Posted at: 11/05/2009 6:32 PM | KSAX.com
By: By Matt Standal / KSAX Eyewitness News
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Wadena-Deer Creek Votes YES to more Student Spending

Wadena ----- Wadena-Deer Creek teachers and students are celebrating today after a district wide tax referendum passed that will effectively triple the amount the community spends on its kids.

 

The special tax levy that will increase district spending to $800 per student and the district will begin to see benefits in the fiscal year 2011.

 

Wadena deer creek superintendent Virginia Dahlstrom says she knew her school district needed help when she took the job in 2009.  

 

With more than 2 million sliced off school budgets in the past three years, the top administrator explains that select classes, staff dollars, and new student enrollment has been gradually disappearing.

 

"It's been across the board, we've cut custodians, teachers, paraprofessionals, we've cut some of our programming," Dahlstrom said.

 

Dahlstrom started rallying the communities of wadena and deer creek.... she wrote letters, appeared on the radio, and took a voluntary pay freeze.

 

Yesterday that hard work paid off, as area residents voted to increase student spending from 160 dollars to over 800 dollars per student. The money will come through taxes and Dahlstrom says the funds will provide much needed computer technology for students and teachers.

 

 
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