JUDA — Two area school districts have joined 80 statewide which seek to secure permission from voters to exceed levy limits in order to maintain building operations and maintenance in the face of the state school funding formula.
It is the decrease in what Juda School District can levy that has prompted its recent decision to place a referendum question on the Nov. 6 ballot, Superintendent Traci Davis said. The district board of education approved a resolution during a special meeting Aug. 23. It asks whether the district can exceed its revenue cap through property taxes beginning in the 2018-19 school by a recurring amount of $350,000.
“It’s kind of the trend that schools are going through,” Davis said. “We’re not looking at adding anything; just maintaining.”
Because the measure was only recently passed, Davis did not have specific data on how the question will affect residents’ taxes and said the district is working with its consultant. However, they will increase. The district plans to host informational meetings to inform the public more fully, including at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 12, 7 p.m. Oct. 1, 2 p.m. Oct. 21 and 7 p.m. Oct. 30 in the school cafeteria.
Davis said since the 2015-16 school year, the district has been at a disadvantage; it has seen a decline of roughly $205,000 in aid, which resulted in the referendum.
New Glarus School District agreed Aug. 21 to place two referendum questions on the fall ballot for residents. The first asks for a recurring amount of $500,000 beginning with the 2019-20 school year for operating expenses. The other is for a non-recurring, one-year referendum for $1.2 million in the 2018-19 school year to purchase land for possible expansion.
Superintendent Jennifer Thayer said neither will increase taxes.
The need for additional operating revenue, she added, is due to projected enrollment increases. District officials anticipate that within the New Glarus High School, the number of students will grow by at least 90 pupils within four years. While the district has enough classroom space, Thayer said the addition of staff, from teachers of core subjects to elective classes, would be needed. The number of additional instructors needed is still uncertain, but she said it would likely be at least two people, if not more. The district also plans to continue to update equipment and outdated classrooms.
The last referendum by the district was in 2007. Thayer said because New Glarus decided to keep the tax rate steady rather than fluctuating, that allowed both referenda to be tax neutral.
As for the land acquisition, Thayer said she could not share details of which parcels the district may be considering if the question passes, but noted that a recent informal survey of roughly 400 responses, residents said they want to see the district consider new facilities. For instance, an indoor swimming pool, which it currently does not have, or rebuilding a larger and more modern auditorium.
Currently, the district has a “small” fitness center, Thayer said, which respondents said could be made larger and encouraged the district to consider a new gymnasium.
“Overall, there’s been a positive response,” Thayer said. “There were enough responses that there definitely seems to be support to keep exploring.”
The School District of Monroe and Brodhead School District both also plan to have referendum questions on the November ballot.