School Board Goes Big; Toss Electors Under the Bus

That's right folks....the school board doesn't like the mandate of the 124 members of the electorate who voted to reduce the proposed tax levy by $2M. Board member Al Slane thinks you are all "un-informed" (and that's being kind. He said, " Making a decision like [cutting the levy $2M] without being informed is like suicide."

Jim McCourt said, "I think it's really short-sighted of the community to [reduce the tax levy by $2M].

While other school districts across the state are both making serious cuts AND using fund balance, Sun Prairie's school board and administration whine about having to make cuts. They whine about having to "live with" what they feel is a ridiculous decision made by the VERY PEOPLE THAT ELECTED THEM!

Top quotables from the evening's working session:

Phil Frei:
"Administration now recommends that the $183,ooo cost of the latest construction bonds be taken from construction contingency fund instead of fund balance."

"Next year there will be a rebound effect. In all likelihood, we will need to tax up to the revenue limit which means a double-digit tax levy increase."

"...looking at a 12-14% tax levy increase for next year [2010-11]."

"Technically we wouldn't go under 10% fund balance until July 1, 2010."

Tim Culver:
"I don't like a deficit spending budget, but those are the cards we've been dealt."

"[The ] Finance Committee chose too conservative a set of parameters [for this year's budget]. The assumptions used were too worst case scenario."

"[to Brian Brewer] Do you explain the story that there was this group of people that came in and forced the levy down so that [the S&P bond raters] look at this crisis thrust upon us and how we ameliorated it?"

"There are variables on how much pain we want to inflict. We've already negotiated with the teachers--that's the biggest piece [of the budget]. Next year is Local 60, Administration, and Administrative Support."

"It's your judgement as legislative officials that the tax levy set was not adequate to operate and maintain the schools of the district."

"There's going to be pain, but it's because the electors set this levy. Give us pressure to cut as much as possible but if you tell us to cut $2M, cuts would have to be deep."

"We could cut programs like driver's education--that's a huge cost yet in this economic climate, not important."

"If there's interest in levying more that the electors set, you need to start that process. We'd have to figure out how you [the board] would talk to the attorney.

"[Responding to Caren Diedrich's proposal to take $1M from fund balance and Culver has 3/4 of a year to find $1M in budget cuts] I wouldn't like that as a directive. I wouldn't mind it as a goal. We need a budget in place and a plan to ameliorate what we see as unacceptable."

[Responding to Slane's suggestion to increase the tax levy] "If a board member wants to go that route, I suggest the board member work with the attorney and prepare a resolution to face a legal challenge. We need that here for Monday night's [Oct 26] board meeting. How will the board president authorize a board member to do that?"

"We can't do anything with teachers this year; our only option would be with non-contractual staff, e.g. Local 60. For example, you could reduce custodial services."

[Responding to Al Slane's question about furloughing teachers.] " I don't know how that would work."

[Responding to Jim McCourt's suggestion to look into furloughs.] " I don't think that's in the best interest of morale."

"Increasing class sizes is the most cost effective [cost cutting measure] but we'd have to weight that against the cost of educating the children and putting 14 or so teachers out of work. Someone's ox always gets gored....like Driver's Ed, Music..."

"I'm not opposed to furloughs, but it could be done later with budget adjustments."

Brian Brewer [Financial Advisor]:
"...in and of itself, taking money from fund balance will not mean a [reduction in bond rating]; what's important is that you make this a one-time plan..."

Jim McCourt:
"I think it's really short-sighted of the community to [reduce the tax levy by $2M]."

"We got a lot of flack for cutting 5% of non-personnel department budgets, but now [the community] wants us to cut $2M??? I just look at this as being so short-sighted."

"We could furlough teachers...could shut down schools the day before Thanksgiving and the day before Christmas break. Maybe that's a direction form us to you--have Annette Mikula look into furlough possibilities."

Caren Diedrich:
"We have a policy that says we need to maintain a 10% [of annual expenditures] fund balance...If we just take fund balance down to the 10% level, will that help...or is it just playing games?"

"I'm very concerned. I don't think you'll make the cuts that I would. [I would say...] You're not travelling; you're not going to conferences; you're turning down the temperature in buildings; You have 7 unallocated teacher [positions]--cut that to 2; You have 11 unallocated aides- cut that to 6. You need to say to Tom Brooks 'You're not getting a new vehicle this year'""

"Put a sweater on your kids, ladies and gents. You didn't come to the annual meeting and vote [for the proposed levy]. So instead of spending money on property taxes, you can go buy sweaters for your kids."

"[In response to lengthy memo from attorney for the district] Are we paying this guy by the word?"

"[to Culver/Frei] You are going to have to go through the budget line by line and you are going to have to let us in on it."

"I understand there was an e-mail thing going around that was misleading in many respects. If I had received it, I wouldn't have read it."

"All of 8 teachers came to the meeting] but didn't stand up and defend themselves. Neither did the Union president [Brad Lutes]. Therefore these cuts need to be carried into all the teachers' rooms, buses, Tom Brooks, colored paper. It's no good taking [$2M] from fund balance if no one feels the pain.""

"How about we take $1M from fund balance and you [Culver] have 3/4 of a year to find $1M?"

"Do we need an attorney at every expulsion hearing? It's the same old, same old....it's just another little money pit."

Al Slane:
" I haven't talked to one person that agrees with what happened [vote to reduce the tax levy by $2M0. If you took the tax levy to the people that elected you, the vote would be different. The NUMBER is the key...it's like saying, 'I'm behind in my mortgage, so I'm going to take it out of my 401K."

" That vote was made by less than 1% of the electorate."

"I think taking 30% out of fund balance is suicide. Making a decision like that, without being informed, is suicide."

"[I think we need to] reduce the levy but not as much as [the community] voted."

"I think you should consider changing the levy [from what the electors voted on]. You don't want to go under 10% fund balance."

"[I say we...] change the levy...increase it by $1M. Take $1M from fund balance and have a goal to build it back with cuts."

]Regarding potential staff cuts] "What about furloughs?"

John Whalen:
I'd be OK targeting specific areas [to cut] and looking for a larger [dollar] number than we need,but I get nervous about saying something like we need to cut transportation."

" [regarding going against the levy set by electors] I'm not comfortable with that; it's difficult to argue the [legal] necessity."

David Stackhouse:
"If we don't take $2M out of somewhere, if we want to build another elementary school in a few years and open the high school, we won't get the support of the community. So for next year,m we need to reduce personnel costs: look at getting rid of SAGE, look at cutting a few aides, look at teacher positions to cut, reduce class sizes."

[In response to idea of consulting the attorney about increasing the levy.] "At the cost of attorneys, we may want to wait till the vote Monday night."

Terry Shimek:
" I agree [with Whalen about not going against the vote of the electors]. If we needed to cut $4 or 6M from fund balance that might be different. Looking at 10% fund balance is appropriate. The pain does need to be shared. We should look at capital projects...could we defer the $100K for district office improvements till next year?"

"Do we want to look at a 50/50 split...take $1M in budget cuts and $1M from fund balance?"

"Keep in mind the message that came through [last Monday]. If the economy doesn't change we could be doing this all over again next year. I don't want to sit up front like that ever again."