MONROE — School board members officially approved the language that will ask district residents whether they approve of two new referendum measures; one to maintain current operations and the other to improve heating and cooling.
The operations referendum approved by six of the nine members of the Monroe school district board Monday asks whether the district can exceed the tax revenue limit by $1.5 million each year for the following five years. It would begin in the 2019-2020 school year and continue through 2023-2024.
A second referendum asks for permission to allow the district to borrow $3.36 million in general obligation bonds for updates to facilities. The improvements were evaluated by a facilities committee which toured each school within the district and found needs in each one. The most in need was Parkside Elementary School because of its outdated HVAC system. It is heated by 28 residential-sized furnaces. The referendum question allows for HVAC improvements, safety upgrades and remodeling to create more accessible restrooms.
Superintendent Rick Waski and District Business Administrator Ron Olson said neither measure should increase taxes for district residents.
The facilities referendum would remain cost neutral because the district would borrow the same amount of debt that it is retiring. Olson said at a previous meeting that the district debt fund 39 would end and allow for roughly $3.5 million to be borrowed without additional cost. Waski said the operating referendum would also be neutral in expense as long as the value of district properties did not greatly fluctuate. A referendum for $1.5 million initially borrowed in 2016 will be paid off in 2019.
Though the referendum language allows for projects to update heating, make security updates and remodeling for compliance with the American Disabilities Act, officials have acknowledged all of the planned projects are not feasible within the funding amount. Board members decided in a meeting July 9 to focus referendum funds on updating climate controls instead of upgrading security and safety needs with the money. The district recently received $102,000 in state grant funding for security updates, which board members noted could be directed for intended use while referendum funds are used for facilities improvements.
Other area districts are also considering a referendum on the November gubernatorial ballot, which Waski noted should attract a higher number of voters than a less important race. The Juda Board of Education plans to discuss whether to have an operating referendum during a special meeting Monday. Brodhead School District discussed a nonrecurring referendum at its board’s Aug. 8 meeting.
The School District of Black Hawk secured a $500,000 referendum in the April election. The measure, which passed by nearly 200 votes, allows the district to borrow $100,000 each year over five years to improve school infrastructure. The School District of Albany has been considering its own facilities referendum. In May, it held its second of two focus groups asking for public feedback on whether to address needs for buildings. The referendum would not raise taxes either due to the expiration of bonds borrowed from a referendum in April 2009.
The Monroe school district decided to pursue two referendum questions in the fall election after the results of district-wide survey found positive support for both measures as long as neither increased taxes. The survey was conducted by School Perceptions of Slinger and was presented during a school board meeting in late June.
According to survey results, both questions would pass by more than 60 percent in favor of the measures.