Westfield Washington School Board endorses operating referendum

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Dear Editor:

We are writing in support of the Westfield Washington Schools operating referendum, Public Question #3 on the ballot.

Our Board unanimously adopted a resolution in June 2026 to put this question before our community. We understood the fiscal impact of state funding shortfalls and changes, and the negative impact on our students. We are counting on our community to unite and vote YES to support Westfield Washington Schools, vote YES to support our excellent community.

Voting YES will ensure we can attract and retain excellent teachers. Our starting salary is about 10 to 12 percent below neighboring districts. The growth in our district requires more teachers to support current classroom sizes and maintain academic success.

Voting YES will place a trained school resource officer (SRO) in every building. This would significantly increase the SRO presence WWS has today and change the current funding model in our partnership with the City of Westfield and the Westfield Police Department, providing $2.43 million to the city and allowing it to reinvest approximately $1 million to directly support our broader community’s public safety.

Voting YES will increase student support and address the current student-to-counselor ratio of 600:1.

Voting YES will begin rebuilding financial reserves. State caps and formula changes have depleted the district’s financial reserves, which have covered over $3.6 million since 2022.

Voting YES is an investment in Westfield’s students and in the community’s future. When our schools are strong, our entire community is stronger.

We encourage fellow residents to join us in support of the Westfield Washington Schools operating referendum.

Westfield Washington School Board of Trustees
Carrie Larrison (D1)
Bill Anderson (D2)
Mike Steele (D3)
Rebecca Ogle (D4)
Amber Willis (At Large)