Referendum 2024

Thank You to Our Community!

Dear Sun Prairie Area School District Community,

On behalf of the entire Sun Prairie Area School District team, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your overwhelming support of the operational referendum. Your vote of confidence in our district is a testament to the value you place on education, the care you have for our students and staff, and the vision you have for our community.

The passage of this referendum will allow us to:

• Stabilize our budget and address our structural deficit. This will ensure the long-term financial health of our district and protect essential educational programs and services.
• Remain competitive with wages across employee groups. This will help us attract and retain top-quality educators and staff, who are vital to providing an excellent education for our students.
• Provide educational programming to an increasingly complex student population. This will allow us to meet the diverse needs of all our students.

Your support will have a direct and positive impact on our students, staff, and community for years to come. We are committed to being good stewards of your tax dollars and ensuring that every investment is used to benefit our students.

Thank you again for your unwavering support.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out. 

With Sun Prairie Pride, 

Diana McFarland, School Board President
Brad Saron, Superintendent

RESULTS

We Are Proud That Prior Investments in Our Schools Are Yielding Results

◊ Student results have improved across all screening data with significant improvement among marginalized groups.
◊ Staff retention is high. 90% in 2023–2024.
◊ Staff satisfaction is high. Over 86% of staff reported in a survey that all things considered, the district is a good place to work.
◊ Students report feeling safe in their schools on average at more than 4.0 on a 5-point scale.
◊ Students have access to cutting-edge technology.
◊ Over 5,500 meals are served daily to address food insecurity.
◊ Robust communication channels have been established with the overall community to share information.
◊ Schools with higher needs are provided more resources through equitable funding & staffing models.
◊ Curricular materials are kept updated & collaborative curricular decisions are made using current research.
◊ Buildings are well maintained and provide exceptional learning environments.
◊ The district maintains a high bond rating of AA as rated by Standard and Poor's, and it remains financially stable.

We have momentum and are seeing improved results for our students. Referendum funds would be used to maintain this momentum.

A Message from the Board of Education

Dear Sun Prairie Area School District Community,

We’re excited to kick off the 2024-25 school year with a record number of students. Our educators are prepared for the new year at all 15 sites, and
elementary teachers are introducing a new literacy curriculum based on the science of reading. Fall sports are underway, and thanks to our partnership
with Stuff the Bus, all students have the supplies they need. We look forward to collaborating with local community organizations throughout the year. 

Your School Board is dedicated to ensuring all students thrive. As our community diversifies, we’re expanding educational programs, including
dual language immersion, mental health services in partnership with Building Bridges, and the STEM program at Madison College. We will continue to assess
our programs to best serve our students.

Our achievements are made possible by our dedicated educators. We are committed to making this district a desirable workplace, offering competitive
salaries, benefits, and a positive work culture. 

We also thank our community volunteers and partners who contribute time, talent, and financial support to enrich our students’ education. The Board
remains committed to being fiscally responsible stewards, prioritizing the maintenance of our buildings and investment in staff. 

On behalf of the Board of Education, thank you for your ongoing support. It is our honor to serve you.

Every Child, Every Day,

Diana McFarland,
School Board President

How would referendum funds be used?

PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING - $4 million

OUR MISSION: To inspire and prepare every child, every day, by providing relevant, engaging, and innovative learning experiences in and out of the classroom.

• Expanded access to 4-year-old kindergarten and early learning offerings.

• Continuing to expand access to the trades and to career planning for high school students.

• Meeting the needs of a diverse and growing student body.

• Our students’ needs are increasing more than ever before. This includes increased numbers of students living in poverty, a growing number of multilingual learners, and a record number of students experiencing housing insecurity.

• The District would allocate $4 million in referendum funds to respond to these challenges and continue to find ways support every child, every day.

• Through our diverse array of programming, our students are able to explore their passions and develop new skills to carry them beyond their time in school, all while building connections with their peers and our staff. The district’s priorities include supporting our students’ early learning and redefining the high school experience for our students who are nearing graduation.

• Our 4-year-old Kindergarten program (SP4K) sets our students up for success. Students who go through the SP4K program enter Kindergarten meeting or exceeding developmental targets for their age group.

• Academic and career planning is woven throughout our students’ educational experience to get them college and career ready. This includes helping to connect students with the trades.

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STRENGTHEN COMPETITIVE STAFF COMPENSATION & BENEFITS - $7 million

OUR GOAL: To recruit and retain the best staff.

• Support pay and benefits for Sun Prairie teachers and staff to be competitive with other Dane County districts.

• Even with the lowest pay in the area, we have a 90% retention rate. Our district is a great place to work.  We want to make sure our current teachers and staff stay with us and that new teachers and staff want to work here.

• We know that our kids learn best when they are supported by the best staff. Retaining and recruiting high-quality educators leads to better outcomes for students. We retain and recruit the best staff when we have competitive pay and benefits.
• In 2019, Sun Prairie passed an operating referendum to increase teacher salaries to the Dane County average. Our district was in line with this average as recently as the 2021–2022 school year.
• Since that time, other area districts have made teacher salaries a core component of their operating referendums. Within two years, movement by other districts has shifted Sun Prairie below the county average.
• Upon successful passage of the referendum, the District would immediately allocate $3 million to increase pay for our current educators to bring the District above the Dane County Average and would increase the base salary to $51,402 for those with a Bachelor’s degree and $55,402 for those with a Master’s degree. The remaining $4 million would be held to fund future adjustments to remain competitive.

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STABILIZE OPERATING EXPENSES - $14 million

OUR RESPONSIBILITY: To remain good stewards of our communities’ investment in the finances and facilities of the district.

• Maintain current class sizes and staffing levels.

• Maintain budgets for current programs and operations.

• Continue to maintain district facilities for our students and community use.

• Wisconsin state funding for public schools has not kept up with inflation since 2010, even though the state has a $4-billion budget surplus.

• We have carefully managed our budget. The mill rate for the 2023–2024 fiscal year was $9.86, which is significantly lower that the $11–$12 that was predicted during the 2022 Referendum and represents a sizable reduction from a mill rate of $13.06 during the 2019–2020 fiscal year. This means that the mill rate has decreased over the past five years, even with the referendum approved by voters in 2022. Our district has accomplished this through diligent budget stewardship.
• Our fixed expenses have continued to rise while state funding has not kept pace with inflation. From 2010–2024, we received $3,300 per student less than inflation during the same time. If state funding had kept up with inflation, our district would have $27.7 million more to use to support our staff, kids, and community.
• The District would allocate $14 million in referendum funds to maintain district operations and address the costs of fixed expenses without disruptive reductions to staff or student programming.

• Without the referendum, the district will experience a $6 million budget deficit for the 2025–2026 school year. The deficit is projected to increase to $14 million over subsequent years. Without additional revenue, the district will need to engage in significant budget reductions.

What does this mean for taxpayers?

The projected impact of a successful referenda on property taxes and the mill rate are shown below. The total tax impact after the five-year roll-in is $1.44 per $1,000 of property value.

Our Promises to Our Community if the Referendum is Successful

1. The district will not seek additional operational funds for the duration of the five-year roll-in (through the 2028–2029 school year).
2. The district will not levy the full taxing authority if it is not needed.
3. The district will not use referendum funds to significantly expand staffing. Instead, these funds will support our current staff.
4. The district will continue in its commitment to improve results for students.