LETTER: Vote to give NOSD’s excellent schools essential upgrades

To Ozaukee Press:

To the residents of the Norther Ozaukee School District:

Referendums rarely draw big crowds to the polls. While your vote matters in every election, it’s especially important on April 3 in the Northern Ozaukee School District referendum.

As an NOSD graduate, a parent of current students and member of the Scholarship Foundation board of directors, I want to address the multi-million-dollar district referendum, and why it matters.

The school district has clearly outlined what’s included and why it’s important (if you need information, visit nosd.edu). Still, it’s natural to hesitate when the price tag is big.

It’s been 20 years since the district asked the community to update the schools through a referendum. In that time, the district has received accolades for educational excellence, including being named one of the Best 500 School Districts in America and recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School. This speaks to the effectiveness of our administration, the commitment of our teachers and the engagement of our students, families and community.

To maintain that level of excellence, we need to move our facilities into a new era. This is far from a cosmetic makeover. The priorities address classroom, facility and grounds updates that create modern learning spaces (the last time we updated, most people were using dial-up internet connections). The district has a comprehensive list of maintenance, infrastructure and security needs that simply can’t be addressed within the current structure.

Equally important is what happens inside the building. As the foundation board looks for more ways to support students in and after high school, our curriculum reflects the need to prepare students for burgeoning careers in manufacturing and technical trades.

Everything the district hopes to do is around the mission of educating young women and men to develop strong character and prepare them for the future.

They have spent a lot of time developing a comprehensive plan to do just that.

 Look at the plan. Weigh it against the cost and your property tax bill. If you have children attending district schools, you know the need is real and we must do something now. If you don’t have kids in the district, talk to someone who does. Visit or call the school and talk to the people who have spent months creating and presenting the plan. You are voting for our future.

Carol Jors

Town of Saukville