SOUTH WAYNE - Black Hawk residents will be asked in Tuesday's election to pass a recurring referendum to allow the district to exceed state-mandated property tax revenue limits.
The referendum asks residents to allow the district to exceed the revenue limits by $700,000 for the 2010-11 school year and $800,000 for the 2011-12 school year and each year after.
If the voters fail to pass the referendum, the district will propose a two-year non-recurring referendum for $1.6 million in another referendum in June.
The board and residents learned at a January school board meeting that if a referendum doesn't pass, it could mean there will no longer be a Black Hawk School District. If residents fail to pass a referendum, the district may have to look at consolidation with another school district, such as Argyle, Monroe, Darlington or Shullsburg, according to Black Hawk school officials. If that happens, there's no guarantee how district residents' property taxes would be impacted, they said.
At the time, Superintendent Charles McNulty said a recurring referendum is needed because the district lost about $360,000 in state aid this year, and the 2010-11 school year deficit will be about $820,000.
In 2009, the revenue for the school district was about $4.5 million, he said, but expenses for the district were about $5.3 million. The district has made cuts to save money, McNulty said, but the cuts haven't been enough.
According to information found on the district's Web site, www.blackhawk.k12.wi.us, the referendum is needed for operating expenses.
The referendum money, it approved by voters, will help the district continue to upgrade its academic programs; help save the district's $90,000 in state grants by keeping a 15-to-1 student-teacher ratio in the elementary grades; and help maintain extra-curricular activities such as sports, forensics and FFA.
The referendum asks residents to allow the district to exceed the revenue limits by $700,000 for the 2010-11 school year and $800,000 for the 2011-12 school year and each year after.
If the voters fail to pass the referendum, the district will propose a two-year non-recurring referendum for $1.6 million in another referendum in June.
The board and residents learned at a January school board meeting that if a referendum doesn't pass, it could mean there will no longer be a Black Hawk School District. If residents fail to pass a referendum, the district may have to look at consolidation with another school district, such as Argyle, Monroe, Darlington or Shullsburg, according to Black Hawk school officials. If that happens, there's no guarantee how district residents' property taxes would be impacted, they said.
At the time, Superintendent Charles McNulty said a recurring referendum is needed because the district lost about $360,000 in state aid this year, and the 2010-11 school year deficit will be about $820,000.
In 2009, the revenue for the school district was about $4.5 million, he said, but expenses for the district were about $5.3 million. The district has made cuts to save money, McNulty said, but the cuts haven't been enough.
According to information found on the district's Web site, www.blackhawk.k12.wi.us, the referendum is needed for operating expenses.
The referendum money, it approved by voters, will help the district continue to upgrade its academic programs; help save the district's $90,000 in state grants by keeping a 15-to-1 student-teacher ratio in the elementary grades; and help maintain extra-curricular activities such as sports, forensics and FFA.