Rhinelander voters to decide on tech ed facility upgrade

It’s time for School District of Rhinelander voters to decide whether to sign off on a $26 million project aimed at modernizing the technical education facilities at James Williams Middle School and Rhinelander High School.

School officials have stressed that the goal of the referendum question on Tuesday’s ballot is to train the next generation of workers and ensure all students learn necessary lifelong skills.

The question voters will see is as follows: “Shall the School District of Rhinelander, Oneida, Lincoln, and Langlade Counties, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $26,000,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of a school building and facility improvement project consisting of: construction of additions and renovations at Rhinelander High School, including for technical education, classrooms and labs; construction of additions, renovations, safety, security and site improvements at James Williams Middle School, including for technical education and classrooms; district-wide capital maintenance, infrastructure improvements and accessibility updates; and acquisition of furnishings, fixtures and equipment?”

According to Bob Thome, the district’s director of business services, the $26 million project would translate to an extra $29 of property taxes on a $100,000 home.

According to information distributed during a series of informational meetings on the referendum, a review of the tech ed curriculum and facilities began in 2021. Study continued in 2022 as meetings were held with local industry partners. These sessions were particularly helpful, according to district superintendent Eric Burke, because educators were able to speak directly with industry leaders about the skills they are looking for in their new hires.

Then there was a series of tours of other schools so Rhinelander officials could see how other districts are delivering technical education to their students and what might work locally.

In September 2023, after nearly two years of study, the school board directed that a community survey be conducted to gauge voter interest in potential renovations and upgrades.

After over 75 percent of respondents said they would definitely or probably support a capital project/tech ed referendum, the board formulated and approved the language for the April 2 referendum question.

In the informational meetings, school officials stressed that the district’s current facilities are quite old — dating back to 1974 in the case of James Williams Middle School and the late 1950s in the case of  Rhinelander High School — and much of the equipment is more than 60 years old and no longer used by local industry/business partners.

Also, tech ed classes — where students learn a wide variety of skills such as how to design and manufacture wood, metal and plastic products, auto and small engine repair, the ins and outs of circuits, home construction, and many things — have become increasingly popular with young people.

It was explained that all seventh-grade students are required to take a technical education course so that they have some exposure to potential careers in this sphere and learn important lifelong skills like problem-solving, but many are interested in delving further into more advanced topics.

The district’s industry partners also noted that foundational skills — problem-solving and collaboration being very high on the list — are pivotal to success in real-world industry jobs as workers who can collaborate and know how to approach and resolve problems can be trained to operate nearly any type of equipment

More information can be found on the district website — https://www.rhinelander.k12.wi.us/district/referendum.cfm.

Ballot measures

There are two statewide ballot measures to be decided Tuesday. The first question asks, “Shall section 7 (1) of Article III of the constitution be created to provide that private donations and grants may not be applied for, accepted, expended, or used in connection with the conduct of any primary, election, or referendum?”

According to ballotpedia.com, a “yes” vote supports this amendment to prohibit any level of government in the state from applying or accepting non-governmental funds or equipment for election administration. A “no” vote opposes this amendment to prohibit any level of government in the state from applying or accepting non-governmental funds or equipment for election administration.

The vote in the state legislature to place Question 1 on the ballot was along party lines with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed.

The ballotpedia entry on Question 1 includes quotes from those for and against the change.

Kyle Koenen, the policy director of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, supports the change.

 “In the interest of upholding fairness and safeguarding the integrity of our democratic process, it is essential to maintain a non-partisan electoral system that is free from external financial influences,” he wrote. “The concerns that have been expressed regarding Mark Zuckerberg’s extensive funding of election administration in Democratic-leaning communities closely parallel the worries that would emerge if a donor with right-leaning inclinations were to direct their resources exclusively toward Republican-leaning areas. AJR 77 and SJR 78 underscore the need to establish a clear standard: private funding should not have a role in the administration of Wisconsin’s elections.” 

The ACLU of Wisconsin is opposed.

“Elections are underfunded. Local municipalities run Wisconsin’s local, state, and federal elections on shoestring budgets,” the organization noted, per ballotpedia. “Grants banned by this proposal have provided a lifeline to help clerks pay for equipment, polling place rental, poll workers, and supplies to protect your right to vote and make elections run smoothly and securely.” 

The second ballot question is “Shall section 7 (2) of Article III of the constitution be created to provide that only election officials designated by law may perform tasks in the conduct of primaries, elections, and referendums?”

According to ballotpedia, Question 2 has received endorsements from Election Integrity for Wisconsin, Opportunity Solutions Project, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, and Wisconsin Voter Alliance. 

Madeline Malisa, visiting fellow at the Opportunity Solutions Project, said, “The funding of election operations, and where and how funds are being spent, are decisions that you — Wisconsin lawmakers — should make and not unaccountable special interest groups. Private funding of elections effectively allows private actors to influence who the winners and losers will be. These bills will safeguard Wisconsin elections from outside influence by prohibiting local governments from applying for, accepting, or spending any funding from private individuals or third parties for election administration. It will also allow only election officials to administer elections.”

Question 2 is opposed by All Voting is Local Action Wisconsin, Wisconsin Conservation Voters, and Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Sam Liebert, state director of All Voting is Local Action Wisconsin, said, “These proposals, under the guise of protecting our elections, are nothing more than thinly veiled attempts to restrict voting rights and undermine the very foundations of our democratic system. It is our duty to stand firm in defending the rights and inclusivity of all eligible voters in our democracy.”