From Jim Curran

Monroe

To the Editor:

Investors consider ventures based on the likely return on investment. As taxpayers, you are investors in Monroe Schools, with the option for continued investment in November. Based on student results, Monroe School District is a strong investment. 

Monroe has some of the best elementary schools in the State of Wisconsin. Abe Lincoln recently won the national Blue Ribbon Award for academic achievement. Northside is in the top 20% of all Wisconsin schools in terms of achievement. Parkside is in the top 15% of all schools in terms of how much students grow academically, which is remarkable given 60% of students there qualified for free or reduced lunch. Over the past three years, the percentage of low-income students scoring “proficient” has tripled, and the percentage of Hispanic/Latino students scoring “proficient” has doubled.  

Monroe Middle School has made strong progress. In the most recent results, Monroe Middle School moved from slightly below the state average in Reading and Math proficiency to above the state average. Similar to Parkside, there has been tremendous progress for low-income students and students of color. The percentage of low-income students scoring “proficient” or “advanced” has tripled since 2021. For English language learners, that percentage has doubled. 

Monroe High School has been the lowest scoring school in Monroe on state report cards for the past few years. MHS results for 23-24 show tremendous improvement in student growth metrics, especially in English. Other metrics matter just as much as the ACT, if not more. 38% of MHS students earned college credit through dual enrollment, compared to the state-wide average of 23%. For low-income students and English language learners, dual enrollment is more than double the state average. The state rating system is still catching up, in my opinion, to the growing number of students who seek to enter the workforce or attend a 2 year college. MHS’s Launch program is among the strongest workforce-readiness programs in the state and this program has expanded dramatically, from 31 participants in 2022-23 to 74 students this year.  Including strong athletic programs, MHS staff offer an astounding 55 extracurricular options to which students have access. Students in our arts programs are consistently recognized as state-level award winners, and anyone who has attended performances in the past few years can see why. 

Let’s keep the momentum going. Vote “Yes” to continue the $1,500,000 operating referendum for another four years.