Why Vote Yes

As of the last State of Wisconsin Report Card, MTSD is ranked #8 of all public school districts in the state. Many of the factors that go into that performance would be directly affected by the budget crisis. MTSD has programs that provide unique academic and enrichment in our area. Attracting and keeping talented professionals is critical to their success.

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Being an education professional is already a challenging endeavor. There is currently a teacher shortage in the state and according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 16% of teachers turned over in 2023 and 40% of new teachers leave the profession entirely within the first 6 years of employment.

If MTSD cannot keep compensation at a competitive level, we will be in a difficult position to retain and recruit new talent to sustain and improve the educational experience for our children. In recent years, the district already did not negotiate up to the full cost of living increase for teachers and did not award a full cost of living increase across all positions.

In addition, the District has already eliminated positions funded with one-time grant dollars. Merit pay has also been suspended, which was an opportunity for teachers to make more money.

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In recent years, the district has already taken the following actions:

• Negotiated a health insurance renewal of 8% (down from the 11% rate cap)
• Restructured retiree offerings
• Eliminated the ability for retirees to be covered on the district health plan in retirement
• Introduced high-deductible health plans
• Moved to self-funded health insurance model

Additional changes to employee benefits would make MTSD less attractive to professionals.

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Maintenance is not the same as capital projects. Costs for maintenance come out of the same funds that are affected by the operational referendum. A budget deficit will cause maintenance projects and scheduled replacements to be deferred, resulting in a decrease in quality and condition of district buildings, facilities, and equipment.

In addition to basic diminishment in appearance, putting off maintenance can leave the District more vulnerable to security breaches and reduce the longevity of its investments, potentially creating a much larger problem for the future.

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The Mequon-Thiensville School District has a long history of maintaining financial prudence and responsibility, even in challenging times. We are proud of our ability to budget conservatively, spend wisely, and ensure that we are getting the most out of every dollar. This status has been reaffirmed for more than a decade through our consistent Aaa bond rating from Moody's. This bond rating enables us to borrow money for the lowest interest rates, allowing financial flexibility at the lowest possible cost.

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