MINOCQUA – Lakeland school officials told the two dozen attendees at Thursday’s information meeting that they plan to spend about $1 million on educational programs and about $1.58 million on capital improvements the first year if voters approve the upcoming $3.45 million operational referendum.
The referendum to exceed levy limits will be placed on the Feb. 18 ballot. Thursday’s meeting held in the LUHS auditorium was the first of six planned sessions to inform the public about the need for the additional levy. It would go on the real estate tax rolls on a recurring basis (meaning it stays unless the school board removes it).
Administrator Rob Way and director of finance Gregg Kopp used a Power Point presentation, followed by a question and answer session. Only three people came to the mic with questions and concerns. School employees made up about half of the audience, a school official later said.
Billy Fried of Minocqua said he would have preferred to see separate referendums on capital expenditures and for operational needs. He serves on the Minocqua Town Board and county board. He also urged the public to contact state and federal legislators to urge more support for special education.
Katie Grundy questioned the high cost of providing health insurance to district employees. She is also worried that on top of the high school district levy referendum, elementary school districts could propose their own levy referendums. (The district’s referendum materials say the district has increased employee health insurance premiums and deductibles, and required employees to pay more into their retirement plans.) Grundy said she favors consolidation of the high school and its four elementary feeder schools eliminate substantial overhead costs. Kopp agreed that the referendum, if passed, would increase the district’s current spending per student, currently at $14,000.
Don Tatalovich of Woodruff suggested the board look at reducing the number of teachers and increasing class sizes to offset those costs, instead of asking taxpayers for more money.
Making their case
During the presentation, Kopp said student enrollment has slowly declined since 2010, which has resulted in less state funding. Currently, 736 students are enrolled. Back in 2010, they had 835 students. Revenues from the local tax levy have decreased by $4.8 million over the past six years, against a backdrop of rising operating expenses. Way noted that Lakeland is not alone in going to referendum for either operational or capital purposes, or both. Eighty percent of schools in Wisconsin have gone to referendum.
Kopp pointed out that Lakeland at 1.82 mils per $1,000 valuation is the lowest among the 10 union high schools in the state. It’s also among the lowest statewide. Even with the projected increase, Lakeland would still have the lowest of the union districts, he said. The district’s current tax rate is $1.82 per $1,000 valuation. Approval of the operational levy would increase it to $2.33 per $1,000. That would add $52 to the LUHS tax bill on a home valued at $100,000. The increase would be $104 on a $200,000 home and $156 on a $300,000 home.
The first year’s spending
With a broad brush, the added funding is needed for instruction, facilities maintenance, and student educational support, district officials say. On the district’s website, it describes the need for additional dollars to “offset new programming costs, including Lakeland Star Academy School, other special education needs, the tech education program, to name a few.”
Kopp emphasized to the audience that the list of capital projects could be subject to change. In part, because some projects, such as new bleachers, have to be done during summer, and those vendors may already be fully booked. Listed in the $1,588,250 of suggested capital projects are the following: fieldhouse synthetic flooring replacement, $185,000; stadium bleachers, $546,000;stadium field lighting, $275,000; storm and water upgrades, $310,000; theater stage floor, $25,000; pool room ceiling, $110,000; basketball netting, $61,500; and a van, $25,750. Kopp explained that the expenditure of the levy funds leans more heavily on capital projects the first two years, but would shift toward the other two sectors the last 2-3 years.
In addition to the capital projects eyed, the district would use about $1.06 million the first year for salary and benefits for 14 new staff – some of whom are already hired. Included in that mix are four special education teachers, a math teacher, trades teacher, five para-professionals and a school psychologist. Also, the district want to put $252,000 into the “fund balance,” an account used to avoid short-term borrowing when revenue sources (taxes and government aid) aren’t flowing in. The fund balance is about $7 million currently, and will drop to $6.8 million by the end of the year. The district wants to build it back to the $8 million range. Kopp said the ideal mix would be $6 million to avoid short-term borrowing, with $2 for any unforeseen expenditures. The fund balance has been used in recent years to bridge capital improvements shortfalls.
The district also anticipates it will need about $547,000 this coming year to cover rising costs due to inflation. The increased funding would also go toward academic intervention in math, reading, science, history and alternative education, as well as for specialized education, behavior intervention, mental health, etc.
Also eyed are a school psychologist, behavioral support, occupational therapy and expansion of school to work programs, among others.
Additional informational meetings are scheduled:
• Monday, Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m., Lac du Flambeau Elementary School.
• Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2 p.m. Minocqua Public Library.
• Tuesday, Feb. 4, 6:30 p.m., North Lakeland School.
• Wednesday, Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m., Arbor Vitae-Woodruff Elementary School.
• Thursday, Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m., Minocqua-Hazelhurst-Lake Tomahawk School.
In addition, Way invites citizens to contact him at the school with questions. Or, go on the high school’s website for information on the referendum, as well questions posed by citizens and the administration’s responses.
