Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a collection of questions about the 2026 Referendum divided by subject. New FAQs will be added as needed and noted to when they were added.
FINANCES AND OPERATIONS
- Has enrollment for special education increased or has the cost to provide special education increased?
- Both have increased. NLS has a strong special education program with high quality staff and that reputation is well known.
- Both have increased. NLS has a strong special education program with high quality staff and that reputation is well known.
- How does open enrollment into the district impact revenue to the district?
- The dollars follow the student into our district and is a net positive, but considerations like space, staffing, and resources need to be considered for the future. The district will monitor these factors going forward and take them into consideration when making decisions around open enrollment.
Previous Projects
- How did you pay for the turf field and performing arts center?
- Schools have multiple ways they can finance construction projects. These projects, and the replacement of the running track, were each completed using different funding sources.
- The bond levy approved by voters in Nov. 2015 paid for facility improvements at Prairie Woods Elementary and at New London-Spicer Middle and High School, including the performing arts center. This long-term project was completed in May of 2018.
- The running track and synthetic turf field were completed in summer of 2017. The school district sold bonds to raise money to pay for the running track and turf, but the bonds are short-term and are being paid off with different funding sources. State aid for replacing worn out facilities (called Long-Term Facility Maintenance funds) are repaying the bonds for the track. A lease levy, a funding mechanism approved in state law to allow schools to add or replace educational space, is paying for the turf. The track was unsafe and needed to be reconstructed. The school board decided to replace the field turf at the same time so the track would avoid possible damage if the turf was replaced later. Synthetic turf significantly increases the number of uses of the field, as it can be used for varsity and junior varsity games, practices for many sports, physical education classes and community uses. The grass field was reserved almost exclusively for varsity sports.
- Does New London-Spicer place a focus on athletics instead of academics?
- No. There is a myth that NLS has too much of a focus on athletics. The reality is that 99% of our staff focuses on academics. The rumor out there that we spend an inordinate amount of money on athletics is untrue. Our expenditures are really 3-5%. We take a coach bus to games when the teams reach a certain level of competition, but the booster club pays for those buses, not the district.
General Referendum
- What is the difference between a bond and an operating levy?
- Bonds are for buildings. Levies are for learning. An operating referendum is an election asking voters to provide funds that the district uses to run and operate its schools. An operating levy is for running the educational programs at the school and goes to the district’s general fund to support students.
- Bond levies are for funds that the school district uses for new construction, updates to existing facilities, and other additions to school properties. Each fund remains separate and cannot be used for another purpose.
- How do schools impact the community?
- According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, there is a definite correlation between school expenditures and home values in any given neighborhood. A report titled, “Using Market Valuation to Assess Public School Spending,” found that for every dollar spent on public schools in a community, home values increased $20. These findings indicate that additional school expenditures may benefit everyone in the community, whether or not those residents actually have children in the local public school system.
- According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, there is a definite correlation between school expenditures and home values in any given neighborhood. A report titled, “Using Market Valuation to Assess Public School Spending,” found that for every dollar spent on public schools in a community, home values increased $20. These findings indicate that additional school expenditures may benefit everyone in the community, whether or not those residents actually have children in the local public school system.
- I do not have any students in the district. I am on a fixed income. How would the referendum be meaningful to me?
- Strong schools help support a strong and vibrant community. Local community and business leaders are active in our schools and will help guide future decisions. We are all dependent upon the outcomes of all schools, and New London-Spicer is no exception. We must educate the next generation to sustain our community.