MONROE - The Monroe school board, in a special meeting Monday, finalized a four-year, non-recurring referendum for $8 million.
The measure will be on the April 5 ballot.
In a related matter, the board voted 4-2, with one abstention, to approve a preliminary series of cuts over the next two years if the referendum fails. Voting against the cuts were board members Larry Eakins and Brian Keith; Les Bieneman abstained.
The district has pledged to make $494,652 in cuts in the 2011-12 school year - regardless of whether a referendum is approved. With retirements, the district could cut as much as $557,090.
Those cuts, which could come with or without referendum money, include personnel - a teacher at the virtual school; a core classroom teacher at the middle school; a technology education teacher at the high school; a special education teacher; an elementary playground supervisor; a high school study hall supervisor; 0.4 full-time equivalent position in business education at the high school; and $150,000 from the district's technology budget.
Officials also approved cuts of 5 percent, or $24,500, to co-curricular activities at the high school.
"There's an expectation from most in the community who want to know the impact of a referendum," Monroe Superintendent Larry Brown said. "There's an expectation from the community that you go back and look at what you can to reduce the dollar amount you ask for."
Without a referendum, the district is projected to have deficits of about $1.6 million in the 2011-12 school year; $2.3 million in the 2012-13 year; $3 million in 2013-14 school year; and $3.6 million in the 2014-15. The deadline to file the referendum with Green County to have it appear on the April ballot is Feb. 22.
The district is at the end of its four-year, non-recurring referendum, in which voters allowed the district to exceed state revenue caps by $8.3 million. The district was able to make cuts in administration and other areas over the past four years, using a little more than $4 million of the total amount authorized by the last referendum.
If the referendum fails, the board has targeted $489,734 in a first round of cuts for 2011-12 and $478,550 in a second round of cuts in 2012-13 that would have included the equivalent of 1.5 foreign language positions at the high school.
The board's Bob Erb balked at an initial plan to have the equivalent of 1.5 foreign language positions slashed in a second round of cuts if the referendum fails. That proposed cut was amended after Brown offered an option of trimming the equivalent of two full-time equivalents in alternative or special education instead.
"My concern would be just as we didn't want to cut extracurriculars because we didn't want to lose kids, I would argue that this is right up there," Erb said.
But Keith said that if families with special education students are looking at various school districts, eliminating special education teachers and aides could have an impact.
Joe Monroe, the district's director of pupil services, said that the district would still be in compliance with Individual Education Plans, but the reductions would alter the district's ability to have special education personnel work with children in small groups and in co-teaching settings.
"What we would compromise is our ability to support kids," he said.
Brown said the alternative areas that could be considered in the cut include equivalent positions at the virtual school, charter school or a study skills position at the high school. Monroe said if special education enrollment or student needs change, he would go back to the board if they had a need for more support in an area.
Eakins said the district is in danger, either way, regarding whether to put the equivalent of 1.5 foreign language positions - or the equivalent of two alternative or special education positions - on the chopping block. Eakins supported the original plan to have the equivalent of 1.5 foreign language positions in the second round of cuts if a referendum fails.
"I think we need to let administration do their job," Eakins said.
The first round of cuts, if a referendum failed, includes slashing $100,000 in maintenance and $50,000 from the technology budgets district-wide. The other cuts planned if the referendum fails include three special education aides at the high school; 1.5 full-time custodial positions at elementary schools; a full-time elementary grade level teacher; a full-time teacher and secretary at the virtual school; and gifted overloads at the elementary schools. The district also could cut a half-time custodial position at the middle school and high school and ninth-hour overloads at the middle school.
In the second round of cuts if a referendum fails, the district is proposing slashing the equivalent of two full-time special education aides; the equivalent of two full-time alternative or special education positions; a special education teacher; and a psychologist. In addition, the district would cut 1.5 library aides at elementary schools. And the district would cut a full-time LMC director, literacy coach and counselor. Finally, the district would slash technology expenses by $50,000.
"Whether you put it on the list, someone will have a reason to take it off," Brown said. "I understand that. I respect that from teachers who have a passion. I would rather have that than they don't care."
Monroe School District Business Manager Ron Olson said the other piece the district doesn't know is the state's education funding. If the state wanted to enforce a reduction in education spending, the district would have to follow suit, he said.
"I don't want to give anyone false hope," Olson said. "Even if something is not on the list, it could come back."
The measure will be on the April 5 ballot.
In a related matter, the board voted 4-2, with one abstention, to approve a preliminary series of cuts over the next two years if the referendum fails. Voting against the cuts were board members Larry Eakins and Brian Keith; Les Bieneman abstained.
The district has pledged to make $494,652 in cuts in the 2011-12 school year - regardless of whether a referendum is approved. With retirements, the district could cut as much as $557,090.
Those cuts, which could come with or without referendum money, include personnel - a teacher at the virtual school; a core classroom teacher at the middle school; a technology education teacher at the high school; a special education teacher; an elementary playground supervisor; a high school study hall supervisor; 0.4 full-time equivalent position in business education at the high school; and $150,000 from the district's technology budget.
Officials also approved cuts of 5 percent, or $24,500, to co-curricular activities at the high school.
"There's an expectation from most in the community who want to know the impact of a referendum," Monroe Superintendent Larry Brown said. "There's an expectation from the community that you go back and look at what you can to reduce the dollar amount you ask for."
Without a referendum, the district is projected to have deficits of about $1.6 million in the 2011-12 school year; $2.3 million in the 2012-13 year; $3 million in 2013-14 school year; and $3.6 million in the 2014-15. The deadline to file the referendum with Green County to have it appear on the April ballot is Feb. 22.
The district is at the end of its four-year, non-recurring referendum, in which voters allowed the district to exceed state revenue caps by $8.3 million. The district was able to make cuts in administration and other areas over the past four years, using a little more than $4 million of the total amount authorized by the last referendum.
If the referendum fails, the board has targeted $489,734 in a first round of cuts for 2011-12 and $478,550 in a second round of cuts in 2012-13 that would have included the equivalent of 1.5 foreign language positions at the high school.
The board's Bob Erb balked at an initial plan to have the equivalent of 1.5 foreign language positions slashed in a second round of cuts if the referendum fails. That proposed cut was amended after Brown offered an option of trimming the equivalent of two full-time equivalents in alternative or special education instead.
"My concern would be just as we didn't want to cut extracurriculars because we didn't want to lose kids, I would argue that this is right up there," Erb said.
But Keith said that if families with special education students are looking at various school districts, eliminating special education teachers and aides could have an impact.
Joe Monroe, the district's director of pupil services, said that the district would still be in compliance with Individual Education Plans, but the reductions would alter the district's ability to have special education personnel work with children in small groups and in co-teaching settings.
"What we would compromise is our ability to support kids," he said.
Brown said the alternative areas that could be considered in the cut include equivalent positions at the virtual school, charter school or a study skills position at the high school. Monroe said if special education enrollment or student needs change, he would go back to the board if they had a need for more support in an area.
Eakins said the district is in danger, either way, regarding whether to put the equivalent of 1.5 foreign language positions - or the equivalent of two alternative or special education positions - on the chopping block. Eakins supported the original plan to have the equivalent of 1.5 foreign language positions in the second round of cuts if a referendum fails.
"I think we need to let administration do their job," Eakins said.
The first round of cuts, if a referendum failed, includes slashing $100,000 in maintenance and $50,000 from the technology budgets district-wide. The other cuts planned if the referendum fails include three special education aides at the high school; 1.5 full-time custodial positions at elementary schools; a full-time elementary grade level teacher; a full-time teacher and secretary at the virtual school; and gifted overloads at the elementary schools. The district also could cut a half-time custodial position at the middle school and high school and ninth-hour overloads at the middle school.
In the second round of cuts if a referendum fails, the district is proposing slashing the equivalent of two full-time special education aides; the equivalent of two full-time alternative or special education positions; a special education teacher; and a psychologist. In addition, the district would cut 1.5 library aides at elementary schools. And the district would cut a full-time LMC director, literacy coach and counselor. Finally, the district would slash technology expenses by $50,000.
"Whether you put it on the list, someone will have a reason to take it off," Brown said. "I understand that. I respect that from teachers who have a passion. I would rather have that than they don't care."
Monroe School District Business Manager Ron Olson said the other piece the district doesn't know is the state's education funding. If the state wanted to enforce a reduction in education spending, the district would have to follow suit, he said.
"I don't want to give anyone false hope," Olson said. "Even if something is not on the list, it could come back."