State panel says no to dissolving financially strapped district
By Todd Mishler
Copy Editor
What now? That’s one of the questions that residents in the Palmyra-Eagle Area School District have been asking ad nauseam since April 2019, when voters resoundingly shot down a four-year, nonrecurring spending referendum.
And local officials will continue to wrestle with finding the answer(s) after the state-appointed School District Boundary Appeal Board’s 6-1 vote on Jan. 9 not to dissolve the district.
Prospective stakeholders know, at least until next year, that other nearby districts such as Whitewater won’t have to worry about absorbing hundreds of students or taking on additional expenses.
PEASD Administrator Steve Bloom said one thing has remained constant throughout the painful process.
“I would like to commend district staff members who have continued to work diligently on behalf of the students and families that are served in the Palmyra-Eagle Area School District,” Bloom said. “In spite of many unknowns leading up to the SDBAB determination, our staff members have continued to provide a quality education for our students.”
However, he acknowledged that the path forward remains a difficult one.
“While the vote to deny the dissolution will lead many to be comforted, there will remain unanswered questions regarding the viability of the school district into both the short- and long- term future as fiscal uncertainty under existing state laws still remains,” Bloom said.
That’s what School Board President Scott Hoff has been saying all along and it’s one factor that he and a decidedly different looking board — eight candidates are running for three spots — will face starting this spring with at least one more year (2020-21) to pay for.
But regardless of how things got to this point, Hoff said the deeply divided district still faces a stark reality — the numbers simply don’t add up in a balance sheet that shows a projected $14 million budget.
“Despite what some people think, nothing’s changed … we’ll start with about a $2 million deficit, and that assumes no more open enrollment (losses),” Hoff said. “We’ll have approximately $12.5 million in revenue for the year, but we’re legally bound by the state to pay about $3 million for open enrollment students. We have the second-highest open enrollment in the state at 40 percent.”
The school board, six days after the referendum failed on April 2 (61 percent opposed), voted to consider dissolving the district and affirmed that vote unanimously July 1.
Way more than enough signatures were gathered for a petition to place an advisory referendum on last November’s ballot, but this time 53 percent still voted for dissolution.
That led to the formation of the SDBAB, which held seven meetings/hearings, the last on Jan. 9, when it put the district’s future back in the hands of residents to figure out how they’ll pay to keep the schools going.
One person who has been an ardent voice for keeping PEASD’s doors open is Tara LeRoy, who was a local organizer for the March to Madison that kicked off in Palmyra last June.
LeRoy said that the SDBAB decision was a relief and provided at least a little certainty, adding that it also should provide plenty of motivation to find solutions.
“I was most relieved for the students because they no longer have to worry about where they will be going to school next year and the uncertainties that come with that and losing all the things they know and love here,” she said. “And I was proud of all of our students, teachers, staff, parents and community members who pulled together and worked so hard to stand up for our district.
“I attended all of the public hearings and listened to all of the discussions as they worked through the criteria, so I felt very confident that the dissolution would be denied,” LeRoy added.
However, she agreed with most that the past nine months have been universally tough.
“The biggest negative is how our children have been put in the middle of heated discussions over funding and they have seen people talk poorly and often flat out lie about their families and friends and teachers,” LeRoy said. “(But) the positives are that more districts have opened up publicly over their financial status and clearly shows that the problems PEASD faces are not isolated to just us. Our district has had a huge audience to share all of the amazing things families, students and communities love about it.
“Issues with everything from negative effects of past state policies, such as open enrollment, unsuitable funding and problems with the dissolution process itself have all been put in the spotlight,” she added. “With upcoming elections and eight candidates running, that shows how our community has had a wake-up call and how important it is for everyone to be involved and support their local schools.”
Hoff is a lifelong resident and nobody wants the district to succeed more than he does. But he said residents, if they didn’t understand the dire straits that PEASD faced before this process, they definitely should understand the situation now.
“We’ll have a 1 percent raise for staff and increased insurance premiums,” Hoff added. “We’ll create winners and losers in the best-case scenario. Some people think we’ve been lying and making things up, but we’ll likely have to close one of the buildings, cut staff and who knows what else. And with each student that leaves, that’s approximately $7,500 that leaves with them.”
Other cost-saving measures could mean cuts to athletics and consolidating bus routes in a district that has shaved 22 positions since 2013-14.
LeRoy knows all too well that many roadblocks remain. But she refuses to give up and welcomes the challenge.
“I anticipate open enrollment in the next year to be a challenge because some families may wait to see how we move forward,” she said. “As we regroup and apply some innovative thinking, work closely with supporters and area school districts and add new programs and opportunities that will be unique, we aim to not only decrease open enrollment out, but also attract new students and additional quality staff.
“I realize change can be scary, and while some may focus on mistakes of the past, it is hard to move forward if a person is always looking back,” LeRoy added. “Our community has a responsibility to our children, and we have a committed group of Panther Nation supporters prepared to work together for the children’s continued benefit.”
