Residents, students and staff urge support for April 7 operational referendum as board lays out potential cuts

More than a dozen residents, staff and students spoke at the East Troy Community School District's board meeting on March 23 as the district continues to encourage voters to approve a three-year operational referendum on April 7.

Educators and parents framed the referendum as a protection for programs and staff. "I wholeheartedly believe that this environment is providing just that," said Kelly Fish, an early childhood special-education teacher at Little Prairie, describing a play group that serves 27 children and pairs special-education and typically developing students. "It is vital," she said of the district's early-childhood program.

Students also urged support. "For less than the cost of one fast-food meal a month, you can invest in teachers who are changing lives every single day," said Marilyn France, a freshman at East Troy High School, repeating the referendum's…