N.O.W COMMITTEE INFORMATION PAGE

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UPDATE ON DETACHMENT/ATTACHMENT QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Questions & Answers About Detachment

The following is a updated list of frequently asked questions about realigning the EKW and N-O school districts through a Large Parcel Detachment as prescribed by state law. The answers represent The NOW Committeeıs assessment based on research and analysis it has done over the past 9 months. This document will be updated as more specific information regarding taxes and costs and other information becomes available.

  • Q. Why should Wilton Detach from EKW and join the N-O district?
    A. The movement to Detach sprang from the belief that EKW will eventually close the Wilton school. That being the case most people feel it would be better to be in a district only a few miles from home.

  • Q. What makes you think EKW will close the Wilton School?
    A. The evidence of this has been mounting for years. € Declining enrollment, rising costs € The moving of the 7th & 8th grades to Elroy € The recent vote to move 2nd grade, which was reversed because of some board members stated fear that taking second grade away from Wilton now would only give Wilton another reason to vote for detachment.

    Most area people believe that if Detachment is defeated, the Wilton school will be gradually dismantled . Grades will continue to be moved from the Wilton school until there is no economic or educational justification for keeping the Wilton school open.

  • Q. Is a referendum needed to close the Wilton school?
    A. No! The EKW School Board can close the Wilton school at any time and the community will have no say in the decision.

  • Q. What about the plan to build a new school in Wilton?
    A. Unfortunately this plan provides no guarantee that refurbishing the Wilton school will keep it open in the years to come. After years of bickering and stalemate the only current alternative to Detachment is one which would put the district near the maximum of its debt limit by closing down Royall high school, and building a new high school in Kendall and building/refurbishing the primary schools in Elroy and Wilton. Unfortunately, such an idea will, at best, do little more than postpone the closing of the Wilton school by a few years, while saddling area tax payers with a huge debt for the next 20 years.

  • Q. Why wonıt this $10 million -$12 million spending plan work?
    A. There are many reasons € Enrollment is declining throughout the district € Families in the Wilton area continue to send their children elsewhere through school choice as they have been doing since long before Detachment was proposed. In addition, a study showed that the vast majority of Choice parents would not return their children to EKW even if a new school was built in Wilton. € EKW is not a rich district. There is serious doubt that EKW could even afford such a huge expenditure for buildings alone. But the more important question is ³where will we get the money to operate these schools? One study shows that in a few years we will not have the money to operate the existing schools even with our current low debt. € With millions going for buildings and maintaining those buildings what would be left for educational programs which is the essence of an educational system? € Since this plan includes the closing of Royall High School how do you think the citizens on that end of the district will react? Many will want to leave the district. € With people on both ends of the district leaving, we certainly will not have the students or the money to maintain a high school in Kendall. In a few years, we could end up with no school in Wilton, a nearly empty high school in Kendall and a huge debt. € If this $10 - 12 million dollar plan were implemented by, as some would say, defeating Elroy² our communities would be even more divided than they are now. If a plan like this were forced on one or more communities, the disagreement and deadlock that we are all so tired of would only intensify.

  • Q. Why canıt Wilton parents just use School Choice?
    A. Many Wilton area parents have already opted for the School Choice program. They did so before Detachment was ever even heard of (most have gone to N-O). These parents have done this despite the hardship of having no school bus transportation for their kids. However, under the School Choice option while the children may go to N-O, all of our property tax dollars will continue to go to EKW. That is simply not equitable. Without Detachment, if parents continue to Choice out of EKW for N-O we will end up with a situation where our children go to one district while our tax dollars subsidize another district.

  • Q. Does the Wilton area really want to detach or is it just a few ³squeaky wheels²?
    A. Some people in and outside of Wilton have tried to portray the Detachment movement as ³just a few people². In fact, theyıve said several things that just arenıt accurate: € They said we wouldnıt get any volunteers, yet we have scores of dedicated volunteers. € They said we would never get enough signatures, yet we got 3 Times as many as signatures as needed € There most recent rumor is that the Wilton support for Detachment is not as strong as it once was (kind of admitting they were wrong to begin with). Well, in response to that rumor, NOW did a poll. We just picked up the phone book and started calling everyone in the Wilton area. We asked them one question;

    If you knew that EKW was planing to close the Wilton school would you be in favor of detaching and joining Norwalk-Ontario?² Here are results:

  • Favor Detachment---142
  • Against Detachment---33
  • Undecided---30
  • Not interested---30

  • Q. Could the option to consolidate in Elroy be tried again? Does it have any merit?
    A. Yes, it could be tried again, and yes, it probably has a lot of merit - for Kendall and Elroy. It simply offers nothing for Wilton. The Wilton school will still close and all of our students (including Kindergartners) will be bussed a minimum of 19 miles.

    Consolidation in Elroy may work out great for Kendall and Elroy and thatıs fine. It simply makes no sense to drag Wilton in just for its tax dollars.

  • Q. Why canıt Wilton parents & students just go along with consolidation in Elroy?
    A. Thatıs the heart of the Detachment movement. If we're going to lose our school anyway, why not allow us to attach to a district right in our own back yard?

    Wilton area students and parents sometimes have an extra-ordinary burden trying to participate in after school activities in Elroy. That can result in decreased parental involvement. It also cuts into after school and after events study time. It is a long way to travel (sometimes even requiring a bus change en route). There is no doubt this has an impact on student and parental involvement. And most educators will tell you that parental involvement is a key aspect of any childıs education.

    In addition, parents on the Wilton end of the district usually have to add an additional hour travel time when picking up their children from school in Elroy and taking them to the family doctor or dentist, often located in Tomah, Sparta or LaCrosse. This can be an added financial burden due to lost wages.

  • Q. Is there no other plan that would keep the Wilton school open?
    A. If there was, surely by now, after all these years, someone would have thought of it. The sad fact is, that if there is another choice besides the Mega Spending/Building plan and Detachment, it is only more of the same of what we have now. And that means continued disagreement, continued ³gang up on...² / ²us versus them² mentality, continued stalemate and a continued threat to the viability of educational programs and perhaps even to the district itself.

  • Q. Some say an EK district could not make it without Wilton. Is that true?
    A. That argument just doesnıt jibe with the facts. There are many districts around the state that are the size of an EK district that are thriving and prospering. Besides, If it were true that an EK District needed Wilton, it would mean that Wilton is, in effect, subsidizing Kendall and Elroy. Fortunately, an EK district does not need Wilton to survive and prosper. There are many districts around the state at a size similar to an EK district that are doing very well. Some in our own area include Norwalk - Ontario, Hillsboro and Cashton and Bangor.

  • Q. What would happen to course offerings and extra curricular activities in an EK district?
    A. No one can say specifically because no one knows for sure. However, EK would likely stay in the same Scenic Bluffs athletic conference and since other districts this size offer a full range of sports and other extra curricular activities there is every reason to assume that an EK district will be able to do the same. Regarding course offerings, if districts the same size or even smaller than an EK district can offer curriculums similar to EKW, its hard to see why an EK district could not do the same.

  • Q. What will happen to the Kendall school if Detachment passes?
    A. That will be up to the EK School Board. They might decide to keep the Kendall school open. One idea that was being discussed was a K-6 somewhere between Kendall and Elroy. Certainly that option has a better chance with a board that is willing to cooperate and work together than one where the parties are trying to undercut, out maneuver or gang up on one another. But even if the Kendall school is eventually closed, residents there will be in no different situation than Wilton, Norwalk or Ontario in that the school will be just a few miles away. 3

  • Q. If Detachment is approved, how would it affect the Wilton area and the remaining EK district?
    A. The $10 million - $12 million spending plan is based on a Win/Lose scenario. Unlike that, Detachment offers a Win/Win alternative. € For EK, Detachment finally breaks the deadlock so the district can move forward with a sensible building plan and it finally gives the district a chance to focus more of its energies on educational programs. € For the Wilton area, it allows our students to attend a fine school district just 5 miles away and allows our tax dollars to support that district where some 25 Wilton area students are already attending. € It also strengthens the current N-O district against the difficulties associated with the inevitable declining enrollment issue. In the long run Detachment offers both districts an opportunity to improve and prosper.

  • Q. So the addition of Wilton will help the N-O tax base. How will 200 students descending on N-O affect the district?
    A. To begin with, it will not be 200 children because 25 are already attending N-O or some other district through school choice. Furthermore, the Boards should be willing to agree to allow all current Royall high students to graduate from Royall if they so desire. That could reduce the number by as many as 82. Finally, there will be some parents who will opt out of both districts and send their children to Tomah or Hillsboro for example, thus further reducing that number. It seems quite likely that the initial number transferring to N-O will be quite manageable.

  • Q. But wonıt N-O have to expand to accommodate the new students?
    A. Yes. But they were planning to expand anyway. The N-O Board wisely decided to wait and see what happens with the Detachment effort. They already have a plan available which can be implemented when Detachment passes. The timing for the addition of the Wilton area couldnıt be better.

  • Q. Thatıs going to cost money and N-O already has a higher mill rate than EKW. Whatıs going to happen to taxes?
    A. No one can say for sure at this point. Now that the assets and liabilities question has been settled, the State Dept. of Public Instructions (DPI) has agreed to run the numbers and come up with a set of accurate and impartial costs for both districts. However, there already was a published report on some preliminary numbers showing that taxes will go down in a NOW district. These figures need to be confirmed once the DPI can plug in the formulas.

  • Q. Will N-O add new teachers or will class sizes grow?
    A. It is much easier to plan for a block of students and hire the appropriate number of teachers. N-O already has the plans in place for added classrooms and teachers should Detachment become a reality. If Wilton students are limited to joining N-O by School Choice only, it will be more of a burden for N-O to accommodate them.

  • Q. What will happen to taxes in an EK district?
    A. Again, no one can say for sure at this point until the DPI runs the numbers. It will also depend on a lot of factors such as how many schools the district will operate and what kind of building/renovation work will be done. Itıs certainly possible, if not probable that taxes in a new EK district would be lower compared to taxes in an EKW district after a $10-$12 million dollar spending spree. Again, no one knows for certain what the exact figures are.

  • Q. Letıs assume Detachment is the best option for Wilton, N-O and EKW, what is going to happen to Wilton when it is without a local school?
    A. A local school is definitely a community asset. But it is not the only asset. Any communityıs major asset is its people. Both Wilton and Kendall have a number of fine community leaders and a large number of public spirited citizens. For years their attention has been diverted by a school issue that has been in a holding pattern. Think of the possibilities that could be created if these good people were freed up to concentrate on improving our communities and attracting new people and business.

  • Q What about real estate values?
    A. Most real estate agents will tell you that the EKW district is and has been a hard sell because the district is viewed as being in turmoil or at best in a stalemate. The situation is further aggravated by this ³gang up on...² / ³us versus them² attitude. Who wants to move into a school district where the neighboring communities are pitted against each other and the future of the schools are in question? This has a negative effect on property values and home sales and has more of a negative impact on our communities than the loss of a school building.

    On the other hand, after detachment both an EK and a NOW district could be seen as ones that have stabilized and even been invigorated. When EK is freed from this stalemate, theyıll be seen as a new district. Maybe an EK district will grow because it attracts people with the exceptional quality of its programs.

    A NOW district will have the advantage of being fortified by additional students, state aid and a broader tax base. It too will be able to increase course offerings and programs. The point is, once this intractable impasse in EKW is undone all kinds of good things are possible.

  • Q. But will young families want to move here if we donıt have a local school to which the children can walk?
    A. First of all, the majority of students in the state ride a bus to school, particularly in rural districts. People will look much more favorably on a 5 mile bus ride than a 19 mile bus ride. Second, most parents are concerned about the quality of education first and the location of the building second. If we have a building but canıt afford the educational programs parents demand, the word will be out and families with children will avoid our district.

  • Q Some are saying that EKW canıt afford to let Wilton go.
    A. Some people have been saying a lot of things that just arenıt accurate. What we do know for sure is that an EK district will receive a lot of money in the first 2-3 years after detachment due to the declining enrollment factor. This will give EK ample time to develop a plan and a budget that will insure the districtıs future prosperity.

  • Q. Youıve made a strong case for school district realignment through Detachment. But canıt we wait to see if EKW can afford to build and operate a school in Wilton?
    A. The vast majority of the people in the Wilton area know that is not going to happen. That is why such an overwhelming number signed the petition to Detach. Furthermore, there will likely never again be a chance to Detach and join another district. If the EKW district is saddled with a huge debt no other district is going to be interested in the Wilton area.

  • Q. But will they let the Wilton area go?
    A. Despite some past disharmonies, we believe in the basic decency of the people of Kendall and Elroy. Yes, they will have some misgivings. Thatıs understandable. And after all weıve been together 30 years through thick and thin.

    But now that it is time for Wilton to move on, we believe that our neighbors and friends in Kendall and Elroy will, for the most part, have no inclination to hold us against our will. We think the majority will support us, wish us well and remain our friends and neighbors. Since Detachment can benefit all of our communities we will all be free to create a new future based on cooperation and a positive relationship.

  • Q. Some have said that this issue should be decided just by people with children in school right now.
    A. In a democracy, when you start to limit who can or should vote youıre tampering with one of our most basic freedoms guaranteed by the constitution. Lets face it, we all pay for schools and we all have a stake in our communityıs future. A well managed school district is an asset to the entire community. The school system has an obligation to itıs citizens to educate the children to the best of its ability within a budget that is sustainable by the community. There are many taxpayers in our district who are living on fixed incomes or tight budgets. It is their right and responsibility to vote on issues that would have an impact on taxes and community improvements.

    Every citizen not only has the right to vote, they should feel compelled to vote because the community needs their input. The percentage of citizens with children in school at this time is only a portion of the entire community, but this decision on detachment affects 100% of our people. We need the wisdom of all voters: seniors, young adults, parents, single people and even childless couples.

  • Q. OK, where do we go from here?
    A. We need to do three things: We need to make people aware of what is at stake in this referendum. They need to understand that if Detachment is defeated, EKW will still have to close the Wilton school because of rising costs and declining enrollment. Once that happens there are no more choices except for what is forced upon us, which would likely be another year or two of squabbling and then eventually consolidation in Elroy We need to get out the vote. Although the current sentiment favors Detachment, it still must pass by a majority in each district. If all who favor Detachment would vote, it will pass, but no one should stay home thinking it will pass without them. We also need to work to set aside the ³gang up on...² and ³us versus them² approach to solving our problems. We need to advocate our position with respect for those whose opinions differ from ours.

    Thank you for taking the time to learn about this very important issue. If you would like to help, send contributions, questions, comments and offers of help to:


    The Now Committee
    Box 308
    Wilton WI 54760
    Phone 435-6152

    Authorized and paid for by the NOW Committee, Kenneth Koebernick - Treasurer

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