MADISON, Wis. -- Normally, we use our Reality Check series to analyze what candidates say in their ads, but this time Colin Benedict looks at the numbers and rhetoric flying back and forth in the Madison Metropolitan School District referenda debate. Voters head to the polls on Tuesday.

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Reality Check: Question 1 Reality Check: Question 2 Reality Check: Question 3

This week, we'll break down who is saying what and why and analyze their numbers -- starting with the first of three referendum questions: The district proposal to build a second school at Leopold Elementary. It asks for $14.5 million over 15 years.
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Right now, Leopold Elementary is 2 percent over capacity. In five years, it's projected to be between 14 and 27 percent over its limit. If approved, the new, additional school it would be ready for the 2007-2008 school year.

For the average $205,000 homeowner, it would cost $375 over 15 years -- about $25 a year.

The people who want you to vote yes say,"' Think of the kids. That's really what school is all about."

By building the school on existing school property, it saves the cost of buying land. Plus, the yes camp wants you to look at where Madison is growing -- district documents show the growth is on the far east side and the south side, near Leopold school.

The alternative to building a new school is to change boundaries, school officials said. Some schools near the center of the city are seeing fewer students.

"Parents at Huegel have already been through that -- we had boundaries changed four years ago," said Joan Eggert of Madison Cares, which is pushing for yes vote. "Although our school was overcrowded, and we wanted Chavez to be built, it's very hard to have kids moved and shuffled -- and to have to create a new community really."

Boundary change is where the no side begins -- especially when you compare the Madison school district to where it was 10 years ago: more schools, but 162 fewer students.

"People don't like to be disrupted from their neighborhoods," said Rick Berg of Vote No For Change. "They don't like to have the school switched, but I think it's more fiscally responsible -- absolutely."

From there, it's about dollars. The No Group says the $14.5 million price tag in reality will cost you $23 million.

Here's how they calculate the numbers:

$14 m new Leopold school
x .60 penalty
--------------------
$8.7 m in lost state revenue

Because Madison is a so-called "rich" district, there's a penalty for spending more than the revenue cap.

For Madison, that penalty is 60 cents on the dollar. In this case, it means the district will get $8.7 million less in state aid than it would without the referendum.

News 3 checked with the state Department of Public Instruction, and it's true: If you approve spending $14.5 million, the district will lose almost $8.7 million.

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3