Board considers next move for potential referendum

CLINTONVILLE – With the results from a community survey not showing a clear direction for the Clintonville School District in regards to whether an operational referendum would pass if it were placed on the April ballot, the Clintonville Board of Education discussed its next steps in the process when it met Dec. 22. After the survey results were presented to the board, Nick Curran, director of Business Services for CESA 8, which the district contracts with regarding its finances, presented different budgeting scenarios for the district. “My recommendation here is, the more flexibility you can create for yourself through an operating referendum in Fund 10, the better,” Curran told the board. He added that the district is in a unique situation because it can “significantly” drop property taxes over the course of six years, while also passing an operating referendum. Board Clerk Klint Barkow asked how the district can communicate with residents to inform them about “how great of an opportunity this is” for the district. He said the district is saving residents taxes even with a $2.5 million referendum. “If you can get the word out, I think you can get this passed if you can explain to people on what we’re really doing,” Barkow said. Board member Mark Zachow said that the survey showed that residents will not support anything for sports. Board member Christopher Hoffmann said the board needs to make decisions logically and not emotionally. Curran agreed, adding that the board needs to make changes to programming and not just keep talking about making changes. “We have to do these things because I don’t feel like you’re going anywhere,” Curran said. Board President Glen Drew Lundt said he does not want to cut any programs, but the district does not have enough money to support all its current programs. “When there’s not money, you have to figure it out,” Lundt said. “And if we’re not willing to raise the rates to a point that will compensate for some of this, then I guess we do have to cut stuff. But I don’t know who makes those decisions.” Curran said it is the board’s responsibility to make those decisions. “You telling the administration to figure out what you’re going to fix or cut, that’s leaving your superintendent out to dry,” Curran said. Hoffmann said the community survey provided the board with information as to what district residents want funds spent on. “I just feel like as a board, you have to set that next strategic direction,” Curran said. Curran said he would like to see a $2.5 million referendum passed because it would make a significant difference in several areas and provide the district financial flexibility. But he acknowledged that based on the survey results he was not sure a $2.5 million referendum would be passed by the district’s residents. Board Treasurer Jason Moder said there needs to be “effort and initiative put into it to put our best foot forward and not sit here and dig our heels in and say, ‘I’m not willing to do anything.’” “My biggest concern for this district and this board right now is that this board can’t come together on a referendum number because it’s distracted by Fund 80,” Curran said. “…That’s going to have a significant ripple effect on a lot of decisions you make in the future.” Curran told the board it needs to figure out what referendum dollar amount it wants to bring to the district’s residents for approval. “Get behind that and find a way to strategically discuss these other things,” Curran said. He added, “If you don’t do an operating referendum, either you’re cutting $1.2 million (Fund 10 deficit) and having your (state) equalization aid go down, or you’re draining your fund balance to keep the (state) equalization aid up. And then the tax picture looks worse and worse.” Board Vice President Kris Strauman asked why the district would ask for more than $1.2 million in a referendum when $1.2 million is the deficit. Curran said the reason is the district’s administration has identified 3-5 new staff positions it would like to add. Clintonville Superintendent Troy Kuhn told the board that in recent years staff positions have been cut, and when comparing the district’s personnel with school districts the size of Clintonville, those districts have positions that Clintonville does not have in supporting students, especially for guidance, social work, and interventionists. “We’re scraping the bare minimum for core academics,” Kuhn said. If those staff positions were added to the district, Kuhn said the budget deficit would be $1.6-$1.9 million. Hoffmann asked how the district could justify the need for additional staff when its student enrollment is declining. Lundt said he’d like a see a list of items the district needs so the board could determine a referendum dollar amount. “Drew, your Finance Committee has talked about this stuff, your Land Use Committee has talked about this stuff, this information has been readily available,” Curran said. “…I’m aware of all these different things that we previously talked about, and now we’re talking about we need another list.” Lundt claimed he had never seen a list. “We discussed them at the Finance Committee,” Kuhn said. “I think we need to convince the community to figure out a way to pass this referendum for the maximum money that we can get,” Barkow said. Curran agreed.