Civil Municipal - May 2024

In terms of financial investment, Wiese reports that the Verona Area School District operates within the framework of Wisconsin’s school finance system, which relies on budgets set by the state. Over the past two decades, increases in per-pupil revenue limits have not kept pace with inflation, prompting the district to seek additional funding from local taxpayers through referendums. He recounts,“There was a 2017 referendum to build a state-of-the-art high school that we are quite proud of, and our students and staff members are incredibly fortunate to be able to attend daily.And then in 2022, following the pandemic, we went to our local taxpayers for a $19 million operating referendum. And that passed at a 69% rate. We are incredibly fortunate to be in a community that is so supportive of public schools.” This community support has allowed the district to address various needs, including bolstering mental health services, maintaining manageable class sizes, updating facilities, and expanding multilingual programs, while also facilitating competitive compensation for educators. WWW.FIRSTSTUDENTINC.COM CARING FOR YOUR STUDENTS IS OUR FIRST PRIORITY We are looking forward to a safe and successful school year together. 247 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 05 VERONA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT