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LEVY TO EXCEED REVENUE LIMITS MAY BE TEMPORY SOLUTION
At the Board of Education meeting in Wilton last Thursday nite. Art Keenan said that at a meeting he had attended that Govenor Thompson had assured Wisconsin School Districts that as long as he was Govenor that there would always be state aid available for helping fund building programs.
Since the Govenor has nearly 4 more years to go. That means the urgency to build immeadiatly in the EKW district has passed and we have more time to look at the array of options now being discussed. But you ask, how can we operate our schools with declining enrollment and continued higher costs? Perhaps we should look at an option which looks like it would not be to expensive to the district's taxpayers and would provide the funds needed to operate the present district as it is now being operated.
What follows is correspondence I have had with a Jerry Landmark of the Deparment of Education.
May 12th - 1999
Mr. Weber,
A couple of clarifications to your list of statements:
(See list of statement at end of this Article)
A district can go to referendum to exceed the revenue limits.If it is a recurring referendum, the vote is taken one time and, if successful, allows the district to exceed the revenue limits for the amount specified on a permanent basis. The amount is added to the revenue base the following year and becomes a permanent part of the revenue limit thereafter. The district will always have the authority to increase its levy by that amount.
A district can go to referendum to exceed the revenue limits for a non-recurring referendum. A non-recurring referendum is for a specified number of years, i.e. 10 years. A district is allowed to increase its revenue limit by the amount specified for each of the ten years. The amount of the limit increase is added to the district's levy authority the first year. The following year, it is subtracted out of the base revenue, leaving the district as if it never occurred. Then, it is added again to the revenue limit authority for the current year, subtracted out of the base the following year, as many years as the referendum allows. At the end of the ten, or 15, or 5, years, the revenue base is the same as if the referendum hadn't occurred at all. A district cannot have a recurring referendum for 10 years. That would be considered a non-recurring referendum.
The non-recurring referendum is usually used for one-time expenditures - roofing, adding onto a building, renovating, etc. - that don't cause ongoing expenses. Adding staff, or other ongoing expenses are usually funded using a recurring referendum.
State aid is based on membership, equalized value and shared cost (expenditures) for the previous year. Thus, if a refendum occurs in 1998-99 and the district spends the money, state aid will be paid on those expenditures in 1999-2000. There is no "contract." State aid is always paid on previous year data, and always depends on membership, cost and equalized value. If one of the three changes, the state aid will change the following year. In 1998-99, the percentage of aid paid by the state for EKW was 81%. That will change in 1999-2000 depending on the three factors mentioned earlier and how much money the state has in total to dedicate to state aid.
You are correct in that a referendum to exceed the revenue limits is not a loan. It is an exemption to the revenue limits to allow the district additional levy authority.
I hope this is helpful.
Jerry Landmark, School Finance Consultant
Department of Public Instruction
PO Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707-7841
Phone: 608-266-1647
Fax: 608-266-2840
Email: landmja@mail.state.wi.us
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QUESTIONS I SENT TO MR LANDMARK - MAY 10TH.
If I understood you correctly you say that under the present set up with the DPI and the EKW School district that on a recurring referendum:
Hi Bill, This is in response to the anonymous E-Mail you received from Norwalk. Frankly, we understand that people have concerns. Change is always challenging and thatıs why itıs important to raise questions, as your e-mailer does.
Of course not everyone in Norwalk or Ontario will favor having Wilton join the N-O district. Just as not everyone in Wilton favors detachment. Naturally, different people have different concerns and many of those concerns can be quite legitimate.
No one should feel the need to be anonymous on our account. We realize there will be different points of view on this issue and that not everyone appreciates the benefits of detachment. That is why this movement to detach from EKW and join N-O is based on a positive win-win outcome, not just for Wilton and EKW, but for Norwalk - Ontario as well.
To answer her question directly however, yes, we have been talking with N-O residents. A lot of people who are for detachment (and their children) have friends, relatives and acquaintances in the N-O district. So far, we have been welcomed by the school board and the various N-O residents with whom we continue to meet and talk.
As far as we can tell, the majority of Norwalk, Ontario and Wilton area residents see this plan as a benefit to all communities. However, since we are volunteers and most of our free time is taken up with organizing this effort, it would be a physical impossibility to talk to every N-O resident. Fortunately people can write us at Box 308 Wilton 54670. If there are concerns weıd like an opportunity to address them.
Your E-Mailer mentions that the School Choice people that have come to Brookwood have been a "great asset". Weıre very happy to hear that her experience has been like others from whom weıve heard. We believe that N-O students and parents will find that the other new students from the Wilton area will also be a "great asset".
We know N-O is a fine district. We know that EKW is also a fine school district. We think Wilton contributes to making EKW the fine district that it is and we will make the same kind of contribution to N-O. Indeed, we share the e-mailerıs desire to keep the district "one of the best in the area."
We want to assure people in both districts that this detachment movement is not about running away, abandonment, or anything negative. It is a positive choice to allow both districts to make the most of an opportunity for change. Weıd want both districts to be "one of the best in the area".
As to another point she makes about "knowing many parents", Iım sure she already knows many Wilton parents and I hope it will be equally enjoyable for her to meet a few new parents. Iım sure sheıll find that the parents of the new students are just as friendly, likable and concerned about quality education as the ones she knows now.
Whether or not Wilton achieves official detachment and sends all their tax dollars to N-O, School Choice will send many students there. Itıs our impression that most N-O residents would prefer to fully welcome such enthusiastic and motivated parents and students.
However, we will bring more than a hand of friendship and cooperation. Unlike School Choice, if Wilton students join through detachment, they will bring added tax and state funding dollars that will provide additional resources to help N-O continue its high standards, and meet the ever changing needs of the new millennium. Brookwood seems poised for growth and more than capable of incorporating the Wilton area over the next few years. N-O is a good school district of which the people of Norwalk and Ontario are justly proud. As part of that district, Wilton area residents and students would strive to maintain those high ideals.
We in the Wilton area extend a hand of friendship to the people of N-O while at the same time offering new opportunities to our friends in Elroy and Kendall. We believe this is a great opportunity for all our communities to move forward and be proactive about meeting our future in a way that is beneficial to our communities and our children.
Mike Bauernfeind
The Answer is N.O.W committee
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Yesterday this WEB Site received a e-mail from a concerned family in the Norwalk-Ontario School district. It was a question to the detachement committee but also all people of the Wilton area who are thinking of detaching and being attached to the Norwalk-Ontario School District. The family brought up a very important point which certainly should be addressed prior to the circulation of petitions for detachement. The Question: Has any research or survey been conducted in regards to what the people, other than the school board, think of attaching the Wilton district to the Norwalk-Ontario district?
Here in their own words:
I have lived in the Norwalk-Ontario school district for over 10 years
and have been interested in the EKW school issues. When I read the
information on detachment options I wanted to ask you if anyone has
asked the current residents of the N-O district how we feel. When I
went into Brookwood today I saw many things that I value as a parent
that would be negatively affected if a group of 150-200 students were
added. I like knowing that my child is going to a school with only two
sections per class. I enjoy knowing many of the other parents. The
families that have come through school choice have not increased the
population that much and have been a great asset. I would encourage the
detachment committee to ask us what we think because many N-O residents
would oppose adding Wilton. We live in this area because of the school
system and want to make sure that it stays one of the best in the area.
Name withheld upon request
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This is a 10 page report a copy of which, I imagine can be obtained by contacting Ms. Gustafson or the School District Office.
There has been great concern by the teaching staff in the EKW school district that the issues we see as having the greatest effect on the students are being ignored in lieu of the push to institute a building referendum. We have not seen many positive responses to many of our educational concerns. With the push by the state requiring students to pass tests at three grade levels in order to be promoted or graduated- we can no longer sit back and listen. We are sharing our view of the educational obligations that we believe are necessary to give our students ever opportunity to succeed.
To begin with we would like to express our concern about the K-6 situation. It is our contention that the inequalities and problems that exist because of three or even two elementary sites would be best addressed with a single K-6 site. This section goes on to list the advantages of such an arrangement. Effective use of materials, sharing of teacher's strengths, efficient employment of the gym, music, art, technology and Chapter 1 teachers.
The K-6 teaching staff had compiled a list of educational needs that would best be attained with all K-6 staff together at one K-6 site.
Our concerns now turn to the proposed 7-12 setting. Questions were raised by the staff and many were eloquently expressed by Mr. McGowan. Nevertheless, we would like to reiterate some of the items.
There are then three pages of questions about the design and layout of the proposed new configuration. Some which were addressed in the above and other such as:
Contact School District at 608-462-2600 for a complete copy of this report.
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The following is an inventory of programs currently offered in Hillsboro yet not offered at Royall. This list only affects grades 7 and 8. There may be other offerings at various grade levels not considered here.
1. Nine weeks of keyboarding in each of grades 4, 5, and 6.
Royall does not begin
keyboarding until grade 7
2. Family and Consumer Education (FACE) in grades 7 and 8.
Not offered at Royall
3. Industrial Arts in Grades 7 and 8.
Not offered at Royall.
4. Algebra for high school credit in grade 8.
Not offered at Royall. Such a program allows
a fifth year of high school math currently not offered at Royall.
5. Advanced Biology offered in grade 8. This allows for a fifth year of high school science
not offered at Royall. Such a class could be taken for college credit!
6.Advanced English placement in grade 8. This allows for advanced placement classes
counting toward college credit.
7. Over 100 computers that access the Internet.
Royall currently has zero.
s
8. A full time librarian and a library aid available to grade 7 and 8 to work with students
doing research on the Internet.
Royall offers a part time librarian who has no Internet
access.
9. A full semester of Spanish in grades 7 and 8.
Royall offers 9 weeks.
10. Educational field trips.
Royall currently does not allow field trips.
11. A tackle football program in a conference which includes, Hillsboro, Necedah, New
Lisbon, Mauston, St. Patricks, Kickapoo. Ithica, LaFarge and North Crawford.
Not offered
at Royall.
12. A grade 7-8 girl's volleyball program in a converence similar to the football program.
This is not offered at Royall
13. Daily newspapers and periodicals for all classrooms.
Royall has one copy in the
building.
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"NOW IS THE ANSWER COMMITTE" PRESENTS A CASE FOR DETACHMENT
Esta Parrish, Wilton Veternarian and Mike Baurenfeind Wilton Businessman and members of the "NOW IS THE ANSWER COMMITTE, opened the April 9th detachment meeting at the Wilton School Gym, by using an overhead projector to explain in detail the facts of why detachment would benefit all people of the district.
Mike Baurenfeind, opened the meeting by again emphasizing what he and Ms. Parrish had present to the EKW board at Elroy the nite before (see April 8th EKW Board meeting below.) Mike said, "we must face the reality, that be it now or later the Wilton School will have to close as there is not enough money to operate three schools in three different locations with declining enrollment.
He asked "Where Are We Going? First and formost Norwalk, Ontario school district would welcome us.The have a good school and educational programs. One thing interesting I noted when we attended their School Board Meeting was a complete copy of the minutes of the last Board meeting including the bills authorized and paid. This has not been my experience at the EKW Board Meetings.
Donna Baurenfeind, read a letter from one of the families that had made application for School Choice to Brookwood but had been turned down so they moved to the district and they have been very pleased that they did.
Esta Parrish, was the next speaker spent most of her time showing how it would be beneficial for both parties financially to have Wilton to detach and go to N.O School District. The N.O. mill rate is now 12.40 while the EKW mill rate is about 11+ but should EKW pass the 10.5 referendum there would be a 3.30 increas in the mill rate bringing it up to 14+ mill rate.
Ms. Parrish had a number of charts which are hard to duplicate on this WEB page but I will try and get them and see if I can incorporate them some way.
Lois Newman, had made, a large easy to read, map of the Wilton area of the EKW School District showing where those who will be circulating petitions will be going to get signers. as well as showing how convenient it is for a large part of the Wilton area of EKW to being a part of a district only six to eight miles to the school instead of 16 to 20 which is now the case.
Mike came back again and said that we have to convince the majority of the district and the Board to approve the detachement and, Let Our People Go"
From the Floor:
Donna Welch, "I don't feel any great desire in this community for detachment."
Mikes reply, a lot of people have come asking for detachment. If however, we do not get the number of petition signers necessary then the thing is dead but if we do get the signers then I will be out in front to get the detachment carried through.
George Chute, a long time resident of Elroy said, "I drove School Bus for the EKW back in 1950 and then I was on the School Board back in the 1960's. Kendall joined Elroy first. Wilton tried to attach to several other districts but because of a $100,000+ debt no other school district was interested. Elroy finally agred to accept them. As for the present proposal I can't see throwing away 8 million dollars to build a new school when we do not need one. As for you people who want to detach I think that there will be a lot of people in Elroy who would support you and I am one."
Tim Welch, one member of the present EKW School Board, attempted to elighten the audience about the fact that some people believe that if we build a high school now that the State will reimburse us up to nearly 80% and instead of the taxpayers paying only about 20% of the cost of a new building it would be more like 47+%.(?)
(A party phoned and said that the 47+% was what the State would contribute to the building program and that the taxpayers share was more like 52+%. (I called Adm. Keenans Office and he said he would get me the exact info immeadiatly). More info on this WEB Site Later.
Meeting adjourned with people signing up to circulate the detachment petitions and milling around the map studing the suggested area of detachment.
It Was an Interesting & Well Planned Meeting
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