of the toughest circumstances imaginable. One truth remains constant: while potential is evenly distributed among children, opportunity is not. Research confirms what I have witnessed firsthand: great teachers and great principals change lives. They are the difference-makers.
In 2020, my wife, also a Monroe graduate, and I chose to move home to raise our family. Our children are now 6 and 4 years old. We came back because we believe in Monroe. We believe in its people. And we believe our public schools can be exceptional.
Today, as president of the Monroe School Board, I see both our promise and our urgency. Monroe is currently the second fastest improving school district in Wisconsin. We are making real progress in closing achievement gaps and helping more students succeed. Our new high school is on time and within budget. That momentum belongs to our educators, staff, families, and community.
We have also made hard choices. Over the past four years, the district eliminated 27 positions and cut more than $2 million in annual expenses. Our referendum dollars-per-pupil spending is among the lowest in the area—and will remain so even if this referendum passes. Our staff has delivered remarkable results with limited resources.
This referendum is not about excess. It is about protecting what works. Without it, we will lose more than 20 additional staff members including teachers and a principal. These are neighbors and mentors who invest in our children every single day.
Monroe has momentum. Our schools are delivering one of the strongest returns on investment in the state. Let’s not slow down now.
Vote yes on April 7 — for our kids, and for Monroe’s future.
