Janesville superintendent recommends building-project delays
Photo 
Karen Schulte
If you go
The Janesville School Board meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Parker High School, 3125 Mineral Point Ave. Enter through the west (student) entrance.
JANESVILLE — Schools would have to wait at least another year for anticipated improvements if the school board on Tuesday agrees with Superintendent Karen Schulte.
Schulte said Sunday she will recommend postponing capital projects at Craig, Parker, Edison and Lincoln schools to plug a $748,000 budget hole.
The budget gap came about when some state grant funding was registered as revenue in the budget but not as an expense. The mistake was uncovered about a month ago.
Schulte said she’ll recommend the board postpone:
-- $250,000 in projects at Craig High School. Principal Mike Kuehne said those projects include an upgrade of the large auditorium, including the lighting and sound system, which he said have never been renovated, and new storage buildings for athletics equipment. The recent referendum project renovation eliminated storage space.
-- $225,000 to remodel parts of Edison Middle School, including ceiling and lighting replacement.
-- $150,000 for Parker High School parking lot improvements to repair spots where new, referendum-funded parking lots meet the old parking lots.
-- $120,000 for new heating and ventilation equipment in Lincoln Elementary School classrooms.
Schulte said postponing these projects would not affect student achievement, which has been a major focus of district budgeting efforts this year.
Schulte complimented CFO Keith Pennington for digging these potential savings out of the budget, but she said no budget cut comes easy.
“I have to look the Edison people in the eye and say you’re still not getting the ceiling and lighting replacements and remodeling that you’ve been expecting for a numbers of years,” Schulte said.
“We can put it off for another year, but we can’t keep putting it off indefinitely,” Schulte said of the work at Edison.
Next year’s budget picture isn’t rosy, Schulte said.
The only glimmer of hope is that Wisconsin could win a share of the federal Race to the Top funding.
Budget alternatives
The Janesville School Board has other options if it doesn’t like the superintendent’s recommendation for filling a $748,000 budget hole. According to the memo from CFO Keith Pennington, the board could:
-- Use some of the $1.5 million in undesignated operational funds. Using this money now means it wouldn’t be available for next year’s potential budget crisis.
-- Use $716,000 from money earmarked for teacher “step” increases in pay and benefits. This is money for those teachers who advanced one year on their salary schedule.
-- Use $204,000 earmarked for an overall pay hike for teachers, if agreed to in a contract settlement.
-- Use $100,000 earmarked for remodeling of the Edison Middle School library.
-- Cut $50,000 to $100,000 from money allocated to principals for supplies and equipment.
-- Use $100,000 from an unbudgeted rebate from a software purchase.
-- Use about $100,000 from a combination of unexpected grant money, shifting information-technology projects to next year and not hiring for positions not yet filled.
-- Borrow the money.
School board President DuWayne Severson said he wants to steer away from touching teacher pay, while board member Bill Sodemann has said he will propose using the $204,000.
Dec 9, 2009 at 10:24 a.m.
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sportthewar: I agree. Oust him.
janesvillean: The taxpayers are paying Pennington's salary plus benefit package, and in return are receiving a big shiny pile of (incompetence). The 3/4 million dollar mistake will not hit this year's tax rolls - but guess who will pay the bills when these projects get pushed off until next year due to this huge budget mistake!!!
Dec 9, 2009 at 9:45 a.m.
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tiredofhearingit: Two duly elected bodies allocating money according to the law is democracy, not "two wrongs". Unpopular as it may be it is not immoral.
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sportofwar: This is NOT costing taxpayers anything. That's the point. (Tax revenue for the year is set in stone, so they have to cut spending.)
Dec 9, 2009 at 9:11 a.m.
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Stupid. Pennington is the cause of a three-quarters of a million dollar mistake and Schulte's praising him. How much do you want to bet that Pennington was calling every manager trying to scrape money together? Pennington needs to go before he costs taxpayers another million due to his incompetence. Schulte needs to weed out the idiots before her own intelligence and managerial skills come into question. Between the IT fiasco and this bit of stupidity, Pennington needs to resign or be fired. The board full of not-so-smarts like Sodemann, needs to go as well. To bad the really intelligent small business owners in this community don't have the time to run. Seems like we just keep recycling the same bunch of yessers that don't hold anyone accountable and look to stick it to the teachers.
Dec 8, 2009 at 6:05 p.m.
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tired and sarah you are both right. God knows how looking at the same dingy ceiling another year might permanantly scar these poor kids. and how these teachers can do their job just knowing that cracked ceiling tile above their desk will haunt them another year.
Dec 8, 2009 at 1:11 p.m.
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Sam:"We have to stop hurting our children by trying to cut every last dime." - explain to me exactly HOW postponing building projects hurts children. I would think a homeless child is hurt worse because his/her parents were taxed out of their house or they brought home less money for food,clothing, heat etc. than if there were bright-shiny-new ceiling tiles & lights in school or if the old parking lot and new parking lot were repaired properly. Come on, quit using "the kids" as an excuse to further an agenda of spending money just because its offered - it still has to be paid by someone.
Dec 8, 2009 at 9:48 a.m.
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I don't get how this has to change on the national level so let's cut our own local education makes sense. The federal and state laws already limit local spending on education. Janesvillian is absolutely right we need to take advantage of every federal grant we can. We have to stop hurting our children by trying to cut every last dime. What percentage of your taxes go to local education? It is very very small compared to everything else you pay. They gave back $150,000 that's less than a McDonald's value meal for me, now they are scrambling to make up a $750,000 mistake.
*****
The real question is, why is the district losing teachers, ESC administrators, and principals at an alarming rate. Could it be the disfunctional school board? It can't be just GM. That's a story Mr. Schultz should look into.
Dec 8, 2009 at 8:25 a.m.
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janesvillean; so what your saying is 2 wrongs make it right. Your usually very passionate about "change" while playing "blog dad" on other posts. Where's the change in this? I guess its alright with you to just maintain the status quo here but change everything else huh? Wake up people - this has to change on a National level and that starts at the local level.
Dec 8, 2009 at 12:09 a.m.
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DanMan, the difference is that the school board is only voting to take advantage of money that Congress has already decided should be available. If Janesville doesn't take it, some other school district will, and your taxes will still be the same.
Dec 7, 2009 at 10:26 p.m.
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Superintendent Karen Schulte, You show wisdom that your predecessor did not possess. But I must say, and it never fails to amaze me that the school board doesn't see this, but federal money comes from the same pocket. Ours! You spend like there is no tomorrow and don't take into consideration the economic conditions of Janesville. Wise up, when times are tough, EVERYONE has to make sacrifices. Students, have parents that pay taxes. Some tax payers,however, don't have students.
Dec 7, 2009 at 8:55 p.m.
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Wow... what a mess.
Dec 7, 2009 at 6:04 p.m.
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pardon my spelling on the previous post but i was so excited i forgot how to type
Dec 7, 2009 at 6:03 p.m.
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finaly some level headed thing from the school board. i comend ms.schulye and mr pennington for suggesting what us taxpayers have to do. if you don't have the money, and it is not an emergency, put it off until you can afford it.
ahh it is the season for miracles.
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