MONROE - Reflecting back on the failed referendum in spring 2011, the Monroe school board decided Monday to wait until the November election to ask voters for a referendum.
"I sat here in 2011, and listened to some dialogue where it was suggested "well, what's the worst that could happen, let's do it,'" said board president Bob Erb. The April 2011 referendum failed by almost 60 percent. "That kind of set us back five years."
He said there wasn't enough community outreach in 2011 to garner support amid the controversy surrounding Act 10 - Gov. Scott Walker's budget bill that ended collective bargaining rights for many public employees - and doesn't want to make that same mistake again.
Board members also pointed to data that November elections in Wisconsin have had the highest success rate for school referendums in the last 15 years. And waiting until fall would allow the district to send out another survey to get more specific information about what voters would support.
School board clerk Amy Bazley cited "recent events" as a reason the community might not support a spring referendum.
"I think that our community is a little - for lack of a better term - school-district weary right now," Bazley said.
District Administrator Cory Hirsbrunner echoed the reference to recent events, emphasizing that she would support a referendum. Hirsbrunner's husband, former Monroe High School Athletic Director Dave Hirsbrunner, resigned earlier this month after being placed on administrative leave for his handling of athletic funds.
"I guess I want the board to know that no matter when you decide to go to referendum, whether its April, whether its November, that my commitment to the district has not changed," she said. "I think I owe it to the staff, to the community, to the students to continue to fight for them every single day."
Planning for a fall referendum means building a budget with two possible tax levies - one for if a referendum succeeds, one for if it fails - said Business Manager Ron Olson. The district would operate for a year on a deficit if a referendum fails.
Olson suggested to the board that the district should compile a list of specific things that would be cut if the referendum fails so the community can see concrete ramifications.
"Unfortunately, our community seems to like to have that - for lack of a better word - big, scary list of what does go away if this doesn't go," Olson said.
Scott Schmidt, the board's vice president, was absent.
"I sat here in 2011, and listened to some dialogue where it was suggested "well, what's the worst that could happen, let's do it,'" said board president Bob Erb. The April 2011 referendum failed by almost 60 percent. "That kind of set us back five years."
He said there wasn't enough community outreach in 2011 to garner support amid the controversy surrounding Act 10 - Gov. Scott Walker's budget bill that ended collective bargaining rights for many public employees - and doesn't want to make that same mistake again.
Board members also pointed to data that November elections in Wisconsin have had the highest success rate for school referendums in the last 15 years. And waiting until fall would allow the district to send out another survey to get more specific information about what voters would support.
School board clerk Amy Bazley cited "recent events" as a reason the community might not support a spring referendum.
"I think that our community is a little - for lack of a better term - school-district weary right now," Bazley said.
District Administrator Cory Hirsbrunner echoed the reference to recent events, emphasizing that she would support a referendum. Hirsbrunner's husband, former Monroe High School Athletic Director Dave Hirsbrunner, resigned earlier this month after being placed on administrative leave for his handling of athletic funds.
"I guess I want the board to know that no matter when you decide to go to referendum, whether its April, whether its November, that my commitment to the district has not changed," she said. "I think I owe it to the staff, to the community, to the students to continue to fight for them every single day."
Planning for a fall referendum means building a budget with two possible tax levies - one for if a referendum succeeds, one for if it fails - said Business Manager Ron Olson. The district would operate for a year on a deficit if a referendum fails.
Olson suggested to the board that the district should compile a list of specific things that would be cut if the referendum fails so the community can see concrete ramifications.
"Unfortunately, our community seems to like to have that - for lack of a better word - big, scary list of what does go away if this doesn't go," Olson said.
Scott Schmidt, the board's vice president, was absent.