I was at both meetings, and nothing was official last Friday night. Nice way to try and scare people and throw the board under the bus. The things this referendum can save are a lot different than the last. Thanks to the generosity of the teachers union, and stretching out how we are paying for the roof, extra-curriculars are no longer on the chopping block, and about three teaching positions were saved.
Many people don't realize what principals actually do, it isn't like when you grew up and they just sat in their offices and waited for naughty kids to show up. These people make policy and staffing decisions across their respective schools, and like the board, I don't feel that principals is the place to cut. Besides the fact that due to their contracts, they cannot be cut until next year, so talking about how we should cut a principal this year, is just blowing hot air, it cannot be done.
The school board has one of the toughest and most thankless jobs in the city. Instead of constantly bashing them, how about we throw a little support behind them. I think what took place last night was a huge step towards getting this referendum passed, and if it were to fail, there will be less of an impact on our children than before.
I encourage everyone to go out and get all the information you can over the next month and a half, the school board is going to put it out there for you. I'd love to sit here and tell everyone to vote yes, but however you vote, make sure it is an informed decision.

Last Friday night school board said 'taking sports and extra cirriculum off the cutting block. Monday night school board president said they didn't say that and now they want it back on. The board asked the 3 principals to look at staffing, and look at staffing being being shared across the schools. The schools are all together, walkways to each. Hello... why would you not cut a principal and the remaining two could cross from building to building. Also noted that the figures the school board had on staff expenses including salaries was not current. Oh my, there certainly is a problem here and it is not the taxpayers responsibility to bail them out. The kids and the teachers do not even need to be touched. It is the items presented to the school board that need to be implemented, but president Peggy Olson says they do not want to cut in those areas. Again, no bail out for poor responsibility. Two factories have closed in Brodhead, the third has huge reduction. People are leaving town because there are no jobs here and taxes are already to high. People can not make mortagage payments, for sale signs are everywhere and have been for awhile. More taxes send more people away. But the board president scolded everyone on Monday night again, no votes are turning their back on the community (the same words that a representative of Forward Brodhead Group stated in the paper prior to the vote).
Oh yes there is a problem in Brodhead and it's time the people keep saying no to the greedy. We all know where greed has gotten the district so far.

Dear, Brodhead. I agree that scare tactics by the school board weather intentional or not got your attention.I am in the Edgerton school district running for the school board. I am just like you, I don't know how it all works. I have two daughters, one in the third grade and the other in eighth grade. From what I've learned over the past few weeks is thet most of our public schools if not all are under attack. Our schools get appx. 75% of our funding from counting students on one or mabe two days. The other 25% comes from State or Federal grants or your PTA.School funding is not just your's or our school board's problem.It is our problem. School boards accross our Nation are facing the same problems Broadhead, Edgerton and every other school district is facing. Declining enrollment means less money.There are a whole lot of people out there thet are smarter then me or you.Why can't we change how schools throughout our great Nation are funded.Its apparant to me thet counting heads on one day doesn't work. This isn't about you or me, its about someone else. Your kids and mine. We need to make our voices heard. It's time to be the Grass Roots Movement of a new way to fund our public schools.Edgerton or anyone in our area could face your issues. We need to work together and demand from our elected people. Kim Hixton. Kohl, Finegold and Baldwan. CHANGE on how are schools are funded. It's like planting a seed. Once you plant it, it will grow. we need to start with that seed.

What exactly would the "smarter choices" be? Laying off more people? Increasing the unemployment problem in the area? That's what you get with the budget cuts. Perhaps you think it is OK to break contactual promises made to retirees and stop funding insurance? After the litigation costs, I think it will be cheaper to just pay up. BTW - I bet the $50 - 100k per year is the aggregate cost for all retiree insurance (probably including administrators), not per person. The teachers in Brodhead didn't have to reopen their contract and take a pay freeze, but they stepped up and did. They deserve your praise, not your continued criticism.

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The increase is a total of $170 over three years on a 100k home. That is less than $5/month. Not even one pack of cigarettes or a footlong sub. Is that too high of a price to pay to keep people employed and keep our community attractive to businesses and individuals, alike? Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

Hey, how can you raise taxes in an area where there are no jobs? Janesville and Beloit are falling apart and the surrounding towns are following suit. What kind of jobs are people getting there that they can afford these tax hikes? People are jumping ship (Southern WI) for better horizons. Since everybody is still being hit hard by the loss of jobs, maybe trying to take more of what people don't have (money) isn't a good idea. I vote absentee in Brodhead and missed this last vote on purpose, but you have gotten my attention and I won't miss the next one. I don't think education should be compromised, but that doesn't mean I think that there should be irresponsible spending and tax hikes when there are smarter choices to be made.

haha, i guess that will have to be good enough... Bitter former employee who did not get this benefit?

I have some experience in the matter.

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, not a district employee. I just believe that someone needs to stand up for them.
You went from talking about employees

"the annual 10-20%increase to employee health retirement benefits that range from $50k to $100k per employee is still safe,"

To retirees, very different. I was under the assumption you thought that an employees retirement fund increased by $50-100K per year for the length of time they taught. I'll take that as my mistake for not reading your mind.

And FYI, I never once in any of my posts have I stated that the only people who serve the future of the community are teachers, that the people of Brodhead are selfish or any of the other comments you are implying I said.
My comments were directly at you who I had previously thought had things way out of whack. I don't have the specific numbers to back your post, but you must be pretty certain of yourself as you have posted about it over 15 times recently.
As with teacher and administration salary, Brodhead is right on par with what other schools are paying, if not a little low. So if whatever they do for their retirement is similar to what other schools around do, then I have no problem with it.
Could you inform us all of how you are so certain of these increases?

The math is simple, much like the concept: Brodhead is unlikely to have 75 retirees on the dole at any one time. 10% - 20% x 50k - $100k = 5k - 20k increase per retiree per year, but as a district employee, you know that better than any of us.

And just to make sure everyone understands: District employees are the only people in Brodhead that are "serving the future of the community" (thus the only ones who get such benefits). Consequently, "regardless of what the increase is," you selfish Brodhead residents should continue to shovel ever-increasing amounts of money to them upon their retirement, all at the expense of your children's classroom instruction.

For the rest of you reading this thread, all you need to know about the mentality of the school district is summed up in that post.

And by the way, regardless of what this increase is, god forbid a district reward employees who spent their lives serving the future of the community.

My mistake on the number, its 11.2ish million. Regardless you are saying that they health retirement benefits increase at 50-100K per year per employee. Lets go in the middle and say 75K increase per year per employee, at a low estimate of 75 employees, that is an increase of over 5.5 million every year! How do you not see that this is cannot be accurate?

fatdaddy1 & boob1951: Why don't you learn how to spell Brodhead before you criticize. From what I have read, it sounds like MaxtheCardinal has done his/her homework. Get over it!

Are you really saying that health retirement benefits aren't paying out at $50-100k per retiree and they're not increasing at 10-20% per year? Of course you're not, because it's all true.

Instead, you are making laughable contentions like the Brodhead School District budget is $1.2 million.

Dude, give it a rest. Ackowledge that the Disrict has made its decision to continue to fund those benefits at the expense of children's programs and move on.

I'll agree 10K is a lot of money. However, sports cost a heck of a lot more money, and cannot be self-sustaining.
I don't have a child in sports right now, but sport fees cannot cover the cost of a season of sports. Plus, if you were at one of the meetings you would know, that the more we take in in sport fees, the less we get in state aid, so jacking up the price of sport fees is not the answer.
The sports boosters yearly does some sort of improvement project. Those things you mentioned are examples of that. Go to a meeting and get some numbers, the sports cannot pay for themselves.
Kinsohn, are we really back on that topic? 80 employees at an increase of $50K-$100K per year, give it a rest, that is mathematically impossible for a school district with a budget of 1.2 mil.

maxthecardinal So what do they charge per sport now? If a child wants to be in it? Also I know want WIAA officials get I was one. Sports do make alot of money for the schools get your head out of the sand. The sport club in are town just put in new bathrooms and food area for the Football field. Also they put in new baseball fields and bathrooms and food area for the area also. That was paid for by the sports and no money from the taxes. Now tell me sports don't make money. I also forgot to say the ones that pay for add.

Whew! Thankfully, the annual 10-20%increase to employee health retirement benefits that range from $50k to $100k per employee is still safe, even if it means they'll have to cut children's programs. It's good to see the district has its priorities straight.

Read Rep. Brett Davis' column about virtual schools. Perhaps he is the only person with a plan for change. Is it change for the good? Will it save the school district from economic disaster?

BigDaddy, sports do not even come close to paying for themselves. Gate revenues are roughly around 10K every year, and the majority of all the other stuff you mentioned, is either done by the sports boosters, who make 10-20K depending on the year, lately closer to 10K, or is self sustaining. Trust me t-shirt sales aren't going to make up the other $180K you need to finance sports.
And your ball park of $250 for officials? Is that per game or for the year? You think about it, basketball has two or three refs, football has what 6? Not to mention two for wrestling, a pair of umps for softball and baseball. Brodhead's 3 bucks a head at events is not making them much money at all. Its not UW where they can charge $40 bucks and you are still a mile from the field.
I think you need to wake up and get some facts.

newsfan5 I would have to say they bring in more than $10,000.00 do the math and the following you have in football and in basketball. Then you pay the officials that's a total in the ball park of 250.00. Then look what the food they sell for the sport programs, shirts, sweat shirts and so on. Sport fee they charge per sport. 50/50 raffles if they still do them. Do you still want to tell us sports don't make money for the school. or it pays for it self in the long run.
Wake up Broadhead don't be taken

funfan are you serious? Revenue from sports? It is High School sports for crying out loud what kind of revenue would you expect when you charge 3.00 bucks a game? Had you taken the time to get yourself informed by attending one of the informational meetings you would of heard he gate revenue at best brings in 7,000 to 10,000 $ for all sports and some of that goes to WIAA because it was collected in post season play. Usingthebrain the meeting took place Thursday night because the public outcry of having to implement the cuts( 3 teachers, 3 other staff and extra curiculars) Those 6 people will be receiving layoff slips due to the failed referendum and extra curiculars will be cut. The board then held a emergency meeting on Thursday for the public to help restructure a referendum. The most irratating thing is the majority of the people voting no and critizing the board are those people who haven't taken the time to inform themselves properly instead they rely on other ill informed people and rumors. I am proud to be from Brodhead and I applaud the community for coming together to come up with a solution that will hopefully be satisfactory to both the no voters and the yes voters of the 1st referendum. I know many of he High School teachers personally have high schoolers and Wednesday in classes was not as some of the rumors say. Was is talked about yes were kids crying and sad yes. My son said it was so somber it was as if a classmate died.

I love seeing a subject get thrown into a spiral.
First, let me say that Brodhead is a very unique place to live. NO WHERE have I seen more adults (parents) out walking at night for exercise in my life. Drive the streets of any other town and you mainly see kids out walking around. Here, it's adults. So as far as gangs and crime, I think it's not a factor.
The school hasn't mentioned how much revenue it makes from sports ? Someone else posted that it's a small town where sports are a big deal. I know the teams are well followed and have good attendance. So if they save money from cutting sports, how much revenue are they losing ?
I don't think anyone wants a child to suffer the loss of an education. But increasing class sizes hasn't been looked at. What is the average class size ? What positions could be eliminated, without overcrowding classrooms ? Could the school save money by contracting out janitorial services ? Grounds keeping ? Administrative assistants ? Anything and anyplace else ?
I am a taxpayer of Brodhead schools. I do care about the education of the kids. But I don't have enough information. I haven't seen the school dig deep and make real cost saving cuts within. IMO

I was told the teachers on Wednesday were terrible to the kids in school. The kids were leaving their classes crying. One said in their class they didn't care what they did that day in class (no teaching that day). The other told them they should all be disappointed in their parents for voting it down. Not to start something here, but I hope those teachers are reading the comments and grow-up. You don't always get what you want. I've had to lower my budget at home in the past 10 years, and it can be done. Teachers need to put their big pants on and get to work educating our children. The voters have the right to vote the way they see fit. This is America. I am very upset that Brodhead has teachers that behave the way they do. Consider this gossip but I've also heard there is a teacher in the high school hiding cigerettes etc. for the students so they don't get caught. I am happier with the new referendum, but still believe they went about the first one trying to "scare" us into a yes vote. Being a school board member or a administrator doesn't make you a "up-standing" person. They need to work on their values alittle more and get off their high horse attitude.

your local board members and top school staff, must have called Obama in Washington. To ask him how he gets away with all his lies,and scare tactics. But Broadhead is alot smarter than those guy Washington to fall for it. Hold your ground. They are spending like a bunch drunken sailors.

BRODHEAD — Taxpayers in the Brodhead School District will see the tax rate drop next year if voters approve a second referendum on April 6.

Spend more money but lower taxes? WHAT'S THE CATCH?

Well, at least the school board is finally admitting that their promise to cut sports and activities was an empty threat. The first referendum was voted down, and now they are taking that off the table. This is exactly what I said would happen, and exactly what a whole lot of people who voted no knew would happen.

Finally the school board has decided to make some positive steps towards being honest with voters. This new referendum is being done is a much better manner, and after voting no last time, I will likely vote yes in april. I just hope the board didn't do too much damage to their own credibility in the process.

BTW, Blood, since you're asking voters to pay attention, did you even bother to read the article? There is not, nor has there ever been 300 kids planning to leave, at most it would be 150 and that's if everyone who applied left - and that was only if sports were cut, which as I've been saying repeatedly, was never going to happen in the first place. If people like you keep throwing out these scare tactics, its only going to make it harder for this referendum to be approved.

Brodhead Voters,
Please pay attention because this isn't a question of cutting sports, AP classes, extracurricular activities; this is whether you will have a school district left or not! If you lose over 305 students to students opting to go to other schools your district will not survive!!! That's the question you will be voting on.

Board President Peggy Olsen said after the meeting. “I just hope we’ve done something to make people happier. And that the $170 over three years is worth it for these kids.”

You dont think much of the kids at the school do YOU. dont you think there worth it?