Brodhead School Board to seek $2.4 million
BRODHEAD — The Brodhead School Board unanimously decided at a special meeting Thursday night on a three-year, $2.4 million referendum to present to voters on the April 2 ballot.
The referendum would provide an additional $800,000 for each of the next three school years to help maintain programs and services, Superintendent Chuck Deery said after the meeting.
The district next year faces a projected $800,000 deficit, which grows to an estimated $1 million in 2014-15 and $1.3 million in 2015-16. Brodhead schools lost more than $1 million in state aid in the last two years.
Deery didn't have exact figures on the tax impact after the meeting, but he said if the referendum is approved, the tax rate would slightly increase from this year's $8.81 per thousand dollars of valuation. That still would keep the district at the lowest rate in area, he said.
The referendum would cover next year's deficit but fall slightly short of the projected 2014-15 deficit and be at least $500,000 shy of filling the third year's deficit, he said.
"(We're) hoping over a period of three years, we can see some increase in property values or state aid," he said. Otherwise, the board will have to make strategic cuts or use its fund balance.
Projecting out three years is difficult, he said. The board wanted to minimize the tax impact by keeping it at $800,000 each year.
Board members made a "gentleman's agreement" to use part of the referendum money to retire some of the district's bank notes taken out for the high school roof project a couple years ago, Deery said. The deal would reduce the district's debt but also create a larger operating deficit. The details of that agreement will be worked out in coming months.
"I think everybody walked out pretty satisfied that the differing viewpoints all got listened to and solutions were reached that everybody could agree on," Deery said of the board's discussion.
The referendum decision follows a community meeting last month, when the board presented three options to deal with the upcoming deficit.
The three options were:
-- Cut expenses.
-- Maintain programs but pay for them out of the fund balance.
-- Seek a referendum.
Deery previously said he thinks the solution is a combination of the options. He recommended a three-year referendum with reductions in spending and use of the fund balance.
All the "easy things—if there is such a thing—were done long ago," he said.
If a referendum doesn't pass, cuts would be made to programs and people, such as reducing or eliminating all elective programs, he said. That's a danger because students could leave through open enrollment to find the programs at other districts.
A significant chunk of debt will be paid off this year. The district borrowed $2.3 million in 2004 for elementary school renovations and the track, football field and parking lot.
With the debt being paid off, a $510,000 payment comes off the tax rolls. Without a new referendum, the tax rate would drop $1.80 per thousand dollars of valuation.
Residents at the December meeting said they weren't excited to hear taxes could go down next year but jump up the following year, he said.
Mar 12, 2013 at 9:27 a.m.
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So acejd93, it was appropriate for the taxpayers of Brodhead to support your education, but since you graduated and don't have kids in the system, Brodhead can close its schools because you don't benefit from them anymore, and who cares about other people's kids, right? The quality of life in Brodhead isn't impacted by the local school system anyway, who do they think they are kidding? Forget that you already received your benefit - what's Brodhead High School done for you lately, anyway? The only member of the local community that matters (you) can't afford to pay one more dollar so today's kids don't deserve what you got - the best education Brodhead could afford to provide at that time. The great grandparents of today's kids subsidized the costs of your education for your parents, but screw the parents of today's kids, they are on their own. Paying to educate the community's children doesn't benefit you or your community anyway so what's the point? Not your problem, right? I know you believe it was an honors diploma, but your comments indicate that Brodhead's obligation to provide services to you may have ended when you turned 21.
Jan 19, 2013 at 8:45 p.m.
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Wrong? Ignorant? For one, as I stated it's my opinion. two, obviously the no child left behind has left you behind and you're unaware of the current affairs on the increases I mentioned. They were on as news topics within this last week on our Madison news channels. As for being sad, you wouldn't understand looking out your ivory tower on how this economy has taken it's toll on the middle class! I did go to Brodhead Public Schools, graduated with honors so feel free to attempt to get reimbursed, and while you're doing that I'm going to ask for a referendum to have the taxpayers pay for MY bills since my income has been cut, bills keep going up but I don't want to give up eating steak, driving my Mercedes, and my 10am tee time at the golf course!
Jan 19, 2013 at 12:33 p.m.
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acejd93: Your comments are wrong on so many levels. It's sad and just plain ignorance. If you went to public school I want to be reimbursed for making other tax payers pay for your education.
Jan 19, 2013 at 12:13 p.m.
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Selfish? Maybe, But daily necessities keep going up such as food, gas and utilities however the one thing that doesn't go up is my wages! I'm stretched as far as I can go and to make me pay more for something I don't benefit from is wrong to me! Other increases are in the works for all of us such as a fee for the mileage you drive, another gas tax increase, etc... So in my opinion, if I have a say in what more I can't afford to pay, I'm going to vote NO and make the district do their jobs and cut wasteful spending like I have to do in my budget!
Jan 19, 2013 at 11:34 a.m.
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With closed minded selfish thinking like that our public schools will soon be history.
The district is just trying to make up for the state aid that has been reduced by Walker's budget.
Jan 19, 2013 at 9:06 a.m.
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Thanks again Gov Walker!!! I don't have kids in the system therefore I'm voting NO! One reason is I can't afford more and two, it shouldn't be my burden to pay for others, make the parents who have kids pay somehow. Especially for 4K, it's just free daycare. Charge more for sports and programs and to watch sports. There has to be other ways to get around this, especially if Walker says there is!
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