BRODHEAD - The Brodhead School Board plans to meet in special session tonight to discuss the possibility of another referendum April 6 to make up for the one that failed Tuesday.
Superintendent Charles Deery said the board will meet at 6 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The public is invited to attend to offer their opinions and advise about a second referendum.
"The goal is to come up with what needs to be changed for the second referendum to pass," Deery said.
He said the referendum wouldn't pass if the wording was the same as the referendum voters rejected by a vote of 1,021 to 828 Tuesday. The failed referendum would have allowed the district to exceed the state-mandated property tax revenue limits for the next four years.
The board will also meet in special session Friday to approve a resolution to authorize a second referendum.
If a second referendum fails, the district will need to make some tough decisions about how to cut $435,000 from next year's budget.
In Tuesday's referendum, the district asked residents to increase the revenue limits by $635,000 in the 2010-11 school year; $810,000 in the 2011-12 school year; $855,000 in the 2012-12 school year; and $1,285,000 in the 2013-14 school year. The referendum would have paid for general district operations and for repairs in the roof at the high school.
The tax rate for the school district this year was $8.45 per $1,000 of equalized property value. Had the referendum passed, projected tax rates during the next four years were $8.85 in 2010-11; $9.89 for 2011-12; $10.09 for 2012-13; and $10.73 for 2013-14.
If cuts are to be made, the board won't have any easy choices, Deery said.
"The budget problems won't go away," he said. "Being a board member is going to be incredibly challenging."
Specific cuts in programs haven't been discussed. The board has a list of areas where cuts could be made, but it hasn't voted on anything or made any final decisions.
Deery said the board was "shell shocked" by Tuesday's results.
At public meetings held in January and earlier this month, Brodhead school board members told residents that there would be cuts in staff and programs, including sports, if the referendum failed.
Deery said the district was serious when it said cuts would be made, which won't be popular.
In addition, the high school roof still needs to be repaired, Deery said. The board will have to determine how the roof will be fixed. Deery said the district could borrow the money, but it would have to find a way to pay the money back.
Superintendent Charles Deery said the board will meet at 6 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The public is invited to attend to offer their opinions and advise about a second referendum.
"The goal is to come up with what needs to be changed for the second referendum to pass," Deery said.
He said the referendum wouldn't pass if the wording was the same as the referendum voters rejected by a vote of 1,021 to 828 Tuesday. The failed referendum would have allowed the district to exceed the state-mandated property tax revenue limits for the next four years.
The board will also meet in special session Friday to approve a resolution to authorize a second referendum.
If a second referendum fails, the district will need to make some tough decisions about how to cut $435,000 from next year's budget.
In Tuesday's referendum, the district asked residents to increase the revenue limits by $635,000 in the 2010-11 school year; $810,000 in the 2011-12 school year; $855,000 in the 2012-12 school year; and $1,285,000 in the 2013-14 school year. The referendum would have paid for general district operations and for repairs in the roof at the high school.
The tax rate for the school district this year was $8.45 per $1,000 of equalized property value. Had the referendum passed, projected tax rates during the next four years were $8.85 in 2010-11; $9.89 for 2011-12; $10.09 for 2012-13; and $10.73 for 2013-14.
If cuts are to be made, the board won't have any easy choices, Deery said.
"The budget problems won't go away," he said. "Being a board member is going to be incredibly challenging."
Specific cuts in programs haven't been discussed. The board has a list of areas where cuts could be made, but it hasn't voted on anything or made any final decisions.
Deery said the board was "shell shocked" by Tuesday's results.
At public meetings held in January and earlier this month, Brodhead school board members told residents that there would be cuts in staff and programs, including sports, if the referendum failed.
Deery said the district was serious when it said cuts would be made, which won't be popular.
In addition, the high school roof still needs to be repaired, Deery said. The board will have to determine how the roof will be fixed. Deery said the district could borrow the money, but it would have to find a way to pay the money back.