School District Must Seek a Referendum By Robb Kahl

From the Herald-Independent:

Residents of the Monona Grove School District are hopefully by now beginning to fully understand the dire financial situation confronting our district. However, I think a quick recap is in order to ensure everyone fully comprehends the extent of the problem.


This is not a $1 million dollar budget hole that can be fixed this year with cuts including closing Maywood School. The district’s problems are much larger than that. Superintendent Gerlach has often referred to this as a $15 million dollar operating budget deficit and I know there are many questions of how he comes to that total. Quite simply, using a five year projection the total amounts to $15 million because the district needs to make $1 million in cuts each year in addition to the money cut in preceding years.


The multi-faceted state funding mechanism for public schools is not going to change anytime soon so revenue from that source will flatten off at best and more likely decrease in coming years. That leaves us with the option of either raising property taxes or cutting operational costs. It is apparent to anyone with a calculator that the district will need to go to a referendum to raise more property taxes and do so soon as it is simply unfeasible to make the total amount of needed cuts. The “plan” of the district is, prior to going to that referendum, to have some “blood in the streets” in their own words by undergoing significant cuts to programming and closing Maywood School. After this blood letting, they will then come to the citizens of the district within the next year or so and ask for permission to exceed the property tax levy limits.


Mr. Kahl is the Mayor of Monona.


Full Article:
http://heraldindependentonline.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=1564&SectionID=5&SubSectionID=127&S=1

No Modular Units in Cottage Grove, Other Decisions Delayed

Superintendent Gerlach gave a brief update to the Board regarding Open Enrollment.  There were approximately 184 new applications into the district and 41 applications out of the district.

Superintendent Gerlach talked briefly about the Nichols property.  He and Mary Ellen VanValin, Director of Business Services, have met and will be ordering an appraisal on the property.

The Board had extensive discussion on the ramifications of the location of the district’s 6th graders.  There were questions and concerns raised, including costs, efficiencies and space.  The deadline date for the decision is March 10, 2010.  Administration and staff discussed the inefficiencies in running two programs in two separate buildings.  They stated that they are confident that there is ample space at Glacial Drumlin to house all 6^th graders.  Superintendent Gerlach mentioned that educationally it makes sense to put our 6^th graders together.  Additional information will be sent home with students next week.

The Board had discussion regarding the possible consolidation of Maywood and Winnequah Schools. Principals Ann Schroeder and Connie Haessly were available for questions.  There was additional discussion on cost concerns and spacing, especially availability of space for future growth.  The Board will make a decision on this item at the March 24 Board meeting.

The Board received additional information regarding the costs related to placement of modular units in Cottage Grove and had further discussion on the issue.  Administration recommended that modular not be added in Cottage Grove because CG Elementary will function next year as it has this past year in terms of space.  More space will be available at Taylor Prairie next year due to a decrease in kindergarten enrollment, and the belief that crowding issues may take care of themselves if enrollment decreases.

MOTION: Jason McCutchin moved that the Board accept the administrative recommendation not to add modular units to any schools in Cottage Grove in the next year.  Lionel Norton seconded and discussion was held.

MOTION – Susan Manning moved to table a decision on modular units until the March 10 School Board meeting and Jill List seconded. Motion failed.

Vote on the original motion.  Motion carried.

Herald-Independent Article:

http://heraldindependentonline.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=1565&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=52&S=1

The following items were added as future agenda items: Written report and presentation on open enrollment; 4K enrollment report, including information on residents vs. non-resident, procedure for assigning students to specific sites, and numbers; Strategic plan update; report on 3 years of budget cuts; Cost of moving District Office to Maywood and Winnequah; District split; update on Nichols (if sold, what would monies be used for); real estate analysis and district profile.

The Board conducted a variety of other board business, which can be found in the minutes on the district website.

Long-Term Budget Fix Must Include Reduction in Staff Compensation By Mike Mikalsen

From the Herald-Independent:

It should come as no surprise that the Monona Grove School District is struggling to devise a plan to reduce spending. That is simply the way of the world as we all focus on surviving this severe recession. However, the problems confronting our school district are not just the result of the current economic calamity, but a fundamental cancer that has plagued all levels of government for several years. That cancer is unsustainable spending levels.


The State of Wisconsin certainly shares in some of the blame by encouraging school districts to spend and then promising to pay about 2/3 of statewide public school costs. The single largest state funded program is K-12 public education. In the current school year (2009-10), the state will spend $5 billion on public school aid, which amounts to 37.3 percent of the entire state general fund budget. The remaining 1/3 is financed through the local property tax and other revenue sources.


In this week’s edition, you will also read a column from Peter McKeever of Monona who feels passionately that the school district should not cut one dollar and, in fact, he called for a referendum to exceed to the state revenue limit on the district’s property tax levy. I respectfully disagree with Mr. McKeever’s proposal for increasing property taxes. Now is not the time to solve our district’s spending problems by simply taking more money from our families and senior citizens.


We can wish that the situation facing our school district was different, but the financial realities only get worse for the children if the residents of Cottage Grove and Monona fail to come together behind well-crafted long term budget reductions. Frankly, I am disappointed that many of the preliminary budget reductions being advanced by district officials have significant direct impact on children. At the same time, the list of preliminary reductions seems to avoid employee compensation concessions and aggressive reductions in non-academic areas of the budget, especially in administration.

Mr. Mikalsen currently serves as the Cottage Grove Village President. He has worked on education policy in the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Research Assistant and Policy Analyst since 1991. He also previously served on the Mosinee School Board.

Full Article:

http://heraldindependentonline.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=1551&SectionID=5&SubSectionID=127&S=1

Board Must Seek a Referendum By Peter McKeever

From the Herald-Independent:

Not one of you was elected to the school board with the goal of reducing the quality of education the district provides. Not one of you ran for office or took the job you have now to cut classes, cut staff, cut programs. None of you is happy about what you believe you have to do. You are educators, not budget cutters.

As administrators and teachers, you got into this kind of work to educate young people well, not cut budgets, programs, and classes. You know as well as I do that we need more, not less, education. We need better and more innovative education, not worse cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all education. You are not in education to cut it down.
So don’t do it. Stop. Right now. Go in a different direction. You know you cannot do what needs to be done with less.


Mr. McKeever is a former Monona Alderman.

Full Article:

http://heraldindependentonline.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=1551&SectionID=5&SubSectionID=127&S=1

Cops Deliver School Budget News By Susan Troller

From the Cap Times:

Uniformed police delivered a school budget meeting flyer door-to-door in Monona on Feb. 11. The flyer encouraged public attendance at a school district hearing that night to discuss the possible consolidation of Monona's pre-kindergarten through second grade Maywood Elementary School with the community's third through sixth grade Winnequah Elementary. It was signed by Monona mayor, Robb Kahl.

Depending on one's perspective, it was either a waste of taxpayer money and an embarrassing move by Kahl or a necessary means of getting important news to citizens who haven't gotten enough information on potential school budget cuts, especially when it comes to the possibility of closing the beloved Maywood school. Both points of view are represented in dozens of comments on Monona School Board Vice President Peter Sobol's blog.

Full Article:

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/education/blog/article_27c433ac-18d1-11df-aee5-001cc4c03286.html

Herald-Independent Article:

http://heraldindependentonline.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=1542&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=52&S=1

Much Discussion, Few Decisions

The Ad Hoc Committee recommended that the district research 6^th grade programming to determine the proper content and location. The administrative recommendation is to continue middle school programming in 6th grade and to re-locate Monona 6th graders to Glacial Drumlin. Principals Renee Tennant and Ann Schroeder support this recommendation because it would provide efficiencies in scheduling and cost savings.

MOTION: Lionel Norton moved that we accept the administration recommendation to continue middle school programming for our 6th graders. Jessica Ace seconded and the motion carried.

Discussion occurred on where our 6th graders will be located. The Board asked for a legal opinion relative to the 2006 referendum. In addition, they feel it very important to continue to keep the community informed. Additional information will be sent home with students this week regarding this subject along with an explanation of the budget process.

President Susan Fox read the Administrative recommendation regarding the consolidation of Maywood and Winnequah. It is possible to consolidate the buildings prior to the 2010-2011 school year. Superintendent Gerlach shared that it would save approximately $265,000 per year and cost approximately $180,000 for one-time remodeling costs at Winnequah to accommodate the students from Maywood.

The Board had some additional questions on the process and the recommendations presented. The Board had continued discussion on this issue, stating that we need to look at all options, including the use of Nichols. There will be further discussion at the next Board meeting.

The Ad Hoc Committee recommended the use of modular units as needed in Cottage Grove. Superintendent Gerlach stated that we do not add modular units this time. He recommended that we continue to monitor the situation. Further information will be presented to the Board at the next meeting.

The Board discussed the proposed budget reduction and process.

President Susan Fox indicated that revisions are needed to a few Board Policies in the 100 Series. It is difficult to write policy during a board meeting, so a subcommittee was suggested. Superintendent Gerlach mentioned that this is fallout from not having standing committees on the Board this year (standing citizen committees were eliminated based on a request by Susan Fox on July 8, 2009).

President Fox stated that given the many pressing items the Board is dealing with, she preferred not to take Board time to develop policy, but to have Board members give input when the suggested changes are brought forward. Susan Fox, Susan Manning & Jessica Ace volunteered to work on policy revisions.

The Board conducted a variety of other board business, which can be found in the minutes on the district website.

Herald-Independent Article:

http://heraldindependentonline.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=1536&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=52&S=1