From Dustin Williams

South Wayne

To the Editor:

On April 7, the Black Hawk community faces a decision that will define our district’s future.

This is not about expansion or luxury.

This is about whether Black Hawk school community pride survives as the heart of our communities.  Residents in Browntown, Gratiot, Martintown, South Wayne, Wiota, and Woodford all face a loss of identity if Black Hawk Falls.

For nearly two decades, Wisconsin’s revenue limits have not kept pace with inflation. If they had, Black Hawk would be receiving approximately $3,573 more per student this year — more than $1.3 million annually, that never arrived from the state. The district is asking for $800,000 to fill part of that gap.

In the meantime, cuts have been made — year after year, for the last 18 years since Act 10.

Staff reduced from 85 to 55 in the last 15 years.  

Bus routes and administrative salaries cut.

Board members waived their pay.

No raises for staff and teachers.

There are no more painless reductions left.

The consequences are clear: elimination of Career and Technical Education programs and extracurriculars are looming. The Black Hawk School Board has made the following public statement: “The Board believes that the district is currently operating at an absolute minimum level of staffing. Further reductions jeopardize the existence of our school.”

The board will likely continue short-term borrowing and spending down the fund balance, that financial consultants say can only last 1—1.5 years before dissolution becomes a serious conversation.

Dissolution does not mean taxes disappear.  Long term debt would still need to be paid and on top of that, taxpayers would pay another district’s mill rate, which is likely to be higher than Black Hawk’s mill rate. There are many steps to dissolution, and the state is likely to come back and say “ Figure it out and pass a referendum to support your school.”  There has not been a successful school dissolution in Wisconsin in 30 years even though several have been attempted.

Black Hawk has helped build successful individuals who stay here and build lives here. You do not replace that with a bus ride to another town.

The identity of the Black Hawk community is on the line.

If we believe in small towns, we must believe in small-town schools.

If we believe in community, we must invest in it.

On April 7, vote like Black Hawk matters.

Because it does.

More information: www.blackhawk.k12.wi.us