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Edgerton OKs spending plans

EDGERTON — The Edgerton School District's big referendum spending plans—both of them—are poised to move forward.

In recent weeks, district officials had blasted the public with an information campaign about the $9.3 million in proposed referendum spending for building maintenance, technology and pension debt refinancing.

But it wasn't until Tuesday that the district could be sure if the plans would pass.

They did—and by a landslide margin.

Superintendent Dennis Pauli said Tuesday night that he was "tired, but thrilled" that voters gave the nod to the spending plan.

In Rock County alone, voters overwhelmingly favored one of the spending plans—a $6.5 million referendum—with 73 percent supporting the plan with most votes counted late Tuesday.

That plan will cover years of deferred roof and window replacements and a sweeping list of district-wide technology improvements.

The second referendum plan—a proposal to refinance $2.9 million dollars in dangling district pension debt—also passed with flying colors among Rock County voters with almost 70 percent of them giving the plan a nod Tuesday.

The plan will cut by more than half interest rates the district has been paying on pension debt, allowing the district to free up operating cash that's been tied up in debt service.

With both spending plans in place, the district would be on pace for a total tax levy of just over $10 million, according to district figures.

The referendums will cost a taxpayer about $61 on the school tax bill for a person with a $100,000 home, according to Pauli and district Business Director Mark Worthing.

With both referendums OK'd, Pauli said the district could begin work on replacing district wide technology infrastructure with wireless technology. That could be complete as early as February, he said.

Major building projects tied to the maintenance referendum could start as soon as students head out for summer break, Pauli said.