Editor:

We moved to the Rhinelander area 12 years ago, looking for a small community with excellent schools, good jobs and beautiful surroundings. Some of the first things we asked when we visited were: How good are the schools? What types of advanced classes are offered? What electives are offered in music, art and technical education? How big are the classes? The answers we got gave us peace of mind that our children could get an excellent education here in Rhinelander.

During the intervening years, we have seen the Rhinelander school district suffer budget shortfalls due to the effects of the state funding formula and revenue limits. We have seen the district be good stewards of our money in the face of rising inflation and other costs. It is time for everyone to realize that until changes are made at the level of the state, our schools depend on our local support. So now we must ask different questions: What kind of schools do we want to have in the future? Will Rhinelander High School graduates be prepared and competitive for college and technical schools? Can our children in elementary school learn well in larger classrooms? Will we be able to recruit professionals to our area if our schools are underfunded and education is lacking in our district?
We can answer that last question. Having been directly involved in the medical recruiting process, we can say unequivocally that not having a strong school district makes it significantly more difficult to recruit and retain outstanding health professionals. Supporting our schools is a duty not only of the parents but has also become the duty of our local community. All community members will be affected by the outcome of this referendum.

It is for this reason that we will vote “yes” for the Rhinelander school district referendum.

Maria C. Gonzalez-Cerra, MD, FAAP, and Shishir N. Sheth, MD, FACS, Rhinelander