Pizza Party Puts Pressure on Esko Educational Referendums
By:
ESKO-Faculty at Esko Public Schools met across the street from their building on Sunday night to keep the pressure on passing a referendum to benefit the area's students.
Dozens of families joined together at Eskomo Pizza Pies to raisine awareness on the upcoming election questions.
The pair of referendums will asks voters to raise their property taxes to help the school re-establish academic programs and revitalize sports facilities that are crumbling after decades of use.
The education levy question would increase per pupil spending by $341. Staff research shows current spending is extremely low.
"It indicates that out of the 335 school districts in Minnesota, we are the 334th funded school district," Esko High School Principal Greg Hexum said.
"We have award winning financial management but certainly we are in need right now and that's why we're going to the taxpayers," Hexum said.
The sports facilities referendum would allot $2.7 million dollars to make bleachers handicap–accessible, create an all–weather track, care for a grass field, and purchase a scoreboard and sound system (plus other improvements).
Both referendums failed to pass last year resulting in cuts in staff and programming.
