Pioneer Family Update -Week 7
School District Of Westfield
Dear Pioneer Families
Welcome to Week 7 and Homecoming week on the Pioneer front!
A few updates:
No School & Parent-Teacher Conferences: Reminder — there is no school for students on Monday, October 12, due to staff training and parent-teacher conferences, which will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Homecoming Festivities: The rest of the week will be filled with opportunities for students and staff to celebrate Pioneer Pride and show their school spirit! Students can participate in dress-up days and friendly competitions throughout the week.
Join us on Friday, October 16 for the main events:
Annual Parade: 2:00 p.m.
Homecoming Football Game & Halftime Show: 7:00 p.m. as our Pioneers take on the Johnson Creek Bluejays!
Phase II Construction Progress: You may have noticed that construction crews are back on our grounds. To ensure school opened on schedule, some items were put on hold until now. Crews are currently finishing those final Phase II projects.
Finally, please take a moment to read the most recent article: Shared Financial Realities.
Respectfully,
Michelle Johnson
District Administrator
Questions about the District's Fiscal Responsibility
Some questions were raised about the District's fiscal responsibility given the request for an operational referendum.
The truth is that our District is trying to maintain our school system while navigating unfunded requirements and state funding that fails to keep pace with rising costs. Some examples:
Special Education Underfunding: The state does not fully reimburse the cost of educating students with the highest needs. This year, budget projections show the District will need to transfer $1.7 million from our general operating budget (our operational checkbook) to cover federally mandated special education services.
Transportation Costs: This year, the District will spend $1 million on student transportation, not including ongoing fuel price increases.
Private School Vouchers: This year, district residents will pay an estimated $452,000 in voucher payments to private schools, redirecting tax dollars away from the School District of Westfield.
Voucher payments and special education costs alone total more than $2 million – which is more than the District’s $1.4 million annual operational referendum.
These fixed operational realities create structural deficits that even standard cost-cutting cannot eliminate on its own.
Learn more at westfield.k12.wi.us and vote on Election Day!
Attend a referendum info session:
Oct. 13: 4:00-6:00 p.m. at Neshkoro Public Library
Oct. 15: 12:00 p.m. at Oxford Village Hall
Oct. 20: 5:00 p.m. at Oxford Public Library
#StudentLearning #EssentialOperations #ResponsibleBudgeting #PioneerNation
