SOUTH WAYNE - Black Hawk teachers have tentatively agreed to a salary freeze for the 2010-11 school year, Black Hawk Superintendent Charles McNulty, said Wednesday.
Administrators have agreed to a pay freeze for next year, as well, he said.
McNulty said he wasn't sure how much money the freeze would save the district, but said it would be "a healthy savings" for the district. The teachers need to agree to the freeze, but McNulty said he expects them to agree to it within the next few days.
His comments came at a meeting held Wednesday at the South Wayne school, which was organized by a group of local residents named Save Our School Committee, which is supporting a recurring referendum for the school district. The group wanted to present its reasons for a recurring referendum before voters go to the polls Tuesday.
The approximately 20 people who attended the meeting listened to a discussion about the need for the referendum, which asks district residents for a $700,000 increase in the state-mandated revenue limit for the 2010-11 school year and an $800,000 increase in the following years. A recurring referendum has no end date. A non-recurring referendum lasts for only the amount of time specified in the referendum.
In 2007, district voters approved a three-year non-recurring referendum by a vote of 520 to 429.
District resident Dean Kaster, Browntown, said the district needs to pass a recurring referendum.
"Every three years both sides hold meetings and try to come up with plans to support or oppose a referendum," he said. "Let's get this done and get something steady so our superintendent and school board can plan for the future,"
Steve Brenum, Wiota, said residents need to consider what will happen to the local communities served by the district if schools close.
"You take kids to another district and those families are going to move," he said.
Gary Luhman, Browntown, who is chairman of the Save Our School Committee, expects Tuesday's vote to be close.
"I won't hold it against anyone who votes against it," he said. "I know there are people on fixed incomes who are concerned about taxes."
McNulty said he doesn't think a recurring referendum will ever pass if Tuesday's vote is "no."
In his presentation of support for the referendum, Luhman said student enrollment in the district has declined in the past 10 years, but the number of staff in the district has also decreased. Since the 2000-01 school year, enrollment has declined from 609 students to 430 in the 2009-10 school year, Luhman said. In the same period, the number of administrators has decreased from five to two; the number of teachers has decreased form 60 to 44; and the number of support staff has decreased from 28.5 to 25, he said.
Luhman also pointed out that state aid for the district has continued to decline. In the 2007-08 school year, the district received about 66 percent of its revenue from state aid. Last year, the district received about 63 percent of its revenue from the state. The loss of revenue has caused the district to make cuts.
Luhman said the district needs the referendum to pay for school operating costs.
Administrators have agreed to a pay freeze for next year, as well, he said.
McNulty said he wasn't sure how much money the freeze would save the district, but said it would be "a healthy savings" for the district. The teachers need to agree to the freeze, but McNulty said he expects them to agree to it within the next few days.
His comments came at a meeting held Wednesday at the South Wayne school, which was organized by a group of local residents named Save Our School Committee, which is supporting a recurring referendum for the school district. The group wanted to present its reasons for a recurring referendum before voters go to the polls Tuesday.
The approximately 20 people who attended the meeting listened to a discussion about the need for the referendum, which asks district residents for a $700,000 increase in the state-mandated revenue limit for the 2010-11 school year and an $800,000 increase in the following years. A recurring referendum has no end date. A non-recurring referendum lasts for only the amount of time specified in the referendum.
In 2007, district voters approved a three-year non-recurring referendum by a vote of 520 to 429.
District resident Dean Kaster, Browntown, said the district needs to pass a recurring referendum.
"Every three years both sides hold meetings and try to come up with plans to support or oppose a referendum," he said. "Let's get this done and get something steady so our superintendent and school board can plan for the future,"
Steve Brenum, Wiota, said residents need to consider what will happen to the local communities served by the district if schools close.
"You take kids to another district and those families are going to move," he said.
Gary Luhman, Browntown, who is chairman of the Save Our School Committee, expects Tuesday's vote to be close.
"I won't hold it against anyone who votes against it," he said. "I know there are people on fixed incomes who are concerned about taxes."
McNulty said he doesn't think a recurring referendum will ever pass if Tuesday's vote is "no."
In his presentation of support for the referendum, Luhman said student enrollment in the district has declined in the past 10 years, but the number of staff in the district has also decreased. Since the 2000-01 school year, enrollment has declined from 609 students to 430 in the 2009-10 school year, Luhman said. In the same period, the number of administrators has decreased from five to two; the number of teachers has decreased form 60 to 44; and the number of support staff has decreased from 28.5 to 25, he said.
Luhman also pointed out that state aid for the district has continued to decline. In the 2007-08 school year, the district received about 66 percent of its revenue from state aid. Last year, the district received about 63 percent of its revenue from the state. The loss of revenue has caused the district to make cuts.
Luhman said the district needs the referendum to pay for school operating costs.