District to cut assistant principal
MONROE - The Monroe School Board is planning on following through on a pledge to cut one administrative position after last year's failed referendum.
Monroe School District Superintendent Larry Brown, in a discussion regarding administrative contracts Monday night, said the district will cut the Monroe Middle School associate principal position after the current contract ends after the 2012-13 school year. Melissa Wiegel currently holds the position.
"Right now we need to be able to follow through because that is what we told the public we would do," Brown said. "This is not a performance issue."
Brown said the associate principal position was on the reduction list for 2013-14.
- Mark Nesbitt
MONROE - Despite facing a $1.45 million deficit for 2012-13, the Monroe School Board agreed not to put a referendum question on the April ballot.
Monroe Business Manager Ron Olson presented a 2012-13 budget outlook for the school board Monday night. The district projects a $28.3 million budget that includes $909,179 less in revenue.
"I think we need to look at the realities we went through last year with the referendum process," Monroe School District Superintendent Larry Brown said. "We have to look at the political climate in the state of Wisconsin. Ron and I both think it would be ill-advised to try for a referendum."
Voters rejected a four-year, $8 million non-recurring referendum last April. The district cut $1.8 million from this year's budget and is operating with a deficit of about $811,000 that district leaders plan to plug by bringing in this year's budget less than expected and using $400,000 the district carried over from last year's budget.
Olson said the district has some flexibility with a little more than $7 million in fund balance. The administrative team has already started to create a $1.45 million list of reductions that could include 28 full-time teaching equivalent positions. Olson said the board will look at making reductions, and the board may decide to use some fund balance dollars to off-set a deficit. However, he cautioned that using fund balance dollars is not a long-term fix.
Olson said the biggest losses in revenue include $450,543 in Federal EdJob funding, a $380,000 declining enrollment exemption and $190,000 as part of the state's Microsoft lawsuit that will not carry over to next year.
Olson said the first priority is creating a tiered reduction list with $800,000 to cut about 15 full-time teaching equivalent positions.
School board member Les Bieneman wants district leaders to look at other ways to make cuts instead of through full-time or equivalent teachers or staff.
"We don't ever want to cut 28 FTEs without the community being able to say 'no, we value those programs,'" Bieneman said.
The financial picture was compounded by Gov. Scott Walker's budget plan that cut funding for education by $800 million. The budget plan reduced school districts revenue limits by 5.5 percent, which prevents schools from using property taxes to make up the difference.
"The change in the revenue limit was the big hit and our state aid went backwards $1.7 million," Olson said.
The 2012-13 budget is contingent on a 5-percent increase or decrease in health insurance benefits. Olson said health insurance for the district is expected to increase 13 to 15 percent. However, he said the district is looking at other health insurance options.
Last March, the Monroe School Board approved a two-year contract extension with the Monroe Education Association that places teachers under a two-year salary freeze. The district will also look into whether it can use some Individuals with Disabilities Education Act special education funding to offset budget costs as long as they continue meeting federal "Maintenance of Effort" funding guidelines.
Monroe School Board President Pam Wyss said what happened last year with the referendum was in the past. She wants to keep community members focused on the school district's financial challenges.
"I don't want our community to become complacent if we decide not to run a referendum this year," Wyss said. "I want to keep the financial education in front of them even though there is no vote to be taken."
Monroe Business Manager Ron Olson presented a 2012-13 budget outlook for the school board Monday night. The district projects a $28.3 million budget that includes $909,179 less in revenue.
"I think we need to look at the realities we went through last year with the referendum process," Monroe School District Superintendent Larry Brown said. "We have to look at the political climate in the state of Wisconsin. Ron and I both think it would be ill-advised to try for a referendum."
Voters rejected a four-year, $8 million non-recurring referendum last April. The district cut $1.8 million from this year's budget and is operating with a deficit of about $811,000 that district leaders plan to plug by bringing in this year's budget less than expected and using $400,000 the district carried over from last year's budget.
Olson said the district has some flexibility with a little more than $7 million in fund balance. The administrative team has already started to create a $1.45 million list of reductions that could include 28 full-time teaching equivalent positions. Olson said the board will look at making reductions, and the board may decide to use some fund balance dollars to off-set a deficit. However, he cautioned that using fund balance dollars is not a long-term fix.
Olson said the biggest losses in revenue include $450,543 in Federal EdJob funding, a $380,000 declining enrollment exemption and $190,000 as part of the state's Microsoft lawsuit that will not carry over to next year.
Olson said the first priority is creating a tiered reduction list with $800,000 to cut about 15 full-time teaching equivalent positions.
School board member Les Bieneman wants district leaders to look at other ways to make cuts instead of through full-time or equivalent teachers or staff.
"We don't ever want to cut 28 FTEs without the community being able to say 'no, we value those programs,'" Bieneman said.
The financial picture was compounded by Gov. Scott Walker's budget plan that cut funding for education by $800 million. The budget plan reduced school districts revenue limits by 5.5 percent, which prevents schools from using property taxes to make up the difference.
"The change in the revenue limit was the big hit and our state aid went backwards $1.7 million," Olson said.
The 2012-13 budget is contingent on a 5-percent increase or decrease in health insurance benefits. Olson said health insurance for the district is expected to increase 13 to 15 percent. However, he said the district is looking at other health insurance options.
Last March, the Monroe School Board approved a two-year contract extension with the Monroe Education Association that places teachers under a two-year salary freeze. The district will also look into whether it can use some Individuals with Disabilities Education Act special education funding to offset budget costs as long as they continue meeting federal "Maintenance of Effort" funding guidelines.
Monroe School Board President Pam Wyss said what happened last year with the referendum was in the past. She wants to keep community members focused on the school district's financial challenges.
"I don't want our community to become complacent if we decide not to run a referendum this year," Wyss said. "I want to keep the financial education in front of them even though there is no vote to be taken."