To the editor,

As the Feb. 20 date approaches for the community vote regarding the River Falls School District referendum, I have been saddened and disappointed by the emergence of misdirection and misinformation in forums such as previous week’s Letters to the Editor. In particular, the theme of focusing on the Renaissance Charter Academy and innuendo to paint the River Falls School Board as financially irresponsible is despicable.

For any of my neighbors who now have questions about this topic, rather than consuming this misdirection as fact, I encourage you to attend the next informational session (Feb. 14 at 7 a.m. – Coffee

w/Superintendent, District Office) and simply ask the question to Superintendent Benson. My experience with River Falls School Board members is that they represent the most committed and conscientious members of our community. It saddens me that they are subjected to this type of negative innuendo.

I am a 17-year resident of this community, retired, and no longer have children in the school district. Since there is no direct benefit to me in this referendum passing and I am now on a fixed income, it might be easy for me to vote against the referendum. However, I know with certainty that investments in public education (whether public K-12, the local University, institutions such as our magnificent city library, etc.) are the foundation for a vibrant and successful community.

For me, the only two relevant facts in my decision are:

1) River Falls is currently tied for LAST PLACE (versus the other 421 school districts in the state of

Wisconsin) for the revenue the school district receives per pupil from State Funding and Local Property Tax revenue.

2) Even when you factor in the additional revenue made available due to federal grant funds, River Falls’

ranking only rises to 333rd (versus the other 421 school districts in the state) in spending per pupil. (https://www.rfsd.k12.wi.us/about/referendum2024.cfm)

There is no getting around the fact that River Falls spends less per student than the vast majority of all other schools within Wisconsin. We are a better community than that. Our youth deserve an education worthy of the great community that we are. I encourage my River Falls neighbors to turn out for the vote on Feb.2 0 and to vote “yes” for a quality education for the youth of our community.

Wayne Roen

River Falls