Voters in the Stevens Point Area Public School District said "yes" to a school referendum issue Tuesday to retain programs in the district for the next two years.
By a vote of 7,655 to 3,350, voters said the district could exceed the state property tax levy limits by $1,350,000 to maintain extracurricular programs, upgrade textbooks and technology and undertake some building maintenance. That tally figures out to 69.6 percent in favor and 30.4 percent opposed.
Exceeding the limits was supported in all but one voting district, the town of Grant where the lone vote cast opposed the proposal.
Elsewhere, support for the proposal was 2-1 or greater, except in Stevens Point's 4th Ward where the measure won by one vote, 187-186.
The latest referendum was prompted after declining enrollment and the resulting state aid meant the district would have to cut $755,000 in current programs for the 2000-2001 budget.
Those cuts were identified as including all winter and spring athletic programs, the standardized testing program, funds for new science textbooks, School-to-Work equipment funds, Odyssey of the Mind student program, Reading Recovery contract, materials and supplies for classrooms and staff development travel.
The remaining funds in the referendum were $150,000 to purchase science textbooks, $225,000 to upgrade technology at all schools and $220,000 to meet priority maintenance needs.
The $220,000 for maintenance has been identified as replacing fire alarm and communication systems at Jackson and Kennedy schools, communication systems at Madison and Jefferson schools and the asbestos hall floor at Madison.