Elmbrook School District Taxpayers Just Too Smart

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If you live in Janesville and haven’t been paying attention to the $108 million renovation plans proposed in the Elmbrook School District referendum, it really won’t matter for you to know that it failed.

The largest community in the Elmbrook School district, Brookfield, boasts a total property value of almost $6 billion, which ranks behind only the much larger cities of Milwaukee and Madison. When it comes to a school district with resources to finance public education, few can match Elmbrook. Were they too wealthy to pass the school referendum?

Forty-nine percent of the city's adult population, census figures say, has at least a bachelor's degree double the national profile. Or, were they too smart to fall for the old tricks and deception?

Yet when Elmbrook residents voted Tuesday to address problems the district says it has with its two high school buildings, the plans were rejected by lopsided margins. Turnout was 58% in Brookfield, the highest since 1991 for a spring election in that city. They defeated the referendum, 61% to 39%. I know, they must hate kids.

Residents said they are already satisfied with the district's education and facilities and see little need for the unprecedented price tag of more than $100 million. But others see the results as further evidence of an economic and political climate that makes passing school spending proposals difficult. In this Bush booming, job producing and wild growth economy – how could that be?

Many in Wisconsin think they reflect the anti-tax climate and budget pressures on families, such as rising fuel, utility and health costs. But not if you live in Janesville. The Elmbrook school improvement plans presented in Elmbrook's referendum would have had a tax impact on an average $335,000 McMansion of $342 per year for 20 years. That is very close to what homeowners in Janesville will pay relative to value, if you recall. Our referendum will cost about $105 for every $100,000.

In Janesville, we don’t worry about such trivial things as heating bills, health insurance, mortgages or rising taxes, everything is sooo low here why, we have little to lose.

Blogger:
All I can say is I have heard rumblings that this (referendum)may pass. Has anyone given thought to the fact that the schools will be expanded, while the district is experiencing declining enrollment. Factor that into your decision.

Why doesn’t THAT surprise me?

People in Elmbrook apparently believe what they think, and not what they're told. Proof that their schools are just fine.

Note: A quote by Dale Knapp of the Taxpayers Alliance taken from this article was removed from this posting. The date was mistakenly overlooked, the quote was over a year old.