Vote will decide fate of Palmyra-Eagle School District: 'It's a statewide issue'

Updated: 3:21 p.m. on Nov. 5, 2019 

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- Voters who live in the Palmyra-Eagle Area School District will weigh in on whether or not the district should dissolve because right now the district does not have the money to stay open next school year. 

This is an advisory referendum and will only send a message to the school district boundary appeal board that was created to make the final decision. 

Tuesday's vote will not determine the district's fate. 

Back on April 2, taxpayers voted down an $11 million operational referendum that would have given the district the funding needed to continue to operate. 

Then, the school board did a preliminary order to dissolve the district and then a final order to dissolve in July. Now, the district only has the money to operate through this school year and will dissolve. 

One high school student made a video making the case on why the district should stay open, citing one-on-one attention from teachers and small class sizes. 

Superintendent Steve Bloom said there are a couple of reasons the district is suffering financially. 

“Like most of the districts in the state of Wisconsin we have a declining resident enrollment,” Bloom said. “There are not people having children. Again, it’s a statewide issue. I think somewhere between 60 and 65 percent of the districts in the state have a declining population. We also have something known in the state as open enrollment and we do have a significant number of our students whose families decided to open enroll at other school districts.”

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Published: 9:27 p.m. on Nov. 4, 2019 

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- Students of the Palmyra-Eagle School District are voicing a last minute plea to save it from dissolving. 

A video, made by a junior at the high school, comes on the eve of an advisory referendum Tuesday, Nov. 5, asking if the district should dissolve.

"What I love about this school is how many different things you can be all at once," says a student in the video. 

"I believe the school should stay open because I really appreciate the one-on-one attention from teachers, and I love the small class sizes," says another.

In April, taxpayers voted down an $11 million referendum which left the district with only money to operate for this school year.

In July, the school board voted to dissolve - a move that caused backlash in the community.

To find a list of polling places for Tuesday's referendum, click here.