La Crosse Education Association co-president, Jesse Martinez, joined to further discus the school district's $53.5 million referendum, plus the idea of starting school a few weeks early, in late August.

Martinez noted that, while there have been multiple ways for the community to hear about the referendum, he's noticed while knocking doors not everyone knows about it. 

The plan: 
— $53.5 million referendum question on November ballot for new schools / 8 classrooms, new gym at State Road Elementary
— Build a new elementary school at the Hogan Administrative site, while tearing down that building.
— Consolidate Emerson and Spence into new elementary at the Hogan site. 
— Close Hintgen and consolidate those students to State Road.

We also discussed what was on the school board agenda, last week, to ask the state for an exemption to start school earlier, and what input the teachers union has in that.