Work needs to be done on schools Voters in the Stevens Point Area Public School District go to the polls Tuesday, May 16, for another school referendum. A favorable vote drew support in this column in November and does so again. Work needs to be done on schools. The district went through a building boom in the 1960s and 1970s, but little has been done since. Unfortunately, school districts around the state are in the same position. The state set levy limits to curb school spending. For years, schools have been delaying maintenance because the funds available due to those limits fail to cover more than basic wage increases. The only way to exceed those limits is by referendum, so any time the districts need more funding, it has to go to a public vote. The decision to seek the additional funds does not come lightly. Board members have been involved in countless meetings on the situation and proposals. Feedback also indicated the district should pursue a comprehensive plan, resulting in the large amount of spending. The $48.5 million is a staggering sum, more than most of us can comprehend. But it isn't the largest amount ever sought or approved in a school referendum. And the amount would probably have been piecemealed throughout the years, except schools have to bring any extra spending to a vote. Many residents complain that their property taxes went up this year. Well, they can't blame the school district for that. Taxes for Stevens Point schools dropped. Taxes went up for other purposes, such as the county and municipalities, which don't have to call for referendums because the state set no limits for them. Schools have a duty to educate young people. They can't do it with 30-year-old facilities in need of upgrades. Yes, enrollment may be declining. But a decline in a large district may only affect one or two in a classroom. Plus, today's programs require more space and different configurations than those of 30 years ago. A computer desk doesn't fit in the same space as a typical classroom desk many of us are accustomed to. – Gene Kemmeter