Public commenters press district on funding and equity as referendum outreach continues

Members of the public spoke during the meeting’s public-comment periods and the superintendent reviewed outreach plans for a pending referendum.

Jim Hess, a community member, questioned district messaging about finances and said that if state funding had kept pace with inflation since 2009 "school districts like ours would receive about $3,500 more per student per year." He raised multiple funding and policy concerns, referenced Assembly Bill 614 and Title IX, and asked whether teachers should have more authority to remove disruptive students.

Community member Charlotte Trotter urged the district to "dig into data by race" to ensure that efforts to "reach all students" include students whose subgroup results differ from the aggregate.

Superintendent Steinbarth highlighted district achievements, said 13 of 14 schools are "exceeding or significantly exceeding expectations," and listed community information sessions tied to the referendum: March 4 at 5 p.m. (Tyson Middle School); March 10 at 5:30 p.m. (Fond du Lac High School); March 16 at 5:00 p.m. (Fond du Lac High School); and March 24 at 5:30 p.m. (Lakeside Park Pavilion with Envision Greater Fond du Lac). He said the district will post related podcast and informational materials on its website and encouraged the public to review them.

Why it matters: Public commenters raised funding and equity concerns that intersect with the district’s referendum outreach; board members and district staff noted opportunities to make information available and to engage residents in upcoming sessions.