By Brian Dey
Caledonia School District Steering Committee | Posted: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 12:00 am
In 1961, when the Racine Unified School District was formed, Racine schools were among the very best in Wisconsin and the Town of Caledonia had a population of 9,800. Forty-eight years later, both have changed dramatically.
Caledonia, which became an incorporated village in 2006, currently has a population of 25,340 and, according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2005-2007 American Community Survey, has an estimated 6,780 children enrolled in school. According to Sunday's opinion piece penned by Elizabeth Lampark, she states that important decisions should be based on facts, not misguided assumptions. According to the numbers she was provided with, 2,909 students were enrolled in RUSD from Caledonia in the current school year. If her numbers are correct and if the U.S. Census Bureau is correct, then only 43 percent of Caledonia children attend RUSD schools.
Sadly, more than 48 years later, Racine Unified School District is no longer one of the best districts in Wisconsin, nor one of the best districts among its 10 comparable districts, nor in southeastern Wisconsin. According to the 11th Comparative Analysis of Racine Public Schools, published by the Public Policy Forum, RUSD ranks dead last in every academic category among our 10 comparable districts and the Wisconsin Department of Instruction ranks RUSD 49th out of 50 southeastern Wisconsin districts, with only Milwaukee Public Schools performing worse than RUSD academically. These are not misperceptions or misguided assumptions, but well-documented, verifiable facts that have been provided by the Caledonia School District Steering Committee.
The plain truth is that the Racine Unified School District has grown to a point where it is no longer manageable. It is simply too big to be as effective as it once was, and is providing a below average education for not just the children of Caledonia, but all the communities it serves. Communities like Caledonia are paying in far more than is coming back through local school taxes. Twenty-four percent of all local school taxes collected by RUSD come from Caledonia, yet Caledonia gets an 11 percent return for every dollar spent.
The Steering Committee has tried to reach out to the school board and Dr. Shaw on numerous occasions to discuss the possible benefits; exactly the opposite of what Ms. Lampark has claimed. The Committee believes that this will be positive for both Racine Unified and Caledonia children and taxpayers.
Yes, this discussion should be based on fact, not opinion. The Caledonia School District Steering Committee stands by its statements. They are the culmination of independent sources, with nothing to gain from either vantage point. The only ones who will gain are our children, and it's time that the Racine Unified School District Board of Education starts worrying about our children and not its own image.
Brian Dey, 5117 Briarwood Lane, Caledonia, is the president of the Caledonia School District Steering Committee, president of Caledonia Parks & Recreation Commission and a former Racine Unified School Board member 2005-2008.